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COVID-19 Crisis Has Led to Food Crisis, Says Italy's Draghi
The world must ensure access to food supplies as forcefully as it moved to ensure access to vaccines, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said at the opening of the United Nations Food Systems Pre-Summit in Rome.
By Maytaal Angel
July 26, 2021
LONDON (Reuters) - The world must ensure access to food supplies as forcefully as it moved to ensure access to vaccines, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said at the opening of the United Nations Food Systems Pre-Summit in Rome.
"The health crisis (COVID-19) has led to a food crisis," he said, citing data showing malnutrition in all its forms has become the leading cause of ill health and death in the world.
The U.N.'s first ever Food Systems Summit will take place in September, with the aim of delivering progress on the body's 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs).
According to the latest U.N. data, the world's food system, which involves cutting down forests to plant crops, is responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a leading cause of climate change.
"We are off track to achieve the SDGs," said U.N. Secretary General António Guterres, who first announced his plan to convene the Food Systems Summit in October 2019, before COVID-19 dramatically slowed progress towards SDGs like zero hunger.
After remaining virtually unchanged for five years, world hunger and malnutrition rose last year by around 118 million people to 768 million, with most of the increase likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a major U.N. report. read more
On internationally traded markets, world food prices were up 33.9% year-on-year in June, according to the U.N food agency's price index, which measures a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar. read more
There is increased diplomatic momentum to tackle hunger, malnutrition and the climate crisis this year with summits like the current one, but the challenge is huge.
Guterres said the pre-summit will assess progress towards achieving the SDGs by transforming global food systems, which, he noted, are also responsible for 80% of the world's biodiversity loss.
Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi gestures as he speaks at a news conference where he is expected to map out the country's next moves in loosening coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions, in Rome, Italy, April 16, 2021. REUTERS/Remo Casilli
Lead Photo: Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi arrives for the virtual G20 summit on the global health crisis, at Villa Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, May 21, 2021. REUTERS/Yara Nardi
Vertical Farming Startup Oishii Raises $50m In Series A Funding
“We aim to be the largest strawberry producer in the world, and this capital allows us to bring the best-tasting, healthiest berry to everyone.”
By Sian Yates
03/11/2021
Oishii, a vertical farming startup based in New Jersey, has raised $50 million during a Series A funding round led by Sparx Group’s Mirai Creation Fund II.
The funds will enable Oishii to open vertical strawberry farms in new markets, expand its flagship farm outside of Manhattan, and accelerate its investment in R&D.
“Our mission is to change the way we grow food. We set out to deliver exceptionally delicious and sustainable produce,” said Oishii CEO Hiroki Koga. “We started with the strawberry – a fruit that routinely tops the dirty dozen of most pesticide-riddled crops – as it has long been considered the ‘holy grail’ of vertical farming.”
“We aim to be the largest strawberry producer in the world, and this capital allows us to bring the best-tasting, healthiest berry to everyone. From there, we’ll quickly expand into new fruits and produce,” he added.
Oishii is already known for its innovative farming techniques that have enabled the company to “perfect the strawberry,” while its proprietary and first-of-its-kind pollination method is conducted naturally with bees.
The company’s vertical farms feature zero pesticides and produce ripe fruit all year round, using less water and land than traditional agricultural methods.
“Oishii is the farm of the future,” said Sparx Group president and Group CEO Shuhei Abe. “The cultivation and pollination techniques the company has developed set them well apart from the industry, positioning Oishii to quickly revolutionise agriculture as we know it.”
The company has raised a total of $55 million since its founding in 2016.
Indoor Farms Gaining Investors As Pandemic Disrupts Food Supplies
Seed money from investors is helping indoor farms to position themselves as one of the solutions to climate change and pandemic-induced disruptions to the harvesting, shipping, and sale of food
BY KAREN GRAHAM
BY KAREN GRAHAM | 02-19-21
IN TECHNOLOGY
Seed money from investors is helping indoor farms to position themselves as one of the solutions to climate change and pandemic-induced disruptions to the harvesting, shipping, and sale of food.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit, it also exposed major issues with our food supply chain, including some issues that have already been attributed to climate change-related impacts.
The COVID-19 pandemic created shipment delays, and with inadequate demand forecasting, store produce departments suffered. This is when local vertical farms and indoor growing operations were able to step in and "fill in the gaps in a way that was unprecedented," writes GreenBiz
Water scarcity has been exacerbated in recent years by growing urbanisation and increasing demand from agriculture and industry. Fethi Belaid, AFP/File
There is a whole list of companies that are planning to build on their newfound momentum in 2021. And indoor farming is expected to grow. In 2019, revenue from vertical farming alone was estimated at $212.4 million. Forecasts now call for the industry to hit $1.38 billion by 2027, a compound annual growth rate of 26.2 percent from 2021 to 2027.
There are a number of established key players in the indoor and vertical farming industry, including Amazon-backed BrightFarms, AeroFarms, and Plenty reports Reuters.
An acceleration in funding for this industry lies ahead, after pandemic food disruptions - such as infections among migrant workers that harvest North American produce - raised concerns about supply disruptions, said Joe Crotty, director of corporate finance at accounting firm KPMG, which advises vertical farms and provides investment banking services.“The real ramp-up is the next three to five years,” Crotty said.
First developed around a decade ago, vertical farms have taken off in Asia and the United StatesThibault Savary, AFP
Vertical farming saves space
Vertical farms are a type of controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth using soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics. Vertical farms grow leafy greens indoors in stacked layers or on walls of foliage inside of warehouses or shipping containers.
The main advantage of utilizing vertical farming technologies is the increased crop yield that comes with a smaller unit area of land requirement.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), says urban farming increases food security at a time of rising inflation and limited global supplies. And the USDA is seeking members for a new urban agriculture advisory committee to encourage indoor and other emerging farm practices.
More about indoor farms, food supply, technology, food security
Read more:http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/technology/indoor-farms-gaining-investors-as-pandemic-disrupts-feeo-supplies/article/585761#ixzz6mwBqwKxt
Investors Seed Indoor Farms As Pandemic Disrupts Food Supplies
Proponents, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), say urban farming increases food security at a time of rising inflation and limited global supplies. North American produce output is concentrated in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest, including California, which is prone to wildfires and other severe weather
Wausau, WI, USA Stevens Point
Feb 18, 2021
By Rod Nickel
(Reuters) - Investors used to brush off Amin Jadavji's pitch to buy Elevate Farms’ vertical growing technology and produce stacks of leafy greens indoors with artificial light.
"They would say, 'This is great, but it sounds like a science experiment,'" said Jadavji, CEO of Toronto-based Elevate.
Now, indoor farms are positioning themselves as one of the solutions to pandemic-induced disruptions to the harvesting, shipping, and sale of food.
"It's helped us change the narrative," said Jadavji, whose company runs a vertical farm in Ontario, and is building others in New York and New Zealand.
Proponents, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), say urban farming increases food security at a time of rising inflation and limited global supplies. North American produce output is concentrated in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest, including California, which is prone to wildfires and other severe weather.
Climate-change concerns are also accelerating investments, including by agribusiness giant Bayer AG, into multi-storey vertical farms or greenhouses the size of 50 football fields.
They are enabling small North American companies like BrightFarms, AppHarvest and Elevate to bolster indoor production and compete with established players AeroFarms and Plenty, backed by Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos.
But critics question the environmental cost of indoor farms' high power requirements.
Vertical farms grow leafy greens indoors in stacked layers or on walls of foliage inside of warehouses or shipping containers. They rely on artificial light, temperature control and growing systems with minimal soil that involve water or mist, instead of the vast tracts of land in traditional agriculture.
Greenhouses can harness the sun's rays and have lower power requirements. Well-established in Asia and Europe, greenhouses are expanding in North America, using greater automation.
Investments in global indoor farms totaled $394 million in 2020, AgFunder research head Louisa Burwood-Taylor said.
The average investment last year doubled in size, as large players including BrightFarms and Plenty raised fresh capital, she said.
A big funding acceleration lies ahead, after pandemic food disruptions - such as infections among migrant workers that harvest North American produce - raised concerns about supply disruptions, said Joe Crotty, director of corporate finance at investment bank KPMG, which advises vertical farms.
"The real ramp-up is the next three to five years," Crotty said.
Vegetables grown in vertical farms or greenhouses are still just a fraction of overall production. U.S. sales of food crops grown under cover, including tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce, amounted to 790 million pounds in 2019, up 50% from 2014, according to the USDA.
California's outdoor head lettuce production alone was nearly four times larger, at 2.9 billion pounds.
USDA is seeking members for a new urban agriculture advisory committee to encourage indoor and other emerging farm practices.
PLANT BREEDING MOVES INDOORS
Bayer, one of the world's biggest seed developers, aims to provide the plant technology to expand vertical agriculture. In August, it teamed with Singapore sovereign fund Temasek to create Unfold, a California-based company, with $30 million in seed money.
Unfold says it is the first company focused on designing seeds for indoor lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, spinach and cucumbers, using Bayer germplasm, a plant's genetic material, said Chief Executive John Purcell.
Their advances may include, for example, more compact plants and an increased breeding focus on quality, Purcell said.
Unfold hopes to make its first sales by early 2022, targeting existing farms, and start-ups in Singapore and the United Kingdom.
Greenhouses are also expanding, touting higher yields than open-field farming.
