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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
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
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
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
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) News Updates
Find the latest news and updates on how the coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting you, the world and the produce industry
Long-Haulers Are Redefining COVID-19
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Covid-19 Just Passed Another Horrible Milestone in the U.S. From ‘It’s Going To Disappear’ To ‘WE WILL WIN THIS WAR’
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Covid-19 is Here to Stay. People Will Have to Adapt
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What We Know About Coronavirus And Water Treatment
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COVID-19: Cargill Closes Pennsylvania Plant
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INDIA
New Lockdown Guidelines: Here's A List of Economic Activities That Will Be Allowed After April 20
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Smithfield Foods Warns of Shortage As it Closes Major Pork Plant Indefinitely
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Turning Your Home Into Your Main Food Producer
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Coronavirus Resource Center
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Fears grow over Covid-19 impact
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Study Shows How Long COVID-19 Virus Lives On Different Materials: Plastic, Steel, Copper, Cardboard, Air
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Thirteen Science Questions About COVID-19 From Teens
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A food crisis looms as coronavirus forces farms to stay idle and countries hoard supplies
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A Visual History of Pandemics
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Shipping Firms Warn of Risk to Food Supplies
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Shocking Coronavirus Study Says People Could Be Locked Down For 18 Months
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MIT Researchers Create a Reusable Silicone Mask to Replace The N95
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Copper Masks Are The Latest Craze. Should You Buy One?
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You May Be Stocking Up On Toilet Paper. Others Are Out Buying Guns
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How Our Cellphone Location Data Can Save Us From A COVID-19 Recession
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Copper Kills Coronavirus. Why Aren’t Our Surfaces Covered In It?
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Find the latest news and updates on how the coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting the produce industry, and add your insights by taking our survey.
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A Guide For Local Producers To Navigate The COVID-19 Outbreak
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Soap And Water 101: Why It’s Best For COVID-19 Coronavirus (And Everyday Practice)
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COVID-19: The Perils of a ‘Just Enough, Just in Time’ Food System
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Coronavirus And Supply Chain Disruption: What Firms Can Learn
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The ‘Chinese Flu’ Is Part of a Long History of Racializing Disease
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In Honolulu, a fire started by health authorities in an effort to "sanitize" the city's Chinatown in 1900 raged out of control, destroying much of the city. Gabriel Bertram Bellinghausen via Wikimedia Commons
A President Unfit For A Pandemic
Much of The Suffering And death coming was preventable.
The President Has Blood On His Hands
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What Happens To Our Food Supply If American Farmers Can't Farm?
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Mobile Vaccination Centres in Shipping Containers Could Immunise 60 million People in Four Months, says Waugh Thistleton Architects
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China Demands COVID-19 Declaration On U.S. Export
“The recent move by Chinese authorities to require a statement of undertaking for food importers is not based on any legitimate food safety concern,” according to a statement from Western Growers president and CEO Dave Puglia
June 26, 2020
Chinese customs officials are demanding U.S. ag exporters sign a form guaranteeing their exports are free from COVID-19, trade and government reports say. That demand has sparked pushback from trade industry leaders and the Trump administration.“
The recent move by Chinese authorities to require a statement of undertaking for food importers is not based on any legitimate food safety concern,” according to a statement from Western Growers president and CEO Dave Puglia.
Western Growers members and exporters of table grapes, apples, nectarines, almonds, and pistachios are among those who have been asked to sign the form, said Cory Lunde, senior director of strategic initiatives and communications for Western Growers".
“Our food system is the safest in the world, and the known science behind the transmission of COVID-19 is inconsistent with the Chinese government’s call for more restrictive food safety-related trade measures,” Puglia said in the statement.“
Indeed, the very food safety guidance referenced in the required statement — issued by the United Nations and World Health Organization — affirms that there is ‘no evidence to date’ of COVID-19 being transmitted through food or food packaging. This point is important for our domestic consumers to remember, as well.”Efforts by some countries to restrict global food exports related to COVID-19 transmission are not consistent with the known science of transmission of COVID-19, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a joint statement.“
There is no evidence that people can contract COVID-19 from food or from food packaging. The U.S. food safety system, overseen by our agencies, is the global leader in ensuring the safety of our food products, including product for export,” Perdue and Hahn said in the statement.
