Food for thought – A Conclusion

Food for thought – A Conclusion

Exploring the historical food challenges and the changes that have taken place over the last decades since the second world war has helped me understand the motivations of those trying to change it and those living within its utopian state of food. It is clear from this dissertation that the powers within the global food system have resisted change throughout the decades simply by absorbing or deflecting them. It is clear that the same conversations have taken place throughout history, and we can see small changes in the way we eat, but the point of these conversations may be lost in translation from 'wholefoods' to 'wholefood ready meals'. Having studied and evaluated the past and present interventions, I will seek to envision the future in this conclusion. I see design playing a role in the future by understanding people and marrying this with behavioural change, self-actualisation, and empowerment of those people. Speculative design is one method that might help show people a different vision, but bringing people along to sit at the table through proper participatory methods that reflect the ideals and the desires of a cross-section of individuals might be more effective. This dissertation has been a valuable exercise in learning about different changes in the food system throughout history, and it has made me consider where my design practice could play a role. Having researched and written this dissertation, I have learnt a lot about systems, relationships, scope and changes and as a way of feeding forward. I want to conclude with ideas for the future. As food for thought, I would like to speculate on how to take on these learnings as a potential food design project. I will reflect on a potential hybrid solution or system from the interventions I have studied. As a designer, I will seek to think about the best interventions and evaluate what a betterdesigned model might be and achieve. In terms of the present-day examples evaluated in this dissertation, the two events had a similar key goal of getting citizens engaged in food and the food system redesign to make it about their own choices. A critical element that I feel is missing in these engagements is the design question "How does one persuade people in ways they find appealing and not reject as too snobby?". Often from my experiences at food design events, is the feeling that there is still a top-down approach through the nature of the engagement. Citizens come along to hear about "the right choices" or the "better ways food systems should be. Then they are asked about their thoughts and feelings on the solutions presented. It is rare to see citizens themselves holding these events. A designed outcome that offers people the ability to self-actualise their ideas, choices and aspirations for their local or regional food system without or in addition to attending workshops could be a better way. A project that focused on embedding change into communities in a way that is not managed or controlled from a top-down organisation would potentially work better. This embedded idea could even be a role, having someone into the community to facilitate change through design methods without enacting them on people. This dissertation clearly shows that the food system has a Rhizomatic way of spreading a culture or ideas throughout society. There are many hidden ideas developed and spread about to make them feel like they want to eat or buy something. Another proposed design outcome would be to research how a designed rhizomatic system might counter the effectiveness of the food system. What if designers developed a way for cultural ideas and interactions to change the food system organically, through word-of-mouth or another form of social pressure. Similar to the broader culture change in the health domain around the poisons of the proletariat like tobacco. Designing a way to easily prioritise changes in their food habits and food system habits, like the stop smoking movement, could be a way to make a significant change. It is clear from the evaluation in this dissertation that everyone needs to be a part of the food system change. Like the German artist Joseph Beuys ideas on the social sculpture where everyone

has a part in shaping it, design has a role in making sure everyone has a role in helping shape the food system. As designers, we have to make sure that everyone has a seat at the table and that seat offers an equitable opportunity. A project that develops a way for everyone to have a voice equitably, both locally and globally, would be a step in the right direction towards significant change. There is much power in the food system. Many people and organisations hold power, particularly those from affluent western nations. Those powers and biases should be removed from anything designed to discuss change as part of designing equity in this system. Another key reoccurring theme in this dissertation is the idea or lack of idea about what most people want. Conceivably the British public has been pre-programmed by PR machines to reflect what they want people to think they want, and this is a significant hurdle in food system redesign. However, what can be lost in trying to change is understanding people's choices, motivations, tastes, cultures and opinions about food. A research-led design project that looks at understanding what people want from their food and their food system would be a crucial endeavour in understanding how we can support change as designers. Food is personal. Understanding people's choices around food would potentially support more significant change than just trying to persuade people to do something different. As we have seen many people have tried to persuade and cajole and it has not had much of an impact. This final research-led design idea could be the most viable in laying the foundation for an outcome with the ability to create significant change. This idea seems most likely for my practice going forward. This dissertation has made me consider this topic more and more as a basis for change. If we can understand what underlies people's food choices and how they feel about food. The ways they currently consume and enjoy food, their desires for a food system, and how to change that to compete against what we have now. I believe we can have an enormous change, socially, economically, and food. This change needs to be led by designers, without biases but with empathy.