F4. The kinds of foods produced and processed will shift, introducing business pressures and opportunities for food producers and processors.

The relative costs associated with the production, processing and shipping of different kinds of food crops will cause some crops to be favored over others in the post-peak energy environment. Some will become relatively unprofitable and others relatively more so. As farmers and processors react to these realities, processors and consumers will see changes in the foods available to them.

The most energy-intensive foods, which today tend to be meats such as beef and pork, will see the most serious market declines. Processes that produce frozen or refrigerated foods, thereby requiring constant energy inputs for preservation, may be replaced by canning, drying or other kinds of preservation that allows storage in ambient conditions. More generally, fewer foods are expected to be affordable out of season.

Crops processed and grown locally, processed less, and shipped over shorter distances, without refrigeration, will be the most available and least expensive. New investments will likely be needed in processing capacity for these crops, with scale changes as indicated by the new cost structures. Some existing infrastructure investments may be stranded. Energy prices will be a much larger factor in determining where and how many plants are operated.

As pesticides, herbicides and fungicides grow more expensive and are used less, the visual quality and yields of many crops may diminish. Consumers may learn to become more concerned about the nutritional value of their food and less concerned with its appearance.