Puglia said the viability of many U.S. farms depends on international trade with key partners like China. “At a time when American farmers are still trying to dig themselves out of a coronavirus-induced financial hole, it will be difficult for the industry to absorb further losses due to unfounded demands like this,” he said in the statement. “We are aware that the Trump administration has objected to China’s actions and request that the administration continue to pressure the Chinese government until it reverses this ill-timed and scientifically indefensible trade barrier.”
The Washington D.C.-based Agriculture Transportation Coalition said in an e-mail to members that U.S. exporters are reluctant to sign the General Administration of Customs China form guaranteeing their exports are free from COVID-19. “Instead, some (coalition) members report that they are sending their own ‘Commitment Statements’ along with the cargo,” according to the e-mail. “While China Customs has not confirmed that these statements are acceptable substitutes for the official form, we are hearing that exporters sending these statements have not encountered any issues so far with their customers clearing cargo in China,”
Lead Photo: File photo
The Packer's COVID-19 UpdatesThe Packer's China Upates
Related Topics: Exports USDA Western Growers China
Aquaponic Growers Eligible For Coronavirus Assistance
Multiple USDA representatives assured the Aquaponics Association that aquaponics operations producing qualified crops are eligible for financial support through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The Deadline to apply is August 28, 2020. Growers are also eligible for Small Business Administration Programs
Multiple USDA representatives assured the Aquaponics Association that aquaponics operations producing qualified crops are eligible for financial support through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The Deadline to apply is August 28, 2020. Growers are also eligible for Small Business Administration Programs.
By Thomas Wheet and Brian Filipowich
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the American agricultural industry in unprecedented ways. Farmers have watched harvests spoil, been forced to destroy crops, and have euthanized livestock due to the shifts in consumer behavior.
The USDA created the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to assist farms that have suffered economically due to the outbreak.
We reached out to the USDA to inquire about aquaponic growers’ eligibility for CFAP and received encouraging, yet somewhat inconclusive, responses. While aquaponics is not explicitly highlighted as an eligible growing method for CFAP, numerous USDA representatives assured our policy team that aquaponic operations producing qualified crops could receive financial support through the program. Because funding decisions will ultimately be conducted at the county level, both the Aquaponics Association and USDA personnel strongly encourage any aquaponics organization to reach out to its county’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to confirm that the organization meets all criteria required to receive support before completing the application process.
Deadline to apply: The USDA is accepting applications until August 28, 2020. Make sure to check with your FSA at your local USDA Service Center for any questions regarding the application process.
Who can apply for CFAP:
Producers of eligible commodities who have experienced a 5% or greater price decline due to COVID-19.
Individuals and/or legal entities that average an adjusted gross income of less than $900,000 in 2016, 2017, 2018. Make sure to check the CFAP website for additional eligibility guidelines.
Eligible crops: Non-specialty crops, wool, dairy, livestock, and specialty crops are all eligible for CFAP. For a complete list, make sure to take a look at the CFAP website.
General Business Assistance Programs
In addition to agriculture-specific economic assistance, the Federal Government has augmented general economic relief programs so that they also apply to agricultural. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program offers $10,000 loan advances for businesses experiencing a temporary loss in revenue and have less than 500 employees. The loan advances do not need to be repaid.
The USDA website notes: “For the first time, agricultural enterprises are now eligible for the disaster assistance from EIDL. As a result of the unprecedented legislation, American farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural businesses will now have access to emergency working capital.” The website also specifically notes that “aquaculture” businesses are eligible. Eligibility for CFAP is unaffected by participation in the PPP or EIDL.
Also from the SBA, the Payroll Protection Program offers guaranteed loans to support the payroll of businesses with less than 500 employees during the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, the PPP deadline is June 30, 2020 (the day of this posting).
What is the Economic Effect of COVID on Aquaponics?
Surveys have indicated that COVID19 has hurt commercial aquaponic growers.
See:
1) Survey Results; COVID’s Effect on U.S. Aquaponics; and
2) Commercial Growers Hit Hard by Coronavirus.
We must do more to support commercial aquaponic growers during the pandemic so that we don’t set back our most efficient, sustainable form of agriculture.