AppHarvest, which grows tomatoes in a 60-acre greenhouse in Morehead, Kentucky, broke ground on two more in the state last year. The company aims to operate 12 facilities by 2025.
Its greenhouses are positioned to reach 70% of the U.S. population within a day's drive, giving them a transportation edge over the southwest produce industry, said Chief Executive Jonathan Webb.
"We're looking to rip the produce industry out of California and Mexico and bring it over here," Webb said.
Projected global population growth will require a large increase in food production, a tough proposition outdoors given frequent disasters and severe weather, he said.
New York-based BrightFarms, which runs four greenhouses, positions them near major U.S. cities, said Chief Executive Steve Platt. The company, whose customers include grocers Kroger and Walmart, plans to open its two largest farms this year, in North Carolina and Massachusetts.
Platt expects that within a decade, half of all leafy greens in the United States will come from indoor farms, up from less than 10% currently.
"It's a whole wave moving in this direction because the system we have today isn’t set up to feed people across the country," he said.
'CRAZY, CRAZY THINGS'
But Stan Cox, research scholar for non-profit The Land Institute, is skeptical of vertical farms. They depend on grocery store premiums to offset higher electricity costs for lighting and temperature control, he said.
"The whole reason we have agriculture is to harvest sunlight that’s hitting the earth every day," he said. "We can get it for free."
Bruce Bugbee, a professor of environmental plant physiology at Utah State University, has studied space farming for NASA. But he finds power-intensive vertical farming on Earth far-fetched.
"Venture capital goes into all kinds of crazy, crazy things and this is another thing on the list."
Bugbee estimates that vertical farms use 10 times the energy to produce food as outdoor farms, even factoring in the fuel to truck conventional produce across country from California.
AeroFarms, operator of one of the world's largest vertical farms, a former New Jersey steel mill, says comparing energy use with outdoor agriculture is not straightforward. Produce that ships long distances has a higher spoilage rate and many outdoor produce farms use irrigated water and pesticides, said Chief Executive Officer David Rosenberg.
Vertical farms tout other environmental benefits.
Elevate uses a closed loop system to water plants automatically, collect moisture plants emit and then re-water them with it. Such a system requires 2% of the water used on an outdoor romaine lettuce operation, Jadavji said. The company uses no pesticides.
"I think we're solving a problem," he said.
(Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba; additional reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Lisa Shumaker)
“COVID Is Helping The World to Re-Examine Its Values” - Says Plenty's Co-Founder Nate Storey
According to Dr. Nate Storey, co-founder and chief science officer at Plenty, supply chain disruptions have sometimes resulted in Plenty’s greens being the only fresh products on grocery store shelves
With all the health concerns and supply chain disruptions resulting from the pandemic, many consumers are looking for locally and responsibly produced fruits and vegetables. And Plenty is firing on all cylinders to meet this increased demand.
According to Dr. Nate Storey, co-founder and chief science officer at Plenty, supply chain disruptions have sometimes resulted in Plenty’s greens being the only fresh products on grocery store shelves. The company has also seen its purchase rates increase during the pandemic, with more people consuming fresh produce. As the world looks forward to a post-pandemic “new normal,”, Nate is optimistic about the future of Plenty and indoor farming
Dr. Nate Storey, co-founder and chief science officer
“I expect that even after COVID, we will see these trends continuing. Once people really get used to eating fresh products, especially ours which are consistently good, it will be very hard for them to go back to old habits. COVID is helping us re-examine our values,” says Nate.
With respect to consumer trends in 2021, Plenty expects an extension of trends that emerged in 2020, namely the increasing number of people who are exploring home cooking options, which has also fostered an awareness of high-quality ingredients. According to Nate, “when home cooking, it doesn’t take long to really start valuing high-quality ingredients. So I think that we’ll see a growth in the quality-focused parts of the produce industry. I think that we’re going to see a trend towards boosting immune health and creating snackable products, as people begin to incorporate more produce into snacks.”
Plenty's recently launched product packaging
As such, quality is of the utmost importance to Plenty. The company approaches quality from three main angles, one being the real value of the product. As Nate explains, ensuring real value of their products means a commitment to offering consumers an attractive product whose packaging attracts consumers and preserves the product as long as possible.
“We ask ourselves: how can we give people three weeks, a month or as much time as possible? Hopefully, the product is consumed within a few days but for people who are watching their budgets, knowing that the product will last improves the value of the product,” says Nate.
More importantly, the company is focused on the quality of the greens themselves. Through careful varietal selection and precise control of the growing environment, Plenty produces greens with the best loft, consistency, texture and nutritional quality. The company’s third approach to quality, according to Nate, is its commitment to delivering a consistent product every day of the week. This consistent production, a major advantage of indoor farming overall, allows growers to eliminate seasonality so that consumers can count on the greens’ quality at any time of the year.
Propagation space in Plenty's San Francisco farm
Plenty’s commitment to the highest quality standards is reflected in the company’s mission, which is the provision of fresh, healthy food to people all over the world. As Nate explains, field-based agriculture currently produces only 30% of the global population’s needs for a healthy diet.
“We’re in the business of figuring out how we produce massive amounts of produce for consumers and make sure that they can supplement their diets with enough fruits and vegetables. Vertical farming and Plenty works to fill the void between 30% of what the world needs and 100% of what the world needs,” says Nate.
Plenty is also addressing consumers’ desire for sustainably produced fruits and vegetables by constantly working to improve water, space and energy use efficiency. Aside from environmental sustainability, the company strives for social sustainability by working to integrate itself into the communities where the farms are located by creating jobs and becoming a part of the local food system and culture.
For more information:
Plenty
Lizi Sprague
lizi@spronguepr.com
www.plenty.ag
Source: Publication date: Fri 12 Feb 2021
Source: Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com
Emerging Needs In Vertical Farming And Cannabis Cultivation
The development of vertical farming will continue considerably in the coming years, according to Montel Inc.. With the company’s Vertical Farming Systems Montel expects a very high volume of new projects in both food and cannabis. “COVID-19 has only increased the need to grow locally and inside cities”, says Yves Bélanger, VP Sales Vertical Farming Market International
15 January 2021
Jacco Strating
Yves Bélanger of Montel Inc. believes that COVID-19 has only increased the need to grow locally and inside cities. He speaks about why the development of vertical farming will continue considerably in the coming years.
The development of vertical farming will continue considerably in the coming years, according to Montel Inc.. With the company’s Vertical Farming Systems Montel expects a very high volume of new projects in both food and cannabis. “COVID-19 has only increased the need to grow locally and inside cities”, says Yves Bélanger, VP Sales Vertical Farming Market International.
Established in 1924, Montel pioneered high-density mobile storage systems providing cost-efficient storage solutions using less space and established a global network of authorized Montel distributors. Montel's achievements include some of the most prestigious projects in North America and around the world. “Prior to becoming North America's leading manufacturer of mobile systems, we had acquired nearly 40 years' experience in the electrical industry, including extensive involvement in the construction of generating stations and power grids for major world-leading hydroelectricity plants. This explains our expertise and the exceptional quality of our electrical mobile systems”, says Bélanger.
Inventive ways to feed the world
Before the crisis, it was already accepted as a general consensus that we are facing a complex challenge: we will need inventive ways to feed to growing population but the potential and land availability for cultivation has almost reached its maximum capacity. Also rising before the crisis was the global trend of growing locally due to a variety of factors or needs: in regions in which climate is a challenge, in remote areas, where there is water or soil rarity, aiming at lowering the carbon footprint, increasing product short shelf life, cutting down on transportation, etc. “In the long term, we feel that the current crisis will accelerate tremendously and definitely crystallize the need to grow locally and/or inside cities and the need to grow in a controlled cleanroom environment which will result in a higher demand for our product and a growth in our sector”, says Bélanger. “With its mobile carriages, the Greenrak Integrated Vertical Indoor Farming Solution is the ideal response to the current situation allowing both to increase yield while reducing the required surface by eliminating space wasting.
Customers increasingly have groceries delivered directly to their homes seems to be also an underlying trend rising from this crisis and in the long term, this may also play a role in creating a higher demand for our high-density cold storage solutions.”
Montel’s Greenrak and Grow&Roll systems were developed specifically for growing applications. Greenrak mobile system is lightweight, rust-resistant, and simple in design which allows for easy installation, use, and maintenance. Grow&Roll mobile system is the heavy-duty version of Greenrak and can withstand a weight of 3630 kg. Growrak was engineered to free up space between frames at each level providing plenty of clearance for better airflow, ventilation system ducts, lighting fixtures, and enough spacing for oversize trays to pass through between frames.
High yield hydroponic vertical farms
“Given the fact that Montel's Vertical Farming systems have been implemented in numerous indoor high yield hydroponic vertical farms that utilize cleanroom technologies and automation as well as many medical or recreational cannabis facilities around the world, we feel our expertise will benefit this growing sector. We are expecting a very high volume of projects that will require Integrated Vertical Farming Solutions. Our experience and knowledge allows us to rapidly assist the emerging needs in vertical farming and medical or recreational cannabis cultivation. By extension, we also foresee an increasing demand in the Cannabis Dispensaries market for our Light-duty drawer cabinet. We also expect a possible higher demand for our High-Density Cold Storage Solutions for the grocery delivery market and Buy Online, Pickup In-Store (BOPIS) market.”
