The current food production, distribution and consumption systems and
social food consumption habits are unsustainable and require major
sustainability transformation if we will mitigate and adapt to climate
change, address biodiversity loss and ensure justice for all
stakeholders.. The systemic nature of these characteristics make it
difficult for consumers to understand their own roles and agency in
imagining and enacting on future food systems. According to Garduño
García and Gaziulusoy (2021), the inclusion of the general public in
development and deliberation of transition scenarios is not only a
requirement for democratic policy making, but it is also crucial for
successful implementation of changes that are necessary to achieve.
Experiential futures can potentially make futuring accessible and
democratic, result in engaged participation, and help realizing potential
transition pathways. We present an example of experiential futures
design workshop, in which consumers will be invited to experience a
future food court and participate in the discussion of preferred/
preventable futures and actions needed to reach or avoid them. The
experience is designed to attract several senses, including a futuristic
menu, visual cues and drama. With the setup, we aim at providing
participants a visit to the future with an experience of everydayness.
We argue that the experience enables them to relate with the proposed
future, and that the selected elements evoke emotional responses
making it possible for the participants to speculate what futures might
be and feel like (Garduño García and Gaziulusoy, 2021), and how they
imagine their own agency in the transformation process.