Are you a grower that receives, has applied, or plans to apply for economic assistance through these government programs? Please complete this quick survey to let us know your experience, and if you have any questions or comments on the process.
Please Click Here To Access
The COVID Government Assistance Questionnaire
Cooked Up For Climate, UAE's High-Tech Food Plan Pays Off in Pandemic
“Thanks to the work being done to harness the benefits of innovation, agriculture is becoming possible and profitable in a country with harsh climatic conditions,” Elouafi said.
MAY 27, 2020
ABU DHABI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In the past four years, the United Arab Emirates has grown a small but rising share of its own organic tomatoes, aiming to shore up food security in an import-dependent desert country.
The effort - part of a broader push to produce more home-grown food amid fears climate change could trigger instability in the global food trade - started after the country was hit by food export bans during the 2008-2009 financial crisis.
Today, the move to build up food resilience is paying off early in the face of another crisis: the coronavirus pandemic.
When the United Arab Emirates (UAE) went into lockdown in April to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, residents had the same reaction as millions of others around the world - they started panic-buying.
The instinct to stock up made sense in a country where more than 80% of food is imported, said Ismahane Elouafi, director-general of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA).
Nonetheless supermarket shelves have remained fully stocked, partly because the UAE has long had policies in place to ensure an uninterrupted supply of food from abroad, she noted.
But in the face of the pandemic, the UAE’s confidence that it will continue to have enough food is bolstered by its success in growing its own, using innovations like vertical farming and climate-resilient crops, she added.
“Thanks to the work being done to harness the benefits of innovation, agriculture is becoming possible and profitable in a country with harsh climatic conditions,” Elouafi said.
According to data from the World Bank, the contribution of agriculture to the country’s gross domestic product rose from $2.39 billion in 2012 to $3.06 billion in 2018.
The UAE’s Ministry of Food Security declined to respond to a request for comment.
FARMING WITH FEWER RESOURCES
Currently ranked 21 out of 113 countries on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Food Security Index, the UAE aims to be in the top 10 by 2021 and number one by mid-century.
By then, the federal government hopes half the food Emiratis consume will be produced locally, compared to 20% today.
Under the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy - which was officially launched in 2018, but had already been woven into government policy for several years before - the country has worked to boost domestic food production.
It has built infrastructure, including complexes for cattle-breeding - and introduced financial measures, from exempting value-added tax on food produced on local farms to paying subsidies on fodder.
But traditional farming methods can only go so far in a country with limited supplies of freshwater and arable land.
Last year, the World Resources Institute classified the UAE as under “extremely high water stress”, meaning more than 80% of the available surface and groundwater supply is withdrawn on average every year.
The bulk of that water is used by the agricultural sector. Combined with a warming climate and a growing population, this is causing available groundwater levels to drop by 0.5 cm (0.2 inches) per year.
To meet the country’s freshwater needs, the government is increasingly turning to energy-intensive desalination methods.
Another challenge is that less than 1% of the UAE’s land is arable, according to the World Bank.
The focus is on finding ways to farm with fewer resources - which is where technology and experimenting with new crops can help, said Sajid Maqsood, associate professor in the College of Food and Agriculture at United Arab Emirates University.
“Urban and vertical farming has to be an important part of the strategy,” he said by phone.
YEAR-ROUND FRUIT & VEG
Farming in the UAE has been moving in a high-tech direction over the past decade.
In 2009, for example, the Middle Eastern country had 50 hydroponic farms, where plants are grown without soil using nutrient-infused water. Today, it has more than 1,000, according to the ICBA.
Why The Indoor Farming Movement Is Taking Off
As the world emerges from a pandemic that has kept about one in five people in their homes for weeks, it's little surprise that the idea of indoor farming is gaining traction
May 20, 2020
No soil. No sun. No problem. (Photo: Yein Jeon/Shutterstock)
As the world emerges from a pandemic that has kept about one in five people in their homes for weeks, it's little surprise that the idea of indoor farming is gaining traction. After all, we've had a lot of time to think about what we can do indoors — and maybe even ponder what we may have done outdoors that contributed to this mess.
