Published 21-09-2026
Keywords
- Food consumption,
- Brazil,
- futures studies,
- futures of food,
- competence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Brazil’s food system is undergoing structural transformation shaped by urban acceleration, digital platforms, and shifting domestic routines. Based on qualitative research conducted between 2023 and 2025 – including interviews, food diaries, and digital ethnography – this essay identifies three competing trajectories for the future of food in Brazil: the erosion of everyday cooking competence, the symbolic intensification of culinary practices, and the infrastructural dominance of digital food platforms. Rather than predicting a single outcome, the article argues that the future of Brazilian food will depend on how cooking competencies are redistributed across households, markets, and algorithms. The analysis highlights the strategic implications of competence externalization and the emerging politics of food autonomy in a platform-mediated society.