MEDFORD, Mass. – Noteworthy for the cluster effect of its thriving industries, Boston stands alongside Silicon Valley and New York City. However, it’s not technology or fashion driving its boom; instead, it’s food technology, as highlighted in a new analysis from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

So what is food technology, and how does it fit into our current food system’s challenges? According to Boston Foodtech 2023, a report from the Food and Nutrition Innovation Institute (FNII), food tech applies the power of software, hardware, and hard science to manage and improve the food supply chain from production to plate—an essential innovation as climate change and political disruption buffet global food supplies.

Researchers believe the heart of this burgeoning sector is in the greater New England area, where innovative companies in and around Boston are quietly but significantly revolutionizing the food value chain.

Isabella Citone, N22, one of the researchers, draws on a simple metaphor to elucidate food tech: “Think of an apple – from seedling to fruit, technology plays a part in each step, making the journey up the food value chain more efficient, sustainable, and healthier.”

This innovation involves cutting-edge sensors, robotics, artificial intelligence, and biotechnologies, all aimed at enhancing food production, nutritional value, environmental impact, and of course, consumers’ satisfaction.

Katie Stebbins, the executive director of FNII, underscores the technological underpinning of food tech, a sector that doesn’t invent new foods, but instead creates a superior food system.

Boston is reported to host 138 food tech firms, 14 organizations, and over 13,000 workers, making it America’s hub for this rapidly growing field. Aided by its significant STEM graduate population, the city has attracted capital investment totaling $8.3 billion in local food tech companies between 2019 and 2022.

“Boston reflects technology applications throughout the entire food value chain,” states Stebbins. “We can address most food system challenges right here, as a community.”

The city is home to a broad array of food tech companies and pioneers in allied sectors like healthcare, biotechnology, robotics, and the life sciences.

According to Fiorenzo Omenetto & Frank C. Doble, Professor of Engineering at Tufts School of Engineering and co-founder of Mori, “Boston’s strengths lie in its strong research orientation, robust academic, entrepreneurial and industrial networks.”

Boston is a young city, teeming with a generation aware of the personal and global impacts of their food choices. Entrepreneurs are leveraging this to address environmental impacts, improve access, affordability, and minimize waste.

The innovations are ever-expanding, stretching from agtech developments like labor-saving machinery and environmentally friendly feeds, to biotech creations like plant-based proteins and more efficient restaurant ordering systems.

For Citone, Boston is a vibrant hub teeming with prospects for anyone passionate about revolutionizing our food system through technology. The report sends a simple message – If you have the passion, knowledge, and expertise, Boston is the place where you can make a difference.