UPM-Biofore-Magazine-2-2019

WHAT’S THE SPECIES?

U rbanisation is disposable income, urbanisation is one of the main factors contributing to the rise of single-person households. In an interview with Smithsonian.com’s Joseph Stormberg, Eric Klinenberg, author of Going Solo , observed that cities enable people to live alone but still go out in public with each other. Single-person households are a relatively new phenomenon according to Klinenberg, who points out that until the 1950s, there was no society in the history of our species that supported large numbers of people living alone. Estimates put the number of single person households at 330 million at the end of 2016, and Euromonitor expects that number to rise by 120 million by 2030 globally. themselves in some of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, to see how living alone influences purchasing decisions, especially in food and dining, among singletons. the number of single-person households is expected to rise by 120 million by 2030. This trend drives a need for smaller, more sustainable packaging. changing the way we live – literally. Along with lower marriage and fertility rates, ageing populations and rising We spoke with Lulu, Anna and Alice, three women who live by Outpacing the growth of any other household type worldwide,

ANNA KUUSELA’S lifestyle means she often finds herself sitting around a restaurant table rather than eating at home. But when she does, she uses apps to order food for takeaway.

to supermarkets or ordering from online supermarkets; it’s just more convenient, since the products are pre-packaged and ready for use. We cook at home, but we also buy some dishes from restaurants; this is because in China, we can have up to 25 small dishes to sample throughout a meal.” In China, which is the world’s biggest e-commerce market, even fresh fruits and produce can be ordered online. “I mostly use online supermarket Hema to shop for groceries. I have a friend who cooks at home, but she has not been inside a supermarket in years. Ordering home is so easy. You choose whatever fruits or vegetables you want online and they are delivered within 20 minutes, usually for free, no matter the time or weather,” Lulu explains.

Technology as an enabler “I don’t eat a lot of takeout, maybe about once or twice a week through food-ordering apps like Eleme,” says Lu Ying , co-founder of Future Urban Living. “I often eat out when I have business meetings or have made plans with friends. Eating out is not just about getting something to eat because I’m hungry; it’s just as much about the social aspect of it.” Lulu lives in Shanghai, where eating out is the norm rather than the exception. Lulu attributes this to the fact that Asian meals are comprised of many different dishes. “It’s not unusual even for families who cook at home to supplement their cooking with something already prepared for variety. When I visit my grandparents for dinner, they buy ingredients from the local wet market. I prefer going

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