Tags: Vegetables, Medicinal cannabis
Indoor Farming Industry Gets Boost From COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a major shift in dining out and led many Americans to become more familiar with their kitchens than ever before
By Steve Bradley
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a major shift in dining out and led many Americans to become more familiar with their kitchens than ever before. In fact, according to the 2020 “America Gets Cooking” report commissioned annually by Hunter, a food and beverage public relations and marketing communications consultant, more than half (54 percent) of Americans report they are cooking more during the pandemic. 1
Thirty-nine percent said in a survey they are trying to eat healthier, with many saying they are becoming adventurous in the kitchen, trying new ingredients, brands, and products. 1 Salads and vegetables are two of the top five food items survey respondents say they are preparing more.
This presents a tremendous opportunity for grocers to meet this demand for preparing meals at home, as well as a growing desire to maintain a healthy diet during the pandemic to assist in fighting off the unwanted pounds associated with staying at home.
Fresh produce can play a key role in eating healthy but is not something that can easily be ordered through an online retailer like non-perishable goods. Shoppers like to hold and visually inspect produce for freshness, firmness, crispness, color, and other desirable characteristics.
In short, fresh produce is a primary driver of traffic into grocery stores.
Additionally, consumers also want to know that what they are buying can be trusted. Salmonella, e-coli, and other pathogens have unfortunately made their way into our fresh produce supply, causing massive recalls, illnesses, and even deaths. Consumers want to know they are buying a safe product and – increasingly – want to know more about where it came from and how it was grown. Words like “organic,” “non-GMO” and “locally sourced,” have become part of everyday language for many Americans.
Leading indoor farming companies, like BrightFarms, offer hydroponically grown, “cleaner than organic” packaged salads that results in a higher-quality product that consumers can trust. Even produce labeled “organic” has likely been treated with chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides. This also means the consumption of water, land, and costs associated with shipping produce are dramatically reduced. Additionally, locally grown means the quality is preserved through a much shorter shipping process, while also relying on less fuel due to shorter travels to market.
Controlled-environment agriculture ensures produce is not subjected to the whims of nature, such as drought, excessive rain, or other weather patterns.
In many ways, the BrightFarms’ model of bringing local produce around the U.S. into commercial stores has the potential to disrupt the multi-billion-dollar leafy greens industry. Few people could have likely imagined 10 years ago that hailing a taxicab would no longer be the “go-to” for getting around town. Similarly, corporations, with the ability to look around corners and see the future, are re-imagining how consumers get high-quality local produce onto dining room tables.
We need to feed a growing population in a more efficient way – not tied to any one certain geographic area. Investments in cleantech-focused on resource efficiency, resiliency, and adaptation. Local, sustainable, controlled environment produce consumers can trust gives us that opportunity. We believe it is possible to make the world a better place – building a better future for the next generation – while also growing business and creating jobs.
Steve Bradley serves as vice president of Cox Cleantech at Cox Enterprises, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia.
GREENHOUSE VERTICAL FARM BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY CLIMATE HYDROPONICS
Hunter. (2020). SPECIAL REPORT, America Gets Cooking: The Impact of COVID-19 on American’s Food Habits. [Food Study]. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/38DIhsR
Global CEA Census Report Shows Continued Positivity Despite COVID-19
Data captured over an 8-week period show 95% of growers have an optimistic outlook for the next 12 months with all types of operations including greenhouses, shipping containers, tunnel and vertical farms showing profitability
1 DECEMBER 2020
Autogrow and Agritecture Consulting have released the 2nd Annual CEA Census Report highlighting positive signs of growth despite the global pandemic.
Data captured over an 8-week period show 95% of growers have an optimistic outlook for the next 12 months with all types of operations including greenhouses, shipping containers, tunnel and vertical farms showing profitability.
“The optimism reflects what we have seen across many areas of the industry including increased technology adoption and increased consumer expenditure on fresh produce. And despite the challenges we’re seeing an overwhelming number of new entrants into the market,” says Autogrow CEO Darryn Keiller.
“What has not changed is the high percentage of new growers, almost 50%, that have no experience in agriculture before starting their business. That lack of experience has an impact on new technology solutions created and the need for more education to be available to support them. It also shows a real desire to make a difference considering their willingness to start during a pandemic.”
Respondents from 58 countries shared their views on their farming practices, financials, and the impact of COVID-19. The report also gave insight on three key growth regions around the world – India, the UK, and MENA (Middle East & North Africa).
"The results of the 2020 Census confirmed our hypothesis that the UK, India, and MENA regions are the emerging hotspots for CEA, albeit for different reasons. In the UK, Brexit is driving investment towards CEA to combat supply chain risks, while in India rising population and increased premium consumer demand for clean food are driving CEA. In the MENA region, government responses to COVID-19 have accelerated policies and incentives for developing scalable CEA solutions,” explains Agritecture Consulting Founder Henry Gordon-Smith.
“All of these regions present great opportunities for the CEA industry to grow and make a meaningful impact on their respective local conditions.”
Other takeaways from the Census:
· CEA businesses showing optimism and resilience despite the COVID hurdles
· 88% of growers surveyed are below age 50
· 29% of respondents receive funding from multiple sources
RECEIVE THE FREE REPORT!
MEDIA QUERIES
Kylie Horomia, Head of Brand & Communications
(e) Kylie.horomia@autogrow.com
(m) +6421 733 025
(w) www.farmroad.io www.autogrow.com
Sales queries – info@farmroad.io
Briana Zagami, Agritecture Media Strategist
(e) briana@agritecture.com
About Autogrow
Autogrow leverages the power of technology, data science, and plant biology to provide indoor growers affordable, accessible, and easy-to-use innovation – 24/7, anywhere in the world.
Our solutions support growers and resellers in over 40 countries producing over 100 different crop types.
We are the experts in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and continue to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving landscape.
About Agritecture Consulting
Agritecture Consulting provides a comprehensive approach to CEA project development.
In operation since 2014, Agritecture has helped more than eighty organizations determine the feasibility of their ideas, validate their business strategies, recruit talent for their projects, and manage operational challenges.
Our job is to jumpstart your knowledge of CEA, help you navigate barriers to entry, make industry connections, and mitigate risk. Our consulting services are backed by several years of operations data and a team of experienced growers, engineers, and sustainability managers.
FURTHER READING:
AUTOGROW AND AGRITECTURE RELEASE FIRST-EVER GLOBAL CEA CENSUS REPORT
GLOBAL CEA CENSUS LAUNCHED TO HELP DRIVE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY FORWARD
Staying On Track When The Path Keeps Zigzagging
On January 6, 2020, when I pulled the trigger to turn this dream of mine called “Second Chances Farm” into reality by hiring the first cohort of returning citizens who were formerly incarcerated, I had no idea how challenging 2020 would be
A Second Chances Farms Blog
by Ajit Mathew George
Sir Richard Branson is often credited with the saying, “If dreams don’t scare you, they are too small.” As the year 2020 draws to an end, I admit to you that my dreams for Second Chances Farm have scared me far more often than I want to admit. What a ride it has been.
On January 6, 2020, when I pulled the trigger to turn this dream of mine called “Second Chances Farm” into reality by hiring the first cohort of returning citizens who were formerly incarcerated, I had no idea how challenging 2020 would be. All startups are nerve-racking, but as a veteran entrepreneur, I thought I knew what I was getting into. But COVID scattered my best-laid plans like a tropical hurricane. We had to learn how to pivot to stay alive in these trying circumstances – to carve out a track when the path continued to zigzag.
It often seems that planning beyond the Coronavirus is an exercise in futility, especially in communities that are disparately devastated by the pandemic. Yet, our plans for Second Chances Farm in Opportunity Zones in Wilmington, North Philadelphia, Chicago and Las Vegas, all of which are in fresh-food deserts, will hopefully upend neighborhoods plagued by economic inequities and innovate in a way that transforms lives and social outcomes while addressing urban blight and economic decline.
Second Chances Farm hopes to jumpstart the lives of formerly incarcerated persons by providing a path of hope for the hopeless and by becoming a model for compassionate capitalism. We believe the best way to stop people from re-offending and returning to prison is to help them see a future worth working toward.
Fulfilling my dream depends upon that concept of “compassionate capitalism.” At Second Chances Farm, we’ve established a for-profit business model that is sustainable long-term because it is profitable. That’s the capitalism part.
But inextricably interwoven in the model is compassion – for our returning citizens, our disadvantaged neighbors, and local people living in food deserts. That’s why we’re located in an Opportunity Zone in the poorest area of Wilmington. That’s why we invest time developing partnerships that support the delivery food to Riverside, Wilmington, New Castle, and other forgotten neighborhoods. That’s why we’re investing in educating children and their parents on ways to eat healthy.
Of course, I strongly support non-profits in their mission and work to help people in crisis. But our business model is different: we want to give people the tools to become entrepreneurs in their own right – again, capitalists – to be successful in the future. And we hope, in turn, they may take on that mission to reach out to help nurture and train others going forward.
If there is any reason why we continue to be disrupters for good with our social impact project, please read this letter — published with permission — that I received this past weekend from someone I don’t know.
November 28, 2020
Dear Mr. George:
I am writing to you in hopes I can gather information regarding Second Chances Farm.
