Manger vers le futur

The context

"How can we feed 9 billion people in 2050? What will we eat tomorrow? Should we limit our consumption of animal products?" 

These are the questions on the future of what we eat that lead to the project Manger vers le futur (EATING TOWARDS THE FUTURE) carried out by the AgroParisTech partnership chair, the Anca Chair.

The objective of Manger vers le futur is to provide simple answers to consumers' questions about their food with a soothing and non-injunctive discourse. The challenge is to awaken the younger generations to the issues of food, to raise their awareness of healthy and sustainable food and more specifically to rebalance the consumption of animal and vegetable proteins.

The project 

This digital comic book proposes a fictitious scenario of the possible evolution of food practices and representations between 2018 and 2050. The comic invites the reader to meet 4 friends. Ana, Raman, Edgard and Inès, all young graduates, who promise themselves not to lose sight of each other and to meet at least once a year around a meal.

We follow their personal, relational and eating adventures against the backdrop of a society and a world in motion: climate change, major political decisions, the appearance of new technologies and consumption habits, etc.

This comic book takes stock of the current situation and offers a fictitious scenario that highlights a possible evolution of food practices and representations between 2018 and 2050...

The comic book is aimed at the general public, and more specifically at 18-35 year olds, which is why it was distributed via Instagram, but it can also be found online on the website, where it can be downloaded and/or printed. Decryptions (interviews with experts, educational videos, interactive map, etc.) also complete the episodes. Finally, the comic book also exists in the form of a travelling exhibition that can be borrowed for events or educational purposes. 

Click here to read the comic book!

Today, Manger vers le futur is also a media for sustainable food! Beyond the comic book, Manger vers le futur broadcasts a weekly press review on its instagram page and shares interviews with experts and scientific articles, all through a playful and accessible content.

This project is initiated and supported by the CHAIRE ANCA (Food Nutrition Behaviour), AgroParisTech's partnership chair. Its vocation is to raise awareness of healthy and sustainable food for the greatest number of people. With 10 years of experience, the ANCA chair builds innovative and fun programs to enlighten consumers on the challenges of food with the help of scientific experts and creative people. Manger vers le futur is the result of co-construction work and the meeting between a team of creative and scientific experts (sociologists, economists, nutritionists) to answer the many questions about the future of our food. 

Means

The ANCA Chair is a patronage chair supported by the AgroParisTech Foundation. It operates on public/private donations in order to promote general interest projects to raise awareness among the greatest number of people about healthy and sustainable food.

The Manger vers le futur project was created thanks to the support of the Chair's partner companies: Danone Nutricia Research, the Louis Bonduelle Foundation, Les Mousquetaires, and Groupe SEB, thanks to the support of the Olga Triballat Institute, the grant from the Diagonale Paris-Saclay, and a crowdfunding campaign. It required a total budget of 100k euros and the equivalent of 12 FTEs of a project manager.

Results

The format and overall concept were appreciated and generated commitment among 18-35 year olds, who represent 75% of the target audience reached. The project was widely covered by the media: 30 press articles (Huffpost, Konbini, L'Express, We demain, Neon, Les Inrocks, etc.) and interventions (France culture, national radio channel). Numerous tools in various formats have been produced and are now accessible to all: a comic book in 30 episodes and around thirty set of related content (articles, filmed interviews, podcasts and recipe sheets).

“Manger vers le futur” is a resolutely innovative project in terms of its format, as it is one of the first digital comics on Instagram and the first on the theme of food. Its innovative character also lies in the vision of food that is conveyed: an integrated, peaceful and non-injunctive vision.

The program had accumulated 300,000 views and today counts 4500 subscribers on its dedicated Instagram account. The project includes 3 employees, 2 interns and 3 creative service providers (illustrator, scriptwriter and director). 

The little extra 

The comic book Manger vers le futur aims to raise awareness of the challenges of tomorrow's food and to question the sustainability of our current consumption patterns. To do this, the team has created a user kit to guide people or structures wishing to use the Manger vers le futur comic book for educational and non-commercial purposes. Associations, educators, trainers, teachers, schools, communities, individuals, this Kit is made for you to help you address the challenges of food. 

This initiative sheet was written by Adèle Guen, LFC volunteer - November 2020.

Last modification : 22 Dec 2020.