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Yasai To Establish First Zürich Vertical Farm, Strategic Partnership Announced
iFarm with Yasai AG (Switzerland) and Logiqs B.V. (Netherlands) are proud to announce the beginning of a long-term cooperation. With the launch of the first vertical farm project in Zurich, Yasai AG announced the signing of a strategic agreement with equipment and tech suppliers
Image from: Urban Ag News
iFarm with Yasai AG (Switzerland) and Logiqs B.V. (Netherlands) are proud to announce the beginning of a long-term cooperation.
With the launch of the first vertical farm project in Zurich, Yasai AG announced the signing of a strategic agreement with equipment and tech suppliers. The company involved Logiqs and iFarm as technology partners in the construction of a pilot facility, with 673 sq. m of growing area and with a design capacity of 20 tons of fresh herbs per year.
The Dutch company Logiqs will act as a supplier of automated shelving systems and grow lights. iFarm will supply the nutrient solution management system, climate control equipment, and the Growtune software platform which enables flow chart implementation and control over production conditions and processes. Going forward, the partners plan to scale up the experience of rapidly constructing an automated, compact, high-performance vertical farm, gained in a Swiss project, across the globe.
Image from: Urban Ag News
Mark Essam Zahran (co-founder Yasai):
The project will not just be limited to the testing and fine-tuning of state-of-the-art innovative solutions. We expect to lay the groundwork for large-scale industrial vertical farming in smart cities and showcase the incredible benefits of a circular economy. A plantation in the largest Swiss city, one of the most expensive cities in the world, will help us assess the economic prospects and give other European cities an example of how to produce an abundant yield without harming the planet, plants, and people.
Gert-Jan van Staalduinen (owner Logiqs):
The Swiss project opens up interesting prospects for us. We expect a fruitful collaboration with Yasai experts and a beneficial exchange of best practices with iFarm. With our vast experience in implementing automation and logistics systems on farms, we will be able to build a technologically advanced farm in the very heart of Europe.
Kirill Zelenski (CEO iFarm Europe):
We appreciate how meticulous and scrupulous Yasai is and are impressed by their passion and drive. We are just as inspired by the prospect of working with seasoned professionals from Logiqs. We hope that our software technologies will perfectly complement their hardware and the project as a whole will become a lasting benchmark for the industry and will serve as the beginning of a long-term cooperation.
NASA's Challenge To Grow Food In Space Can Win You Up To $500,000
There are thousands of bizarre challenges doing the rounds on the internet. These unique challenges soon go viral on the internet, with countless participants hopping on board. A number of these challenges also involve some form of food. If you're a food innovator who's looking for the next interesting challenge to take up, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) may have something for you. The NASA, in collaboration with Canada's CSA (Central Space Agency), has launched a 'Deep Space Food Challenge'. The one-of-a-kind competition seeks to find food production technologies which are sustainable in long duration missions to outer space.
NASA has launched a 'Deep Space Food Challenge' to prompt innovation of food production techniques and technologies viable in outer space.
Image from: Deep Space Food
There are thousands of bizarre challenges doing the rounds on the internet. These unique challenges soon go viral on the internet, with countless participants hopping on board. A number of these challenges also involve some form of food. If you're a food innovator who's looking for the next interesting challenge to take up, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) may have something for you.
The NASA, in collaboration with Canada's CSA (Central Space Agency), has launched a 'Deep Space Food Challenge'. The one-of-a-kind competition seeks to find food production technologies which are sustainable in long duration missions to outer space.
Our cargo resupply missions can only go so far! That's why we need your help to design a food system to keep our astronauts feed during long duration space exploration.
— NASA Wallops (@NASA_Wallops) January 30, 2021
Check out the @NASAPrize Deep Space Food Challenge: https://t.co/9mxtZXbwaC pic.twitter.com/izU8nSqPDc
A short video explaining the purpose behind the challenge was shared by the official handle. The 56-second clip elaborated on how astronauts embarking on lunar space exploration missions usually rely on pre-packaged meals or resupply of food through shuttles from Earth.