My nephew is presently in Pauling County Jail. His life’s story you most likely have heard and seen time and again. He got into a wrong group; trying to find acceptance by someone. Liam got himself in trouble with stealing, drugs took them) while he was dreaming for help inside... some direction... abusive home life starting at a very young age.
Liam is 19; had no childhood, as you and I may have known it. He is a good good soul. Just a rotten home life.
Liam almost graduated from high school but all the above was instrumental in why he didn’t. While in school he found agriculture very interesting and was going to further that education after graduation. He went from getting student of the month(s) to where he is... It’s a long painful life story.
His grandmother (my sister) he adores... he talks with her often (every day). I have been trying to help her deal with this crisis in her life mostly because she is battling breast cancer during all of Liam’s problems.
While looking for an agricultural future for him once released, my sister and I came across Second Chances Farm! We have been so excited about your wonderful program and I decided I’d write to you get more information on top of the very informative info on your site. Starting with the first step to completing what has to be done... I imagine an application to start. Would you be so kind as to provide me with this info and anything else to start the process of getting accepted into your stellar program.
Mr. George, this young man’s life. I know with the proper mentoring and guidance, can change and he can be a stellar human being if given the chance... he needs to know he belongs, self-worth and love.
I am hopeful with your help; giving Liam a second chance would be the beginning of a life yet to be lived. Thank you for any and all considerations. I will continue to pray that my prayers are being heard.
Sincerely, with thankfulness for your continued success in making this world a better place.
Susie Fricano
Greensboro, Georgia
This poignant letter embodies the compelling reasons why Second Chances Farm is needed in communities throughout the United States.
Today, less than a year after we opened our doors at 3030 Bowers Street, Second Chances Farm, LLC is the first commercial indoor hydroponic vertical farm in Delaware and one of the leading “smart farms” in the United States. More than 40 returning citizens have come to work, and some have come to stay. We’re a business, a support system, and a family. We are a public benefit corporation, certified minority business enterprise, a qualified opportunity fund and a Foreign Trade Zone. Our compassionate capitalism has created something entirely new: a for-profit solution to a non-profit problem.
For more information:
Second Chances Farm
www.secondchancesfarm.com
4 Dec 2020
Global CEA Census Report Shows Continued Positivity Despite COVID-19
Autogrow and Agritecture Consulting have released the 2nd Annual Global CEA Census Report highlighting positive signs of growth despite the global pandemic
1 December 2020: Autogrow and Agritecture Consulting have released the 2nd Annual Global CEA Census Report highlighting positive signs of growth despite the global pandemic.
Data captured over an 8-week period show 95% of growers have an optimistic outlook for the next 12 months with all types of operations including greenhouses, shipping containers, tunnel, and vertical farms showing profitability.
“The optimism reflects what we have seen across many areas of the industry including increased technology adoption and increased consumer expenditure on fresh produce. And despite the challenges we’re seeing an overwhelming number of new entrants into the market,” says Autogrow CEO Darryn Keiller.
“What has not changed is the high percentage of new growers, almost 50%, that have no experience in agriculture before starting their business. That lack of experience has an impact on new technology solutions created and the need for more education to be available to support them. It also shows a real desire to make a difference considering their willingness to start during a pandemic.”
Respondents from 58 countries shared their views on their farming practices, financials, and the impact of COVID-19. The report also gave insight on three key growth regions around the world – India, the UK, and MENA (Middle East & North Africa).
"The results of the 2020 Census confirmed our hypothesis that the UK, India, and MENA regions are the emerging hotspots for CEA, albeit for different reasons. In the UK, Brexit is driving investment towards CEA to combat supply chain risks, while in India rising population and increased premium consumer demand for clean food are driving CEA. In the MENA region, government responses to COVID-19 have accelerated policies and incentives for developing scalable CEA solutions,” explains Agritecture Consulting Founder Henry Gordon-Smith.
“All of these regions present great opportunities for the CEA industry to grow and make a meaningful impact on their respective local conditions.”
Other takeaways from the Census:
68% of respondents are salad green growers
88% of growers surveyed are below age 50
29% of respondents receive funding from multiple sources
For a copy of the FREE report - https://engage.autogrow.com/census
Lettuce Losses Could Cause Shortage Across U.S.
Lettuce growers in central California experienced unseasonably high temperatures and crop disease that caused severe losses to iceberg and romaine varieties
Crop Losses Lead To Supply Chain Disruptions, Beyond COVID-19
NOVEMBER 13, 2020
Lettuce crop losses in California could affect availability and prices at Texas grocery stores and restaurants and highlights the fragility of the nation’s food supply chain, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
Twelve cultivars of bibb, loose-leaf, and romaine lettuce being grown hydroponically using the nutrient film technique. Most lettuce in Texas is grown in greenhouses like these. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)
Lettuce growers in central California experienced unseasonably high temperatures and crop disease that caused severe losses to iceberg and romaine varieties.
David Anderson, AgriLife Extension economist, Bryan-College Station, said the shortage is another instance of the nation’s food supply chain being disrupted.
Anderson said lettuce is one product in a long list of perishable food items that are produced to serve a “just-in-time inventory” for retail grocers, restaurants and ultimately consumers.
“Consumers have dealt with shortages related to COVID-19 disruptions most recently, but it looks like this is weather- and disease-related losses that resulted in supply issues,” he said. “We grow accustomed to seeing lettuce at the grocery store year-round, but a lot of folks don’t know we rely on producers all around the country and beyond to serve that year-round availability.”
Lettuce is a cool-season crop and performs best at 60-65 degrees. The crop requires temperatures stay consistently below 80 degrees, accompanied by cool night temperatures.
Anderson said Texas and the rest of the U.S. rely on growers in specific microclimates domestically, but also in Canada, Mexico and other parts of the world, to produce certain products like lettuce and spinach to meet year-round demand. The heatwave in California accompanied by leaf spot disrupted the harvest that growers’ in Salinas provide to meet demand now.
“In a couple of weeks it’ll be another areas turn to meet that demand, and so on, but it just shows how delicate the system can be if there is an issue in the supply chain,” he said.
Fresh produce takes time and timing
Juan Anciso, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Weslaco, said Texas producers grow very little lettuce aside from niche-market growers who supply restaurants, specialty grocers and directly to consumers. But the region is part of the national supply chain for cool season produce.
Growers in the Rio Grande Valley, for instance produce thousands of acres of cool-season produce – mostly onions, leafy greens like spinach and kale, and carrots.
The planting window is critical for those cool season crops because of the time they take to mature, he said.
Onions take 160-170 days from seed to harvest. Cabbage takes 90-110 days, and carrots take 90-plus days for fresh market and 150-180 days for fields destined for processing.
“California is the breadbasket of America when it comes to many varieties of produce, including various kinds of lettuce,” he said. “The growing season moves north and south as seasonal temperatures dictate the crop, planting time and harvest.”
Anciso said these crops are also very dependent on timing because they are only marketable for a week or two once harvested.
“These are all extremely perishable foods,” he said. “They are grown, harvested and go directly to the stores, so timing the logistics of that is critical to supplying demand. We expect to see a head of lettuce when we go into a grocery store and take the process for granted until it’s not there.”
-30-
Adam Russell
AUSTRALIA: City Farming On Rise As COVID-19 Makes People Rethink How They Source Their Food
Urban farmer Rachel Rubenstein thinks the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down major cities, state and international borders, is a chance to rethink where we get our food from. And growing good food in anything from local car parks, median strips and rooftops, to golf courses and even public parks are just some of the ideas she and her city farming friends are throwing around
By Jess Davis and Marty McCarthy
10-24-20
Urban farmer Rachel Rubenstein thinks the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down major cities, state and international borders, is a chance to rethink where we get our food from.
And growing good food in anything from local car parks, median strips and rooftops, to golf courses and even public parks are just some of the ideas she and her city farming friends are throwing around.
"I think that having food grown close to home is super important, because we have seen a lack of access to fresh food with the bushfires and then COVID," Ms Rubenstein said.
An urban farm in East Brunswick in Melbourne is seeing a surge in demand for locally grown food by those stuck in lockdown.(ABC Regional)
In Melbourne's inner-northern suburb of East Brunswick, she's growing fresh organic produce such as carrots, radishes, spinach, broccoli, and citrus for Ceres — a not-for-profit community-run environment park and farm.
Ceres has seen demand for its food boxes double since the pandemic began, as lockdowns forced people to shop more locally than ever before.
"Everything that I grow here on the farm is harvested straight away and goes straight to the grocery and the cafe on site," Ms Rubenstein said.
"Just seeing how much I can grow in 250 square metres says something about how we can utilise space better in the city."
Ceres grows vegetables across two sites in the inner city, but it's not enough to fill demand with produce sourced from elsewhere to help fill the gap.
Ceres urban farm in Brunswick near the Melbourne CBD has seen demand for their produce triple since the pandemic started.(ABC Regional: Jess Davis)
Space constraints
Farms like this are a rare sight in Australian cities, with space a major constraint.
Calls to take existing green spaces, such as public parks and golf courses, and adapt them to support things like agriculture are growing in urban centres.
Nick Verginis recently started a social media group called 'Community to Unlock Northcote Golf Course' in a bid to get his local fairway converted into a public park with possible room for agriculture too.
The golf club is across the river from Ceres.
"In lockdown people have been really hungry to get in touch with nature, using whatever space they have on their balconies or in their small gardens to grow their own produce," he said.
