The co-creator of molecular gastronomy in the ’80s, Hervé This, has a new mission: to end world hunger. But instead of food drops and planting crops, This is using his knowledge of chemistry and cooking to solve the immense, complex problem – and it just might work.

In an interview with the New York Times T magazine, This describes a new method of cooking that he’s dubbed “note-by-note” (or NbN), where food is deconstructed into individual flavours, textures and compounds. We know what you’re thinking – this is normally the process we’d associate with the likes of Heston and René. But This wants to use the method to bring food to the starving. As he says, “Are we going to feed humankind – or just make something for foodies?”

This’s idea is simple yet complicated. The problem with food transport is that food spoils so quickly due to its high moisture content. Water, after all, is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria. Refrigeration helps, but it’s costly (and bad news for the environment). Instead, This wants to distil the individual nutrients and flavours of food, to transform them into safe, shelf-stable foams, gels and powders. It all sounds pretty Soylent Green, but as food security becomes an increasingly large and complex issue, it might be the solution we’re looking for.

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