Thus, creating a brand, new food production system with minimal input and nutritious output with minimal wastage can go a long way in fuelling longer duration space explorations. The challenge's focus is on identifying food production technologies that can help feed a crew of four astronauts and help fill food gaps for a three-year round-trip mission with no resupply required from Earth.
These innovative food production methods may also help communities on Earth living in harsh conditions and extreme climates. This could also help tackle food insecurity in the future, which is one of the biggest issues that loom large today. "Solutions identified through this Challenge could support these harsh environments, and also support greater food production in other milder environments, including major urban centres where vertical farming, urban agriculture and other novel food production techniques can play a more significant role," stated the Deep Space Food Challenge's official website.
.@NASA & @csa_asc are launching a Deep Space Food Challenge to develop food production tech in space.
— NASA STI Program (@NASA_STI) January 28, 2021
Hey @GuyFieri, how about Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives & Deep Space? #STIdocs #Flavortown 🚀🥘
Read about it: https://t.co/fnz80uwpJT
See research: https://t.co/18q6RG3L2G pic.twitter.com/lSRTiiAFes
Registrations for the challenge close on 28th May, and submissions are due 30th July, 2021. Winners of Phase 1 of the challenge will be announced in the month of September this year. The prize money for winners of Phase 1 can go up to USD 500,000 (Rs. 3.64 crores approximately). So, if you have an exciting idea to produce food which could help future space missions - you know what to do!
Satellites Show Italy's Air Pollution Dissipating As Covid-19 Outbreak Worsens
After China, Italy has been the second-hardest-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic racing around the world. In an effort to staunch the number of cases, the Italian government severely restricted travel this week in northern Italy—the pandemic epicenter for the country—before extending restrictions to the entire country
Satellite data showing nitrogen dioxide emissions over northern Italy on March 7 (left) and February 8 (right). Image: Sam Gassó
After China, Italy has been the second-hardest-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic racing around the world. In an effort to staunch the number of cases, the Italian government severely restricted travel this week in northern Italy—the pandemic epicenter for the country—before extending restrictions to the entire country.
Under similar circumstances, scientists observed a huge drop in Chinese pollution that was visible from space. At the time, Fei Liu, an air quality researcher at NASA, said that “this is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific event.” Now, it appears the same thing is happening in northern Italy, as the region grinds to a halt.
The European Space Agency’s Sentinel-5 satellite is able to track all sorts of human-caused pollution, including nitrogen dioxide. Those emissions come from tailpipes and electricity generation, particularly coal-fired power plants. With Italy severely restricting travel and whole sectors of the economy essentially shutting down and using less power, it would seem to follow that nitrogen dioxide emission would drop.
Before and after imagery from Santiago Gassó, a NASA atmospheric science researcher, shows the stark difference from before the Covid-19 outbreak and after. The images at the top of the page show nitrogen dioxide emissions on March 7 and February 7, respectively. Santiago tweeted that the data still needed more formal verification, but he told Earther in an email that “in the last 48 hours, colleagues have been posting similar trends from other sensors, and even this morning ESA came out with a video confirming what I pointed out. So indeed the trend seems real.”
Indeed, the video in question shows the drop in pollution is extremely rapid. The Sentinel-5 data in the video from the ESA runs from January through mid-March. The bright red and orange spot of pollution over northern Italy goes dark shortly after the government issued the lockdown orders this past Sunday.
The drop in pollution is obviously a good thing, particularly at a time when people with pre-existing respiratory issues are facing increased risks from Covid-19. But the cause for the drop is most definitely bad. Data tracked by Johns Hopkins shows that as of Friday afternoon, there have been more than 1,000 deaths in Italy amid more than 15,000 cases reported.
The number of cases in other countries, particularly the U.S., continues to climb. So, too, are precautions to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. Flights are beginning to be grounded after flying empty. The U.S. has declared a national emergency amid what is still a very sluggish, botched federal response.
Even a number of Disney’s various properties are shutting down. All of this adds up to a likely sharp decline in pollution in other parts of the world, as people hunker down in an attempt to stop the disease from spreading further.
Brian Kahn Posts Email Twitter
Managing editor, Earther