"This [fairway] obviously would be a natural place to expand that [farm], so some local residents could have access to a plot of land."
Nick Verginis, with his son Teddy, started the Facebook group Community to Unlock Northcote Golf Course in the hope it could be used as a public space and potentially as a farm.(ABC Regional: Jess Davis)
Farming on the fringe
Converting sections of green spaces into farmland to create a local food bowl is already a reality in Western Sydney Parklands in New South Wales.
Thou Chheav learnt to farm 24 years ago after she moved from Cambodia. She now runs the family's Sun Fresh Farms with her daughter, Meng Sun.(ABC Regional: Ben Deacon)
Five per cent of the 264-hectare park has been set aside for urban agriculture and 16 farms are already operating on it, selling at the farmgate or across Sydney.
Western Sydney Parklands is one of the largest urban parks in Australia — almost the same size as Sydney Harbour — and is one of the biggest urban farming projects in the country.
Sun Fresh Farms, run by Meng Sun and her mother Thou Chheav, has been leasing land off the Parkland for nine years to grow cucumbers, strawberries, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and broad beans.
Ms Sun said, even before the pandemic, the popularity of sourcing food from peri-urban farms like her family's was taking off.
"All the locals come out on the weekends. It's providing food for the local community and also it gives them a better understanding of where food and vegetables come from," she said.
Unlike produce sold at larger supermarkets that was often picked before it ripened, Ms Sun said being able to buy fresh vine-ripe produce appealed to customers.
"We like to pick fresh and sell direct to the customers. Cut the middleman out so there's not much heavy lifting involved, it is just straight to the farm gate," she said.
There are 16 urban farms operating in the Western Sydney Parklands, but there are plans to increase that number.(ABC Regional: Ben Deacon)
Suellen Fitzgerald, the chief executive of Greater Sydney Parklands, said they were currently accepting applications for new farming projects so that the precinct could expand its food production.
"Many of our farmers have roadside stalls and during the pandemic have reported an up-swing in customers, with the community choosing to shop locally over traditional supermarkets," Ms Fitzgerald said.
"Urban farming is a rising food phenomenon and people are increasingly interested in learning about where their food comes from."
Suring up food supply
Rachel Carey, a lecturer in food systems at the University of Melbourne, said cities should increase their urban farming capacity as an "insurance policy" in the event of future natural disasters or pandemics that disrupt supply chains.
"Obviously urban agriculture is a much smaller part of our food supply system, but I think it does have an important role in future," Dr Carey said.
"If we can keep some of this food production locally it acts as a bit of a buffer or an insurance policy against those future shocks and stresses."
Food systems lecturer Rachel Carey says urban farming has an important role to play in our future.(ABC Regional: Jess Davis)
Dr Carey said cities were more conducive to agriculture than most people realised.
Europe's largest urban farm opened in Paris during the COVID-19 pandemic.(Supplied: Nature Urbaine)
"Cities have access to really important waste streams, and also food waste that can be converted into compost and used back on farms," she said.
"If we can keep some urban food production close by it enables us to develop what we call circular food economies, where we are taking those waste products and we're reutilizing them back in food production to keep those important nutrients in the food supply."
The other benefit was financial.
Dr Carey said buying food from local farmers helped to "keep that money circulating within our own economy rather than going outside to other areas".
She believed Australian towns and cities should also consider the United Kingdom's food allotment system, where local governments or town councils rented small parcels of land to individuals for them to grow their own crops on.
Major European cities such as Paris have also embraced urban farming amid the pandemic — the largest rooftop farm in Europe opened there in July.
The farm, which spans 4,000 square metres atop the Paris Exhibition Centre, supports a commercial operation as well as leases out small plots to locals who want to grow their own food.
There are plans to increase it to 14,000 square metres, almost the size of two football fields, and house 20 market gardeners.
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a surge in people growing their own crops, making their own bread, and even cooking more at home.(ABC Regional: Marty McCarthy)
From converting sections of golf courses or public parks into small farms, or median strips, car parks or rooftops, Dr Carey said the pandemic had shown the time was ripe to reconsider our urban food production methods.
"I see COVID-19 is a transformational moment that is going to lead to some rethinking about the way that we use our spaces in urban areas and in the city," she said.
"So cities around the world are starting to look more to urban agriculture not just in terms of city soil-based farms, but also non-soil-based farms such as vertical farms and intensive glasshouse farming."
City golf courses are being identified as potential sites for small urban farming plots.(ABC Regional: Jess Davis)
Lead photo: Urban farmer Rachel Rubenstein on a farm in East Brunswick, not far from the Melbourne CBD.(ABC Regional: Marty McCarthy)
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Why This First Nation Bought A Shipping Container During COVID-19
To get fresh produce, Sheshegwaning First Nation turned to a technology initially developed for growing food in space. But is it a real solution for food insecurity?
Sheshegwaning First Nation purchased a container farm in June. (Courtesy of April Folz)
By Charnel Anderson October 23, 2020
To Get Fresh Produce, Sheshegwaning First Nation Turned
To A Technology Initially Developed For Growing Food In Space.
But Is It A Real Solution For Food Insecurity?
The first frosts have already arrived in Ontario, but in Sheshegwaning First Nation, a small community on the western edge of Manitoulin Island, April Folz is still awaiting the first harvest of the year. In about a week, Folz says, the community will have fresh produce: “Monte Carlo romaine lettuce, wildfire lettuce. We have a couple of variations of kale and spinach. I’m missing something,” says Folz, the economic development director at Sheshegwaning First Nation. “Oh, bok choy! I’m excited for that.”
Sheshegwaning First Nation, a two-hour drive from the mainland, is home to about 130 residents. There’s a convenience store in the community with a few grocery items, but the nearest grocery store is 40 minutes away. When COVID-19 hit, the community put up a checkpoint, and, Folz says, there was talk of closing the swing bridge to outsiders. That would have made it “tough to get food in,” says Folz. So, in response, community leaders came up with a locally grown solution.
In June, the community purchased a container farm from the Ottawa-based company
Growcer for about $300,000 (CAD). Folz describes the setup as a repurposed shipping container divided into six growing sections, with a separate room housing climate controls and a monitoring system. The growing sections are outfitted with shelving, LED lighting, and a hydroponic growing system in which plants grow with their roots in water rather than soil.
Sheshegwaning First Nation is growing produce, such as kale in spinach, in a repurposed shipping container. (Courtesy of April Folz)
The first harvest has been delayed due to issues with the system’s artificial lighting, which takes the place of sunlight, and a carbon-dioxide tank, says Folz. But, once the system is fully operational, she plans to start a weekly subscription box that members can sign up for to get fresh produce delivered right to their door.
Because they make it possible to grow food in harsh climates, container farms are often touted as a solution for food insecurity in remote communities. However, research suggests that the technology does little to address the true causes of food insecurity or the inability to access nutritious and affordable food, which is rooted in the ongoing effects of colonialism and climate change, among other things. “All of these stories make it sound like [container farms] are the solution to food insecurity, and they absolutely aren’t,” says Thomas Graham, PhytoGro research chair in controlled-environment systems at Guelph University.
Container farms (or, as Graham calls them, “growth chambers”) were initially developed as a research tool for growing food in space, he explains; only within the last few decades have they been marketed as a commercial solution: “You can’t have a greenhouse in space, but you can certainly have a growth chamber. And the next, most severe climate to space, as [my colleague] Mike [Dixon] would say, is a snowbank in Nunavut somewhere.”
More than half of on-reserve First Nations households across Canada experience food insecurity; 8.8 per cent of people elsewhere in the country experience moderate to severe food security. A number of complex issues cause the disparity: high levels of poverty amongst Indigenous populations, the inflated cost of food in remote communities, and decreased access to traditional foods, which are culturally and regionally specific but usually include such things as wild game.
The repurposed shipping container is divided into six growing sections. (Courtesy of April Folz)
“Food insecurity has been caused by colonialism in this country,” says Julie Price, a member of the Northern Manitoba Food, Culture, and Community Collaborative, which this year is working with more than 40 communities in northern Manitoba on food-related projects intended to improve access to healthy food. “Many of the communities that we work with have very clear, direct stories that illustrate it,” she says, citing the example of O-pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation.
In 1942, O-pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation, located 130 kilometres north of Thompson, Manitoba, built a commercial whitefish fishery on South Indian Lake. It produced approximately 1 million pounds of Grade A whitefish per year, making it the second most productive whitefish fishery in North America. Then, in the 1970s, the Manitoba government gave Manitoba Hydro permission to divert the Churchill River: that raised South Indian Lake by three metres and forced the relocation of O-pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation from its ancestral lands.
The flooding demolished the fishery, disrupted seasonal fish-spawning cycles, and forced wild game to migrate inland. It destroyed a community “that was so self-sufficient and happy, and healthy, and economically healthy,” says Price, adding that it now faces “serious challenges on all these fronts that were virtually absent prior to the hydroelectric development.”
Historically, Cree people were migratory and spent a lot of time searching, harvesting, preparing, and storing food, says Alex Wilson, a member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation, a community with roughly 3,200 on-reserve members near the Town of the Pas, in northern Manitoba. “That changed very quickly during colonization and settlement,” says Wilson, adding that the fur trade, the Indian Act, and the residential-school system rapidly changed “our relationship with food.”
