While I believe in the potential for significant technological and societal advancements, I do not think we will achieve a utopian society in any category under the current regime of ignorance and anxiety that humanity is plagued with. A utopian supermarket, therefore, seems equally unattainable under these conditions.
First, defining a utopian supermarket would be a contentious issue, as it is challenging to get a consensus on what such a market would even contain. The modern diet includes so much animal protein, dairy products, refined grains, processed foods, and ultra-processed foods that any shift towards a more ideal setup would require a massive overhaul of current habits and systems.
A utopian supermarket would have to overcome significant barriers, including the reluctance of human beings to pay the necessary price for pure, organic foods. For example, many do not want to pay for organic strawberries flown in from Mexico. Additionally, most businesses, including supermarkets, are restricted by the paradigm of greed, marketing customs, and other superficial considerations.
For something to be utopian, it cannot have a positive attribute with an equally negative side effect. True utopian concepts must be inclusive of all members of society. Currently, the cost of good quality food is so high that it is only available to people of certain incomes, a historical trend that has always left many without access to necessary resources. This lack of compassion and meaningful social policies creates poverty, which in turn fosters mental illness and crime. The victims of these systemic issues are often those with money, who then must seek solutions to ensure their safety and comfort.
One must also consider the environmental and logistical aspects. A truly utopian supermarket would need to be solar-powered, entirely off the electrical grid, and produce no waste by-products. Packaging would need to be made from materials easily broken down by the environment into natural elements that act as nutrients for the soil. Rainwater reclamation and advanced filtration systems would be essential for indoor produce growth. The supermarket would prioritize foods free from pesticides and synthetic compounds harmful to human health.
Education and engagement would be crucial. The supermarket would need potent ways of teaching people what to eat, perhaps through creative means such as children's puppet shows to captivate and educate young audiences and their families.
Moreover, the focus would shift towards carbohydrates, followed by proteins, and fats, with a layout designed to guide customers towards healthier choices. There would be a vast array of plant-based options, marketed in a way that makes veganism appealing rather than intimidating.
In a utopian supermarket, nothing purely intoxicating to the body would be sold. The vision extends beyond just the store itself to a broader health and wellness brand, marketing to a wider audience with a focus on compassion and intelligence.
But if there were some incredible advancements, utopian markets would supply people with the types of foods and juice that goodsugar, our brand, supplies. It would take years of development of many hundreds of unique products. I do believe that a "staged" utopian market that caters to people with great income is possible. However, it would be staged and conceal its ugly side. The ugly side is that only 3% of society would be capable of affording our quality product. In order for us to capture 20%, we would have to corrupt the food. In order for us to capture 30%, we would need mountains of animal corpses, piled high. People want meat, fish, poultry; we would need plenty of stinky cheeses, dairy, sauces, greases, refined sugar, candy bars, and plastic.
The discussion of utopian supermarkets intersects with many societal problems and issues. What about utopian schools free of bullies, educating children to be moral, kind, and to love animals and the environment, rather than driving them into the competitive workforce to create more landfill? How about utopian hospitals, utopian housing, utopian child welfare services, and utopian prison and rehabilitation facilities? A utopian supermarket begins with utopian goods and services, which starts first with true health food companies that make actual health foods that do not pollute the body or the planet. We are miles and miles off course as a species on being compassionate societies that ensure healthy foods get into schools, hospitals, and prison systems. If you want a utopian supermarket, it will rely on companies that have billions of dollars to innovate in all the needed areas, including packaging, display, shelf life, and education of the consumer.
However, the current state of humanity—with its entrenched ignorance and anxiety—makes such a vision seem implausible. The obstacles in every potential solution to our societal and environmental problems underscore the immense challenge of achieving any form of utopia, including in the realm of supermarkets.
In order for a utopian supermarket to exist, a visionary like me has to pitch Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk and show them how they will rule the world by controlling food supplies to the wealthy. My vision of a supermarket environment, represented by these renderings, would make people incredibly excited. To achieve this, I would need to develop thousands of products and collaborate with numerous food creators to contribute their quality goods and services. While I personally despise the idea of being in the produce business, it’s clear that a utopian market must include wall-to-wall fruits and vegetables.