Solutions

Generate a worldwide inventory of appropriate, intermediate, or small-scale processing equipment and tools for knowledge and technology transfer and process development.

Develop sustainable food urbanization concepts including zero-waste processes and emerging technology processes.

Create food waste and water reduction and reuse models including low-energy processes such as fermentation, enzyme technologies, and membrane processes that take advantage of external energy sources such as solar energy

Integrate regional food production/processing systems with urban systems including urban process/preparation, such as street food and food vendors.

Generate urban food, water, and waste recovery risk assessment modelsReducing Food and Consumption Waste

Develop smart/intelligent packaging systems as integral food preparation/processing steps for away-from-home consumption.

Develop smart interactive technologies such as in-home and wearable devices to inform and educate at industry and consumer levels the need and ways to reduce, recycle food waste.

Involve consumers in a public conversation about responsible food purchase for healthy eating and reducing food waste as well as equipping consumers with intelligent decision-making tools.

Assessing Public Policies on Food and Health

Assess whether nutrition, dietary, and physical activity guidelines need to change with urbanization.

Examine food and nutrition public policies and educational tools for an urban population, taking factors unique to urbanization into consideration (e.g., small and crowded spaces for food storage, production, and food safety in urban environments; food needs for the increased elderly population; nutritional, physical, and mental health issues related to city living; away-from-home and restaurant eating; and reduced physical activity). Integrate health policies with urbanized food system planning.

Building Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Approaches

Elucidate and understand the basic mechanisms related to food systems and the importance of cross-disciplinary perspectives.

Increase knowledge of food–human microbiota interactions and their implications on human health and future food and health innovation in an urban environment and couple this to personalized nutrition

Apply transdisciplinary approaches through strengthening interdisciplinary approaches with other disciplines of science and technology as well as with consumers, policy makers, and social scientists.

Improve international knowledge and technology transfer regarding food science, other fields of science, and nature (bionics).

Encourage a transdisciplinary and transpartisan dialog on the effects of urbanization on food and nutritional security in the face of climate change and depletion of natural resources with it.