Food-related projects at Opaskwayak Cree Nation include community gardens. (Courtesy of Opakwayak Culture and Healthy Living Initiatives)
Since 2014, Opaskwayak Cree Nation has been working with NMFCCC to develop a number of food-related projects, including beekeeping, community gardens, and a hydroponic container farm. Container farms may have their place in addressing food insecurity in First Nations communities, she says, but they would align better with Indigenous values if they produced culturally relevant foods, thereby enhancing the transmission of knowledge many Indigenous communities are trying to reclaim. “Not many people eat kale. Is there a way to grow things in there that would have more contextual meaning to people in the north?” Community-led approaches, she says, give northern communities agency over their food systems: NMFCCC is “not just mitigating, but trying to reverse” the damage caused by colonialism.
Price feels the same. “We have seen these units have lots of benefits in communities that have done the research and then chose to try them out, but they’re not going to solve food insecurity alone,” says Price. “Selling northern people on eating more leafy greens is still trying to colonize diets further.”
Over the years spent working with NMFCCC, Price has learned — or as she puts it, has been taught — a few things about working with northern communities. It’s crucial, she says, to develop non-transactional, human relationships and to listen to the community’s vision and priorities: “I’ve never seen yet, where somebody from outside [the region] has solved a problem in the north. It usually makes it worse.”
Ontario Hubs are made possible by the Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust & Goldie Feldman.
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Charnel Anderson is TVO.org's northwestern Ontario Hubs reporter.
How The Pandemic Has Accelerated The Next Generation of Farming
Vertical farming, or the practice of cultivating crops in vertically stacked shelves and often in a controlled indoor environment, allows produce to be shipped to grocery stores, restaurants and other dining services in a matter of minutes
Vertical farming has provided an innovative
way to serve customers and ensure clean food
Coronavirus puts farmers in 'dire need' of help from government: Farm Bureau president
Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall discusses how coronavirus is challenging farmers, trade with China, and reopening the economy.
The foodservice industry is betting big on vertical farming as the pandemic ushers in a heightened awareness of food safety and cleanliness.
Vertical farming, or the practice of cultivating crops in vertically stacked shelves and often in a controlled indoor environment, allows produce to be shipped to grocery stores, restaurants and other dining services in a matter of minutes.
EVEN WITH A STRONG CROP THIS YEAR, US FARMERS ARE SUFFERING
A new report by Allied Market Research shows that the global market for vertical farming crops is projected to reach $1.38 billion by 2027 with a compounded annual growth rate of 26.2% from 2021 to 2027. Last year alone, the industry was estimated to be around $212.4 million.
Amid the trajectory for growth, the coronavirus outbreak has accelerated the demand for fresh and locally grown produce. And as restaurants reopen, vertical farming has provided an innovative way to serve customers and ensure clean food.
“The pandemic has certainly shed light on the fact that everybody is very aware of cleanliness and safety, and food is no exception,” CEO of Kalera Daniel Malechuk told FOX Business. “What vertical farming can offer is something that is local, something that hasn’t been in a journey to get to the end or touched by a significant number of people and something that is grown in a clean room where the product is not subject to harmful elements or exposure.”
TRUMP ANNOUNCES $13B WORTH OF NEW RELIEF FUNDING FOR US FARMERS
Kalera, an indoor vertical farming company with hydroponic technology, is on track for rapid growth, particularly in high dense urban markets. After opening the largest vertical farming facility in Texas, the ag-tech company has plans to expand to Atlanta where it will be the highest production volume vertical farm in the Southeast, as well as Denver by 2021. Aside from its typical operations providing lettuce and microgreens to theme parks and restaurants, Kalera has also entered the grocery space marked by a deal with Publix that went into effect in April.
(Credit: Kalera)
“We love supporting our local growers—whether they are growing in a field or on top of a hotel,” Business Development Director Produce and Floral of Publix Super Markets Curt Epperson told FOX Business. “Our customers really appreciate hydroponically grown leafy greens, not only because they are flavorful but because they are sustainable. We’re excited to see where vertical farming goes in the future. Wherever that is, you can be sure that we’ll be keeping in touch with our local hydroponic farmers, finding out what they’re doing, and talking about how we can work together.”
Hydroponically grown greens emerged in grocery stores prior to COVID-19, but the global health crisis has only accentuated the need to know where food comes from and how it is grown.
(Credit: Kalera)
With technology that doesn't require soil to grow plants and consumes up to 10 times less water compared to traditional soil-based growth, hydroponic systems are not only sustainable but also can be controlled to minimize pesticides and other dangerous chemicals.
Additionally, the minimal transport involved allows produce to reach store shelves without traveling thousands of miles and being exposed to more touchpoints.
Global supply chain disruption has also forced retail chains like Publix to secure produce that does not conflict with restrictions on transportation, which particularly came to light during the first phase of lockdown and with varying state travel mandates.
US FARMERS SCRAMBLE FOR HELP AS COVID-19 SCUTTLES IMMIGRANT WORKFORCE
On top of that, more customers are turning to vertical farming solutions like Kalera for lettuce due to the shortage caused by the California wildfires, where the ash in the fields have affected the growth and safety of the traditional product.
And as vertical farming becomes more attractive in light of the pandemic, more cities will tap into these alternative methods, according to Kalera’s Daniel Malechuk.
“What Kalera is able to do is to offer and shed new light on farming is the backbone of American society and one of our strengths as a nation,” Malechuk said. And leading the wave of the ag-tech revolution is what vertical farming companies like Kalera are doing.”
US - OHIO: Growth In Indoor Farming Business Boosted By COVID-19, Sustainability Focus
Hydroponic and other indoor-farm produce businesses are growing in multiple ways in various parts of the Miami Valley and across the country as consumers look for alternatives to vegetables trucked in from California and Arizona
Lawrence Budd
09-21-20
Hydroponic and other indoor-farm produce businesses are growing in multiple ways in various parts of the Miami Valley and across the country as consumers look for alternatives to vegetables trucked in from California and Arizona.
© JIM NOELKER Bright Farms' hydroponic business in Wilmington grows one million pounds of salad greens a year.
The area’s varied examples range from a BrightFarms greenhouse across from the Wilmington Air Park in Clinton County to 80 Acres Farm, reusing a building in downtown Hamilton in Butler County, to Davidson Family Growers, a century-old traditional family farm also growing with hydroponics in New Carlisle, Clark County.
“We don’t have one just yet,” said Felix Fernando, past co-chair of Montgomery County Food Equity Coalition.
“This is definitely a growing area,” added Fernando, Assistant Professor of Sustainability and Coordinator of Graduate Certificate in Sustainability at the University of Dayton (UD).
Increasingly, consumers and investors are drawn to the principles of sustainability, prompting businesses and educational institutions to respond with programs and products.
For a variety of reasons, hydroponics fit perfectly in markets, such as southern Ohio, otherwise dependent on trucked-in products. In the process, climate change is to be slowed.
“It reduces our dependency on areas further away,” Fernando said. “These areas are seeing or are expected to see impacts from climate change,” such as flooding, erosion, drought, crop disease.
Hydroponics, grown indoors, can put fresh vegetables on store shelves and kitchen tables in areas, such as Dayton, where supermarkets don’t exist or stores offer this option to trucked-in produce.
“There is definitely a need,” Fernando said.
Hydroponic crops are less demanding of natural resources such as water and soil and grown without pesticides.
Opponents point to the lack of soil use in challenging organic claims and infrastructure costs of the vertical farming facilities. The vast majority of produce is still grown traditionally.
Still, the global indoor farming technology market accounted for nearly $6.5 billion in 2017 and is projected to reach nearly $15.3 billion by 2024, according to a 2018 Zion Market Research report.
Supporters of hydroponic produce also point to the difference in the freshness of overnight deliveries as opposed to produce trucked for days across the country.
Rather than relying on distant sources and complex supply chains, hydroponic fruits and vegetables raised regionally allow producers, stores, and customers to "try to build a local relationship,” Fernando said. “The supply chain is shorter either way.”
Fernando pointed to Plant Chicago, a group of businesses in a former meat-packing plant in Chicago, where vegetables are grown and a microbrewery provides spent materials for a bio-gas generator used for the growing and a bakery, in what is known as "closed-loop production”
“It’s a new avenue for job creation,” he said. “It absolutely makes sense.”
Miami Valley sustainable, indoor-farming endeavors
In addition to BrightFarms, TAC Industries in Springfield has added a hydroponic greenhouse to produce lettuce for a restaurant it operates.
Also in Clark County, Davidson Family Growers in New Carlisle is doing traditional farming as well as hydroponic farming.
© Provided by Dayton Daily News Kevin Davidson, of Davidson Farms in New Carlisle, tends to the plants growing in a hydroponic system Friday in his greenhouse in 2017. STAFF PHOTO
For the Davidsons, traditional farming began in 1886. Kevin Davidson got into hydroponics in 2015.
In March, when COVID-19 concerns prompted business closings and job losses: “That was a big problem. I lost 90% of my business in three days,” Davidson said in a phone interview last week.
Restaurants and customers, including UD, shut down on the same weekend, he recalled.
Davidson, who has an engineering degree from UD, said hydroponic business demand, originally at area farmers markets, has picked back up since he began concentrating on selling through on-line farmers markets.
“It’s different,” he said, estimating revenues were back to where they had been, although more labor was required to ready his produce to be dropped off at distribution Wagon hubs in Columbus and Cincinnati, where it is redistributed to buyers' doorsteps.
