(July 14, 2015) The most successful food producers and
manufacturers in the next decade will be the ones who harness the rapid
advancements in science and technology to meet the demands of the first fully
digital generation as they become adults, according to a July 13 keynote
address by futurist Mike Walsh at IFT15: Where Science Feeds Innovation hosted
by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in Chicago.
“If you really want to understand the future, you have to
start with the people who are going to live in it,” said Walsh, author of The
Dictionary of Dangerous Ideas and CEO of the consultancy firm Tomorrow. “And
the most disruptive group of future food consumers, I believe, are people who
are currently celebrating their eighth birthday. If you can understand how an
eight year old thinks, you’re a long way toward really understanding a
transformative change in consumer behavior. ”
Walsh said that age group is of particular interest because
they were born in 2007—the same year the iPhone was introduced. They are the
first generation to be connected from birth, so they are growing up with a much
different outlook on shopping, cooking and eating than other generations. They
will expect products that are customized, readily available and—as already
apparently on Instagram—look good enough to be photographed and shared on
social media.
“When you think about an eight year old, how they will be
making judgments about food, about food brands, eating and dining, it’s all
going to be very connected to their experience on that smartphone,” he said.
“Look at the way the next generation forms their views on food today. Look at
Instagram—there is some extent to which the next generation doesn’t want to eat
a meal unless they are going to take a picture of it.”