Navigating the Future of Food: Strategic Insights for Public Engagement and Sustainable Systems

The global food system stands at a critical juncture, facing the immense challenge of feeding a growing population, projected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, without accelerating climate change. With a third of all food wasted globally and profound inequalities in access to nutritious food, our current systems are demonstrably unsustainable for the planet and its people. This urgency has been grows ever more vital with recent global events, from rising social inequality to extreme weather and critical climate discussions.

To navigate this complex landscape and identify effective strategies for public engagement, the Science Museum Group (SMG), supported by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF), commissioned “Feeding Tomorrow”. This initiative aligns with SMG’s mission to “Inspire Futures” and “Engage everyone with science” , and LRF’s commitment to “engineering a safer world” by reducing risks in critical infrastructure, including food systems. This collaborative research is part of our work with mission-driven organisations, delivering strategic insights that address high-stakes, globally relevant issues, underscoring our robust, innovative approach to understanding and influencing public perception on critical societal challenges.

Our research adopted a comprehensive, cross-continental methodology to capture diverse perspectives. We engaged 1,604 individuals across the UK, Brazil, and India, including 300 participants in in-depth interviews and focus groups, and 1,304 who completed a broad survey. Additionally, nearly 40 professionals involved in public engagement around food sustainability contributed their expert insights. Flow Associates led an international research team of Flow India and People’s Palace Projects do Brasil, with key support from the National Council of Science Museums in India and the Museum of Tomorrow in Brazil. This extensive reach ensured a nuanced understanding of cultural contexts. A core analytical tool, Flow’s “Three Lenses” coding mode, categorising responses based on “Self and Family,” “Society and Community,” and “Ecosystems and Climate” mindsets, allowed us to effectively dissect motivations and tailor engagement strategies.

Key Findings: Unpacking Public Perceptions and Preferences

The research revealed a major opportunity: public interest in food issues and concern for the environment are remarkably high across the globe, with over 75% of respondents in all three countries scoring high on both metrics. Despite this widespread concern, a pervasive “value-action gap” emerged as a central challenge: individuals often know about food sustainability issues but feel unable, uninformed, or unmotivated to take effective action. This confusion is exacerbated by common discussions in public discourse, such as the perceived conflict between nature-friendly and high-tech solutions, or the trade-off between affordability and ethical food choices.

Cultural nuances, illuminated by our “Three Lenses” model, significantly shape these perceptions. In Brazil and India, conversations frequently centered on the “Society and Community” lens, emphasising family roots, cultural traditions, empathy for those in poverty, and a strong desire for systemic, top-down changes driven by those in power. In the UK, the focus was more evenly split between “Self and Family” (e.g., household budgets) and “Ecosystems and Climate” (e.g., animal welfare, global food transportation), with a greater inclination towards individual, consumer-level changes. Across all regions, a general lack of awareness was observed regarding the global impacts of local food systems and the intricate links between ecosystem damage and climate breakdown. However, specific issues like food waste and plastic waste were at the forefront of people’s minds.

When presented with potential solutions, the public consistently favored practical, nature-based approaches. Regenerative farming, community supported farming, and greener aquaculture were particularly well received, with a strong desire to learn more about their benefits. Emerging food technologies such as eating insects, lab-grown meat, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were consistently the least popular, often raising concerns about uncertain benefits, high costs, and ethical implications. This skepticism highlights the need for transparent communication that addresses these reservations.

Recommendations: Optimising Engagement for Impact

Our findings provide clear pathways for public engagement and driving collective action:

1. Strategic Communication: Leverage the powerful influence of media (social media, news, documentaries) to simplify complex systemic effects and disseminate messages inclusively. Addressing credibility concerns, particularly in regions like the UK where audiences gravitate towards trusted mainstream sources, is crucial.
2. Transformative Experiences: Move beyond traditional narrative exhibits. The public desires interactive, sensory, and “tongues-on” experiences that actively support social change. Creative suggestions for museums included transforming them into living greenhouses, dynamic food laboratories, or experimental restaurants, signaling a shift towards active agents of change. Engaging youth as co-creators of solutions can foster agency and long term commitment.
3. Tailored Approaches: Utilize structured models like Flow’s Engagement Thresholds Model to guide engagement from “Inclusive & Welcoming” to “Empowering & Power-Shifting”. Programs should be designed to fit specific mindsets, Self & Family, Society & Community, and Ecosystems & Climate, by supporting initial concerns, incrementally increasing scientific knowledge, and broadening perspectives.
4. Solutions-First Mindset: Public engagement should always include, and ideally foreground, solutions to inform people about underlying causes and impacts. Solutions must be presented in ways that clearly show how individuals can get involved, rather than as interventions reserved for experts or governments.
5. Community Integration: There is a consistent demand for activities to extend beyond traditional institutional walls, into places where food is produced and consumed. This includes occupying public spaces with seed banks, food markets, and debates, and strong public service messaging via mass media and practical workshops.

The “Feeding Tomorrow” research offers invaluable insights into the intricate dynamics of public perception around food systems. By embracing a nuanced, data-driven approach that respects cultural contexts, addresses specific knowledge gaps, and empowers individuals and communities, we can bridge the “value action gap” and inspire hope driving the necessary transformation towards a more sustainable and equitable food future.