Davidson sells lettuce, kale, and cabbage products raised through hydroponics. In contrast, corn and soybeans are still grown and sold the old-fashioned way, what he summarized as a “whole different ball game.”
Asked which method he preferred, Davidson said, "I don’t have any desire to grow produce out in the ground conventionally.”
He said hydroponics were cleaner and easier and could be used to grow year-round.
With the “right nutrients,” Davison said, the produce should be “as health or healthier.”
“They are two completely different aspects of the business,” he concluded.
© Provided by Dayton Daily News
80 Acres Farms is offering produce pickups of tomatoes, salad mixes and other products in downtown Hamilton, at the former Miami Motor Car Co. building at 319 S. 2nd St. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF
In Hamilton, Butler County, 80 Acres Farms operates two locations, including one in a formerly dilapidated historic building at 319 South 2nd Street in the city’s downtown.
https://www.journal-news.com/news/dilapidated-hamilton-building-transforms-into-industry-changing-grow-facility/SK6EX3v4sUzidii80f2NhN/
The business also operates from a Cincinnati location. At an automated facility on Enterprise Drive in Hamilton, leafy vegetables, herbs and strawberries are raised. The former Miami Motor Car Co. building in downtown Hamilton is used to raise vine crops, including tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.
1 million pounds of green grown each year in 2-acre sustainable greenhouse
BrightFarms, which operates four farms around the country, has seen demand jump 40 percent between Aug. 2019-Aug. 2020, according to BrightFarms CEO Steve Platt.
The Ohio operation is looking for workers in part in response to a 20-percent jump in demand, driven in part by stores looking for alternatives for produce customers left wanting when traditional supplies from the West Coast dwindled in the midst of the new coronavirus pandemic, Platt said.
Independent retailers' orders jumped 71%, Walmart by 23%, since March, according to BrightFarms.
“Now with the pandemic, people are eating more at home. They are looking for local projects,” Platt said in a phone interview.
Investors including Cox Enterprises, owners of this newspaper, have bought into companies including BrightFarms “taking unique approaches to healing and protecting our planet from the negative aspects of climate change,” according to an article in a Cox employee publication.
Rather than soil, BrightFarms products and others grown with hydroponics are nurtured with mineral nutrient solutions.
BrightFarms lettuce, spinach, and basil is available in Fresh Thyme, Meijer, and Sam’s Club stores in the region, along with about 100 independent retailers, not currently including Dorothy Lane Market or Kroger. So far, BrightFarms has not sold any private-label produce to retailers, choosing instead to exclusively market their brand, said Brian Stephens, the plant manager, and Springboro resident.
Six days a week, seeds are planted along with peat moss and vermiculite in furrowed Styrofoam boards, roughly 1,000 a day. Plantings reflect orders over the next three weeks.
After germinating, the boards are set atop one of nine 110,000-gallon ponds in a two-acre indoor growing area.
“Surprisingly they don’t use a lot of water,” Stephens said during a tour of the Wilmington facilities.
The maturing plants, floating on the board in the pools, are transplanted east in a grid stretching toward the harvesting end. After 15-21 days, the plants are sheered of stems and roots, and shipped, usually the same night, according to Stephens. The discarded parts are given to area farmers and used to feed livestock.
The growing area is heated, while cool air is pulled across the plants through automated systems. Shades control the amount of natural sunlight shined through a clear glass roof, explained Stephens, who moved to Warren County in 2018 to oversee the new plant.
Microscopic “beneficial” bugs, rather than pesticides, keep off any pests. About 2,000 pounds of leafy greens a day are shipped.
Founded in 2011, BrightFarms now operates farms in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio. A fifth is under construction in North Carolina, using lessons learned at existing locations. Each serves a market within a days' drive of 26-foot trucks in the company’s fleet.
BrightFarms is looking to add five to10 employees to the 32 now planting, harvesting, and trucking the products from Wilmington.
The $10 million facilities sit on three of 10 acres, leaving room for expansion. The company is looking at doubling in size.
“We’re very much about the future. It’s a sustainable business,” Platt said.
How Tech Farming Is Transforming India’s Agri Landscape
Advancements in agritech offer precise solutions for sustainable farming such as indoor vertical farming, hydroponic farming, and modern greenhouse practices
September 25, 2020
The farming community has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The restrictions on transport and logistics, supply chain, and shutting down of local vegetable mandis obstructed the overall supply of the produce. This led to the vulnerability of our food sources. Additionally, food production, transport, processing, and waste are already placing enormous pressure on environmental resources.
According to estimates of the World Economic Forum, the global population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion in 2050, which will lead to a 60% higher food requirement than it is today. However, at the current rate of ecological degradation, there simply won’t be enough arable land left to meet this demand. This has resulted in the need for utilizing and growing the food sustainably. Consequently, with the adoption of the right technology, farmers can optimize their crop planning to utilize minimum resources and get the maximum benefit out of it.
Understanding the market overview
With remarkable results, agriculture technology has witnessed a huge growth in investment and is still projected to grow at a CAGR of 18% from 2019 to 2025, according to a report by Research and Markets. And Maple Capital Advisors, in a report, says the sector attracted investment of nearly $245 million in 2019. The report, titled ‘India Agritech—Investment Trends, Initiating Coverage’ says the sector is expected to attract investment of more than $500 million in the next two years.
Additionally, to promote the agri firms, the Indian government recently announced that it would fund 112 startups with a sum of ₹11.85 crore in the current financial year.
Innovation in agriculture
Advancements in agriculture technology offer precise solutions for sustainable farming that includes indoor vertical farming, hydroponic farming, and modern greenhouse practices. These practices are set to redesign the farming experience with myriad benefits. They produce healthier, fresh, and more nutritious food that has a longer shelf life. These practices also help in saving valuable water, land, and labour resources. Also, the controlled growing system enables farmers to produce food free from harmful chemicals and residue.
Complementing consumer preferences
In India, consumption patterns have been undergoing changes. People are becoming more aware of eating healthy and fresh. Additionally, the pandemic has also encouraged consumers to change their dietary habits and consume food that helps prevent infections and build strong immunity against infections.
The techniques of ultra-modern tech farming optimise crop production and quality and offer food safety all year round. They are grown in nutrient-rich water without pesticides, harvested a few hours before it reaches the consumer’s plate. This has strengthened the power of making good choices and brought in a behavioural change to create a healthier food system.
Use of technology
The growth in the adoption of advanced technology solutions in agriculture is revolutionising the sector. By using the smart farming model, traditional farming is gradually transitioning to urban modern tech farming. It allows producing differently using new techniques that increase food production and efficiencies in the food chain. By incorporating automated technologies and processes, it becomes easier to meet the burgeoning demand of the population.
Looking at the changing scenario of traditional farming and advancements in technology, farmers have started adopting indoor vertical and hydroponic farming techniques. These are highly data-driven and combine agriculture with science to grow safe and healthy food in much lesser time. These also enable the farmers to manage growth factors and optimize their field for better produce.
After discovering the effectiveness of such farming techniques, the government is also supporting the agritech sector in helping to transform the traditional farming community. The trend of urban modern tech farming is set to boom in the country with millennials being curious about producing fresh inside their houses. They want leafy greens freshly harvested from their farm before putting on the table. In the coming times, consumers are going to become more serious about the benefits of consuming home-grown veggies and organic food. Moreover, people will be fonder of growing vegetables at home for safety, health, and hygiene benefits after the pandemic.
Lead photo: Illustration by Anirban Ghosh
Views are personal. The author is the founder and CEO of Barton Breeze, a commercial hydroponics farm startup.
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Coronavirus May Lead To More Indoor-Grown Produce Coming To Your Local Supermarkets
Supermarket chain Albertsons and San Francisco-based indoor vertical farm startup Plenty said this week that Plenty will supply its indoor-grown baby kale and other produce eventually to more than 430 stores across California beyond select Albertsons-owned Safeway and other stores in the Bay Area that currently, stock Plenty produce
Aug 13, 2020
Andria Cheng Senior Contributor Retail
I cover retail, from fashion to grocery, and its dance with technology
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted traditional U.S. food and agriculture supply chain and proven to lend a potential growth opportunity for plant-based meat companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. It also may translate to your seeing more produce from indoor vertical farms in the so-called AgTech space.
Supermarket chain Albertsons and San Francisco-based indoor vertical farm startup Plenty said this week that Plenty will supply its indoor-grown baby kale and other produce eventually to more than 430 stores across California beyond select Albertsons-owned Safeway and other stores in the Bay Area that currently, stock Plenty produce.
The startup, which is backed by investors including Softbank, Amazon AMZN 0.0% CEO Jeff Bezos and Google GOOGL +0.6%’s former CEO Eric Schmidt, has raised more than $400 million as of Jan. 1, according to PitchBook. That puts it in the unicorn club of startups with valuation exceeding $1 billion.
When fresh produce demand soared at the start of the pandemic, the companies said Plenty was able to boost production to supply more produce to relieve store shortages.
“When COVID hit, that severely shocked the food chain and distribution centers were closed,” Matt Barnard, Plenty CEO, said on financial network CNBC Wednesday. “There were instances when Plenty was the only thing on the shelf. We were able to prove the extreme reliability of our farms and short food chain with our local farms.”
