Do you have a table reservation for 2064?
Teleport yourself to the year 2064. You step onto the street and notice that 1 in 4 people you pass are aged over 65 years. In fact, you can’t really tell how old they are because they’re so well 'preserved'.
Personalised and flexible
This group of citizens put their good health down to the personalised eating plan they adopted when they turned 45 back in 2024. Based on their genetic profile, combined with an understanding of their gut microbiome, their personalised eating plan was a welcome end to the frustrating years of following fad diets and ever changing health trends.
By checking in regularly with the personal humanoid they carry in their pocket, they're able to adapt their eating habits to fit their day to day activities. Taking photos of their food and receiving direct feedback about their suitability, makes it easy to incorporate flexibility while staying on track to manage their health.
As a result, they feel good, their energy level is up and they’re participating in voluntary work and hobbies that keep their brain active and stimulated.
I can see through you
For every person aged 65 years you pass, you note 1 in 5 are in fact aged over 85. Even though they are slowing down they’re living a good quality life thanks to their 3D printed organ replacements.
Their social life is good as their driver-less car enables them to get out of home and participate in social events so they regularly eat out.
They look to food to be interesting and provide a source of entertainment – something to talk about and marvel over. When the food arrives they scan it with their personal spectrometer to find out where it comes from – just to make sure the provenance claims on the menu are accurate.
More from less
They are conscious of not overdoing it so they look to their day to day food to provide the nutrients they need in the right amounts, while being softer in texture, easy to prepare and the right portion size for their reducing energy requirements.
Local and fresh
Most of their food is ordered online, although they do like to visit the artisan baker on Mondays and wander through the local market near the vertical farm on the weekends.
They feel lucky to have a ready supply of leafy greens and a selection of herbs as their neighbour picks them from the communal garden on the rooftop of their building. They sometimes leave their 50 square metre apartment to go up there themselves as it’s a great place to mingle with neighbours and catch up on the local gossip.
Once a year when the tomatoes are blooming the manager of the garden holds a ‘harvest’ lunch in the communal eating area to celebrate - an event they look forward to as a celebration of the special bonds that have developed within their community.
Prepared for the future
They feel grateful that back in 2024 food providers really became aware that their fastest growth market was the older population and started to prepare to meet their needs. It was then that they partnered with experts in aging, medicine, nutrition, psychology, agriculture and technology and things started to change for the better.
Those that expanded the horizons of their thinking back then are the brands on the table today. These businesses set up the foundation for growth alongside the expanding aging market. By focusing on solving their problems and meeting their needs, their growth and success was driven by innovation and differentiation and a long term, loyal customer base.
Teleport yourself to the future and ask - are my food products on the table in 2064?
If you're uncertain, consider what you can do now to grow along with the aging population:
Do you have monitoring in place that keeps you up to date with advances in food and nutrition research relevant to the aging population?
Will you benefit from collaborating with relevant experts in aging, nutrition, medicine, psychology and agriculture?
Is your innovation team thinking far enough ahead?