This article is from the White Paper " Agro-food: Towards a New Trust Pact?« 

LOOKING IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR

Feeding oneself is a vital need that has given rise to multiple rituals, whether in the search for food, its preparation, or during the tasting of dishes.

If we look a little at our history, the first hunts and gatherings in the Paleolithic created rituals, moments that take a predominant place in the days... which have been represented, transmitted, and transformed over the centuries.

Breaking bread, snacking, swallowing something, eating on the go. So many commonly used expressions that convey an essential idea: food, although vital, has become secondary in many lives. One in three French people has their meal elsewhere than at a dining table or kitchen table (slate.fr).

Often our plate (when we have one) has become an accessory, slipping in as it can between two midday appointments and trying to insert itself in the evening, not without difficulty, after everyone's busy days and the prospect of relaxation.

Also, the moments around the table that aim to be shared for reunions among friends or family no longer have food at their center as much as before; the good Sunday chicken savored is a bit distant.

Coming to dinner at friends' houses should perhaps be formulated this way: "Come talk, remake the world over a good bottle and nibble on more or less elaborate dishes depending on everyone's wishes?"

We note the success of brunches (combining two meals into one!) or cocktail dinners.
Of course, at times, we seriously return to the kitchen (or stay in the kitchen for the most dedicated among us), but this does not equal the tables of our grandparents. Today's lives mean we no longer devote the same energy and time, whether for preparation or for tasting moments.

THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS HAS SHIFTED THE LINES!

Food has reclaimed its importance in many households as it has become a central subject again. First, our limited outings are dedicated to necessary shopping, that is to say, what is needed to feed ourselves and our families. Then, although we see that junk food has gained ground throughout these weeks, many have become aware that eating well is important. For proof, sales of organic products have surged, considered more responsible and healthier in an unprecedented context where health is at the heart of the crisis (see chapter 2). The week of March 16, 2020 recorded a 68% increase compared to the same week in the previous year (Source ladn.eu).

RETURN TO MORE SIGNIFICANT RITUALS

Leaving the office, bringing or picking up the children, gathering at each other's homes, chatting after classes; all these daily habits put on temporary stand-by mean that meals have regained a place in households' schedules.

They are even awaited by some as a marker of transition amid completely disrupted days. Everyone is therefore logically concerned: workers, unemployed people, students, aspiring teachers, by the force of circumstance.

For teleworkers with no limits between professional and personal life, sitting down to eat can be seen as a way to mark a break, to close a day, to return to private life, and to spend time with loved ones. For non-teleworkers, it may be a transition, an appointment that helps structure the flow of their day.

Also, in a context where many things are no longer allowed, we savor what remains and take this time to create moments of sharing. We have never baked so many cakes with our children!

Preparation becomes a moment of transmission, sharing recipe secrets, as it could be in the time of our grandparents we spoke of a bit earlier.

TOWARDS A MORE PRONOUNCED PLEASURE IN EATING WELL

Food is the most significant expense alongside hygiene, while what is not essential is relegated to the background, postponed or even canceled. The vital need has significantly aligned with the desire to prepare and taste, that is, pleasure.

With health at the center, we choose the quality of our food and strive to prepare recipes well and invent them. A YouGov survey indicates that 80% of French people have spent more time in the kitchen since the beginning of confinement.

Social networks have never offered so many culinary contents; Yuka suggests recipes to us, and Cyril Lignac and other chefs invite us to be more creative by giving us daily appointments on major channels during peak hours. We learn, we cook, we share, we take care of ourselves.

AND AFTER?

The fear of others (risk of contagion) has somehow created a retreat into oneself, into the family; we take even more care of ourselves and our loved ones. Food is one of our weapons to both stay healthy and unite, stand together. What will remain of these endured habits, will they become chosen? What will happen when daily life can again register a “return to normal”? Will "homemade" meals maintain their presence? Will rituals around food persist in the coming months? Will we continue to take the time?

A desire seems to be taking shape if we look at the first survey figures. 19% of French men and women declare they want to continue consuming home-cooked meals post-confinement, and 15% will turn more towards traditional and comforting dishes. The challenge will no longer solely be to demonstrate that products are the most qualitative and healthiest but also to support women and men more strongly in the kitchen.

How to choose recipes well according to the seasons? What recipes to invent with children? How to store properly? We help you avoid waste. How to organize a busy week and eat well?

So many services that will need to take more space via digital platforms but also to be integrated from the product design stage and to make a mark on the packaging and beyond. For example, in the homemade domain, Bacardi launches its Glass number, a hotline dedicated to home cocktail creation advice.