Like its rivals including AeroFarms and Bowery Farming, these indoor farms make part of the growing crop of AgTech companies that often have some sort of environmental sustainability pitch and tout the use of data science and other technology to increase crop yield and make different parts of agriculture more efficient and traceable. Plenty, for instance, said its vertical indoor farm uses less than 1% of land and 5% of water compared to traditional farming.
In another sign of growing interest in the space, Oracle ORCL -0.3% Co-founder Larry Ellison and physician Dr. David Agus in July formed Sensei Holdings that also includes an indoor-farm AgTech unit.
Investors also look to be taking a growing interest in the space, especially against the uncertain impact of the pandemic and how it may upend the global food supply chain.
AgTech venture capital investment totaled $2.2 billion in the first two quarters of this year, after a record 2019 when $2.7 billion in total was raised, according to a study by Pitchbook and VC firm Finistere Ventures, which also invests in Plenty. This is in sharp contrast to Pitchbook data showing VC funding in the battered-retail sector having slumped by more than half this year.
In the so-called food-tech category, $4.8 billion already has been raised the first six months of this year, compared to $7 billion in total last year, the research shows. Most of the funding for both the food and agriculture tech spaces this year came in the second quarter when Covid-19 escalated to become a global crisis.
As consumers increased online orders, that translated to delivery companies Deliveroo, DoorDash and Instacart rounding out the top four startups, along with plant-based meat company Impossible Foods, in getting most VC funding in the first half of this year, according to the study. A case in point, for publicly-traded Uber UBER -1.2%, Uber Eats-led delivery business has beat its mainstay ride-sharing bookings.
After the pandemic idled or shut meat plants and caused spikes in prices, Beyond Meat, which went public last year, said in May it would introduce “heavier discounting against animal protein.” Company CEO Ethan Brown said then meat supply disruptions gave Beyond “an opportunity for consumers to be aware of a different model.”
The pandemic continues to sow its disruptive effect across different sectors of the economy.
Related on Forbes: As coronavirus batters retailers, mall owner Simon Property sees an opportunity in bankrupt chains
Related on Forbes: Uber’s biggest business is officially no longer ride sharing
Lead photo: With coronavirus having disrupted food supply chain, that may provide more growth opportunities for ... [+] LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES
It’s Not Just Meat: Covid-19 Puts All Food-System Workers in Peril
Stan Cox on Building a More Humane, Robust Way of Putting Food on The Table
By Stan Cox
June 10, 2020
Covid-19 outbreaks are now reaching far beyond the meatpacking industry. Migrant farmworkers in fruit orchards and vegetable fields, long the targets of intense exploitation, are seeing their health put in even greater jeopardy as they’re pushed to feed an increasingly voracious supply chain in pandemic-time.
The crisis has come to a produce farm in Evansville, Tennessee, where every one of the 200 farmworkers has tested positive for the virus, with harvest season about to get underway. With the pandemic rolling on unchecked, the fragility of the entire US food system and the vulnerability of its workforce is coming into stark relief.
Eliminating that fragility—a result of the industry’s single-minded pursuit of profit—will require shifting the priority to the lives of the people who produce our food, the landscapes where they live and work, and, ultimately, to resolving the global ecological emergency.
Southern New Jersey, for example, is seeing hundreds of migrant farmworkers become infected with the virus.
According to WHYY radio in Philadelphia, many of the 20,000 to 25,000 seasonal workers who arrive in South Jersey each year to harvest fruits and vegetables sleep in cramped dormitories and eat in crowded cafeterias. Yet state guidelines allow farm managers, if they find their operations shorthanded, to keep infected workers on the job; they can forget paid sick leave.
As in meatpacking, confined workplaces of all kinds are being hit hard. A complex of hydroponic greenhouses in upstate New York was an early focus of coronavirus spread. A single Southern California city, Vernon, has seen outbreaks in nine food facilities processing coffee, tea, frozen foods, deli meats, seaweed, baked goods, and other products.
A state “pandemic strike team” deployed in mid-May to help long-term care facilities in Washington’s Yakima Valley quickly redeployed when they found even more dire situations on the valley’s farms and in food processing plants. It had gotten bad enough that workers there have been walking out on strike over lack of health safeguards.
The town of Immokalee, which lies at the center of the most intensive winter-vegetable growing area in southwest Florida, now has the densest concentration of Covid-19 cases in the region.
We’ll no longer have access to every type of fresh vegetable and fruit any day of the year. Eating what’s in season will make a comeback.
State officials say that’s largely because of increased testing. But medical researchers beg to differ. They see fertile ground for the coronavirus to flourish in the densely packed buses and vans that take workers to the fields, as well as in worker housing, which consists mostly of mobile homes, each with numerous occupants.
Gerardo Chavez, speaking for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, which has long pushed for the rights of the area’s migrant labor force, told a local TV station, “This is not something that happened just because. It happened because people there are poor, they live overcrowded. They travel to work under not very safe conditions many times, and that makes them the perfect place for Covid-19 to spread.”
The “farmworker paradox”
The current public-health crisis in food production and processing has grown directly out of the drive for profit. In recent decades, the overriding goal of the agriculture and food industry—a sector whose pace and production were once strictly dictated by the seasons and the weather—has been to turbocharge profits by maximizing output per hour per worker.
It doesn’t have to be like that. In a system motivated by nutritional goals rather than profit, a much more widely dispersed workforce producing at non-exploitative rates of output could easily produce enough food to meet this country’s needs.
Instead, under the protection awarded to businesses producing essential goods, the industry is loosening the screws of exploitation only slightly, further threatening the health and lives of workers and their families.
This treatment of an essential workforce is in keeping with what the economist Michael Perelman has called the “farmworker paradox” in which he asks, “why those whose work is most necessary typically earn the least” (in pandemic-time, we can add, “…and are most compelled to risk their lives and their families’ lives.”)Done right, localizing vegetable production would not reduce the total output.
The paradox exists, observes Perelman, because of the circular logic of capitalism. Economists argue that farmworkers earn low wages because they are not highly “productive”; that is, collectively, they generate low profit per worker. But that’s because everyday food sells cheap, and it’s cheap largely because many of those who produce it earn near-starvation wages.
Now workers are forced to risk infection by a debilitating, often deadly, virus in order to keep production costs down and profits up.In contrast, coronavirus infection rates have been low so far among the older, largely white independent farmers who produce staple foods like wheat, oats, rice, and dry beans. But their protective isolation in sparsely populated areas of the country has come at a terrible price: the decline of small family farms and the consolidation of land into fewer and fewer hands over the past four decades.
Such rural areas—where depopulation of the countryside and small towns has meant a withering of local economies, culture, and health care—are now highly vulnerable to the pandemic when, inevitably, it reaches them.
Reversing the destruction
The changes needed to reduce the vulnerability of the food system and its workers to infectious diseases have already been needed for decades on humanitarian and environmental grounds. Addressing the climate emergency, in particular, requires such deep changes.
The imperatives are clear:
Abolish feedlots and other confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Convert the tens of millions of acres now being used to grow dent corn and soybeans (for feeding confined cattle) to pasture and hay production, and eventually, perennial food-grain/pasture crops. Then cattle can eat what they were born to eat: grasses and forage legumes.
Break up the meat-industry behemoths and ban foreign ownership. Decentralize meat production and processing and regulate much more strictly for health and safety.
Such measures would result in better but smaller national supplies of meat and poultry. No problem. Deep reductions in consumption of animal products—especially feedlot- and CAFO-raised meats—have long been needed for nutritional and ecological concerns, most prominently their heavy climatic impact.
For fruits and vegetables, reduce the velocity of production in fields and factories to a humane, ecologically supportable pace that can meet the highest standards for workers’ rights, safety, and economic security. Grow those crops close to the populations who will be eating them—as much as possible in backyard or community gardens and greenhouses.
Done right, localizing vegetable production would not reduce the total output. Vegetables currently occupy only three percent of national cropland, so they could easily be dispersed among myriad small plots of land in every state, every community.
What we’ll no longer have, however, is access to every type of fresh vegetable and fruit any day of the year. Eating what’s in season will make a comeback.
Adaptation will be necessary. In northerly regions, vegetables can be grown in simple, inexpensive, unheated greenhouses almost year-round (a practical alternative to the fanciful idea of urban “vertical farming,” which envisions raising crop plants indoors without soil, under artificial light—that is, in botanical intensive care units).In summer and fall, home and community canning operations could make locally grown produce available all year, as they did in the war years of the 1940s. That would diversify the northerly vegetable diet in winter and spring.
Supplies of staple grain and bean crops, in contrast, come to us from hundreds of millions of acres across vast swaths of rural America. Only a tiny fraction of that production could be localized, but that’s not a problem. Those crops (and products like flour that are made from them) are dry, have long shelf lives, and can be efficiently shipped to every part of the country by rail.
More near-term policies could come through federal legislation. It has been proposed that farmworkers’ right to organize should be guaranteed, and a path to citizenship should be available for all essential workers who need one; there should be opportunities for farmworkers to become independent farmers; and rural transportation and communication systems need improvement.
Now is the time to build a new, more humane, more robust food system on the ruins of the one that has failed us. This nation can have an ample, nutritious food supply without exploiting and endangering the people who produce and process it
Stan Cox is a research fellow at The Land Institute and the author of The Green New Deal and Beyond: Ending the Climate Emergency While We Still Can (City Lights, 2020).