TERROIR 2.0 By 2025, terroir means more than a geographic region that gives rise to distinctive wines or even cheeses. Terroir 2.0 is shorthand for a wide range of local cultivation and food preparation practices that express a commitment to local sustainable food production. It starts with a focus on soil and its microbial biodiversity, but it quickly expands to include the microbial profiles of air, water, and even urban food production and preparation spaces. Distinctive foods and beverages have always been linked to terroir, but Terroir 2.0 takes local food economies to a new scale with high-resolution microbial cultivation.

WHAT‘S DRIVING THIS FORECAST The declining diversity of soil bacteria that are essential to cultivation Disruption of traditional terroirs by climate change Growing demand for foods with controlled origins Resurgence of interest in fermentation and fermented foods The growth of microbial science and microbiome sequencing

CULTIVATED TERROIR People cultivate distinctive microbial ecosystems to create unique tastes, scents, and nutritional profiles that thrive locally—and create thriving local economies   SIGNAL: A study entitled “How to assemble a beneficial microbiome in three easy steps” is one of many that lay the theoretical and practical groundwork for cultivating terroir SO WHAT: As a mix of naturally occurring and synthetic microbes begins to create distinctive local economies, those who hold the intellectual property rights may control those economies  Image source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3507015/

FERMENTED HEALTH A growing understanding of the role of gut bacteria in human health leads to growing demand for a greater diversity of fermented foods and beverages SIGNAL: A genome sequencing study of the impact of a fermented milk product on the gut microbiome of women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome showed a decrease in the pathobiont Bilophila wadsworthia SO WHAT: Fermented foods drive a new logistics of food production, distribution, and retailing, as well as a growing market for home fermentation products Image source: http://www.nature.com/srep/2014/140911/srep06328/full/srep06328.html

MICROBIAL TOURISM Local tastes and scents are marketed to attract tourists who want a terroir- based experience of destinations worldwide—for health or aesthetic reasons SIGNAL: Jasper Hill Farm is not only trying to build a terroir-based cheese industry in Vermont but also offers camps for people to “walk through the cheesemaking process from grass to caves and beyond” SO WHAT: While terroir helps develop local economies, tourists build global markets for after-travel products Image source: http://www.jasperhillfarm.com/classes/2015/7/25/cheese-camp  

HIGH-RESOLUTION FARMING Big data scales down to small farms to help them track high- resolution data about soil, yields, and ultimately microbial diversity at every stage of crop life   SIGNAL: FarmLogs is a mobile app interface designed to help farmers use data to “get the most out of every acre” SO WHAT: High-resolution, data-driven farming is no longer only accessible to very large-scale agribusinesses but also to smaller farmers working the local terroir Image source: https://farmlogs.com/farm-management-features/mobile-farming-apps/

THE NEXT FIVE YEARS Microbial food labeling becomes a highly contested zone of profit and misinformation Debates over natural vs. synthetic microbial food production cycles polarize regions seeking to establish a distinctive terroir Terroir-based brands link urban restaurants, breweries, hotels, and spas more closely to local farms New diets build consumer literacies about methods of food production, preparation, and consumption to maximize microbial benefits

TEN-YEAR SCENARIO The world of food in 2025 is a patchwork of local economies that leverage local microbiomes to create new local economic opportunities. From microbreweries to bakeries to peri-urban farms, the focus is on creating a distinctive “taste” of the region from the microbe up. This taste is literally grounded in soil science—and increasingly in soil engineering as synthetic bacteria are introduced to help build a distinctive local brand. This science is translated into local visual icons and classroom lessons that not only build a global literacy of soil but also turn local citizens of all ages into “patriots of the soil.” Augmented reality translates this science into practical choices in stores, restaurants, farmer’s markets, and even the local drug store. Terroir is a common term of trade.