Miller Magazine Issue 137 May 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic raises the alarm on the urgent need to trans- form our food systems. Many academicians think that this crisis could serve as a turning point to transform the world’s food systems. We should rethink how we produce, process, market, consume our food and dispose of waste. We need more efficient, sustainable, and resilient food systems. And the transformation of food systems needs to be guided by visionary and responsible people. In this issue, we interviewed two academics who are representatives of this vision. The first one is Prof. Senay Simsek. She was appointed as the Head of the Food Science Department of Purdue University, which is among the ‘Big Ten School’ in the US. Purdue Food Science is one of the premier food science programs in the world. Speaking to Miller Magazine, she under- lines that the food industry is going through a revolution. “We have chal- lenges and opportunities. Emerging technologies provide us a range of opportunities to transform our food and agriculture systems. Future is ours to create. We want to develop science-based solutions for grand challeng- es in the Food Science area through innovation, learning and & outreach.” She describes food science as a growing field with a direct impact on public health & food security. Prof. Simsek emphasizes that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered the following trends: Eating for immune health steals the spotlight; meat analogs go mainstream; CRISPR answers the call for more nutritious foods; urban farming potential unlocked; technology an- swers the call for increased food safety. Another esteemed academician we interviewed is Dr. Serdar Uysal, Founding General Manager of LIVZYM Biotechnology, the first and only biotechnology R&D industrial enzyme factory in Turkey. Dr. Uysal has car- ried out scientific studies in distinguished universities of the USA for 13 years. He sees biotechnology as the driving force that will shape the fu- ture ranging from food to industrial production. He also emphasizes that the future of food and agriculture has become of critical importance upon the outbreak of COVID-19. “Therefore, sustainable solutions are needed to meet the food needs of the growing population in the future. Biotech- nology stands out as a driving force that will shape the future, owing to its transformative power in a number of areas from food to industrial produc- tion, as it also involves several sectors,” he stresses. Technology and the digital revolution have enormous potential for trans- forming the agriculture and food systems. It is critical that academics who will raise awareness on this issue lead the way. editor Namık Kemal PARLAK millermagazine company/millermagazine millermagazine Parantez Publishing and Congress Ltd. Gökevler Mah. 2312 Sok. No:16/37 Ginza Corner Plaza, Esenyurt / İstanbul - TURKEY T. +90 212 347 31 64 F. +90 212 212 02 04 www.millermagazine.com info@millermagazine.com On Behalf of Parantez Publishing and Congress Ltd., Owner Zübeyde Kavraz Responsible Manager Namık Kemal Parlak Editor-in-Chief Namık Kemal Parlak Editors Mustafa Yağmurlu Cemalettin Kanaş Sales and Marketing Ahmet Açıkgöz Burcu Çetin Art Director and Visual Design Alparslan Murat Aysu Corporate Communications Ahmet Hamdi Annaç Consultancy Board Ali İhsan Özkaşıkçı, Chairman of AUSD Mesut Çakmak, Chairman of GUSAD Erhan Özmen, GUSAD Honorary Chairman Bekir Bağış, Chairman of Çukurova Flour Industrialists Association Hasan Özmermer, Board Member of Özmermer Flour Derviş Toprak Mehmet Şerif Gültay Referee and Scientific Advisory Board Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bayram Prof. Gustavo Sosa Prof. Dr. Hazım Özkaya Asst. Prof. M. Kürşat Demir Asst. Prof. Halef Dizlek Asst. Prof. Harun Dıraman Asst. Prof. Mustafa Erbaş Publication Type Periodic (Monthly) Printing - Baskı AT İSTANBUL TEKNİK OFSET MATB. SAN. TİC. LTD. ŞTİ. Litros Yolu 2. Matbaacılar Sitesi 1NA6/8 Topkapı-Zeytinburnu-İSTANBUL 0212 501 45 15 All copyrights belong to Parantez Publishing. © May not be used without permission. Responsibility of the ads belongs to the advertisers. ISSN 2718-031X COPYRIGHT PAGE Building a sustainable food system