You wouldn't think farming, one of humanity's oldest and most crucial endeavors, would be on that list. But as the number of mouths that need to be fed has grown, so too has the need for arable land. To meet that demand, industrial farming, with its reliance on large-scale, intensive production of crops and chemical fertilizers, has dramatically transformed much of the Earth's surface. Along the way, it has erased vital wildlife habitats, addled our atmosphere with greenhouse gases and undermined the health of communities living near those lands.
Indoor farming, on the other hand, isn't as land-intensive. In fact, new technologies and advancements in hydroponics are making it possible to grow crops without pesticides, soil or even natural light. And since indoor crops can be stacked vertically, there's no need for vast tracts of land. Imagine farms as downtown office towers, offering floor after floor of fresh produce.
A recent study from the World Wildlife Fund confirms that indoor farming can save land and water. But it also identified a few hurdles. In the absence of sunlight, indoor operations have to rely on powerful artificial lights that use a lot of energy and produce so much heat that some indoor farms have to rely on air conditioning year-round. Ramping up the scale of those farms may only shift the burden from land to energy use — although, as the study notes, we can expect technology to improve energy efficiency.
In fact, the WWF puts so much stock in its potential, it's helping the city of St. Louis transform its network of abandoned caves into indoor farms.
Farming takes a bite out of the wilderness
At first blush, it may seem like an unlikely partnership. What does an organization dedicated to wilderness preservation have to do with the development of farms? But part of the WWF's mandate is to find ways to reduce the environmental imprint of growing food, especially since vital habitats like forests are often cleared to make space for farmland.
"We're looking for new business models, new strategies and partnerships, and different ways of approaching things that are financially profitable as well as environmentally sustainable," Julia Kurnik, the WWF's director of innovation startups, tells Fast Company. "Our goal as an institute is to find things that can happen quickly and at scale, so that's why we're interested in making sure they can really take off and live beyond our investment."
But will indoor crops — whether housed in sky-spanning towers or intricate caves — ever fully replace their outdoor counterparts as breadbasket to the world?
Probably not. Even vertical farms stacked as high as skyscrapers will eventually run into the same space constraints — unless, of course, we find a way to stack them to the moon. And we're just talking about a perfect vegetarian world here. No one is thinking about confining animals to caves and towers.
Besides, we're all relatively new to the trade. After all, humans don't have a lot of experience growing their food indoors like they do with traditional farming.
As investment banker Erik Kobayashi-Solomon writes in Forbes, "Humans have 12,000 years of experience growing food, but only a generation or so worth of experience growing crops indoors. We are still progressing up the technology learning curve, to the extent that there is a lack of good data about basic questions — comparing crop yields for plants grown outdoors in soil, inside a greenhouse, and indoors using hydroponics, for instance."
But indoor operations may be able to ease at least some of the pressure industrial farming puts on our sorely overtaxed Earth.
The grow-your-own food movement
The best part about an indoor farming revolution may be that it's already begun — with individuals. The lockdown has seen a massive surge in the grow-your-own food movement, as people look not only for something to do with their time but also reduce their reliance on grocery stores.
(A shame we still haven't found a way to grow our own toilet paper.)
In the U.S., as Mashable reports, garden centers and seed delivery services have seen sales grow 10-fold during the pandemic, with Walmart selling out of seeds completely.
There's much breathless enthusiasm, and understandable optimism, to the indoor movement as people look to do things a little differently in the post-pandemic era.
"Thanks to giant leaps forward in the science of hydroponics and LED lighting, even people in windowless, gardenless apartments can participate in the revolution," writes Chris Taylor in Mashable. "With a number of high-tech consumer products on the way, the process can be automated for those of us without green thumbs."
And some farmers, like Benjamin Widmar, didn't need a pandemic to be the change he wanted to see. He's trying to grow enough tomatoes, onions, chillies, and microgreens to meet an entire town's needs. All from his indoor farm in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, about 650 miles south of the North Pole.
"We're on a mission … to make this town very sustainable," he tells the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "Because if we can do it here, then what's everybody else's excuse?"
Take a tour of Widmar's operation in the video below:
Lead Photo: Advances in hydroponics and technology have made it possible to grow more of our food indoors. (Photo: Yein Jeon/Shutterstock)
Pandemic Proof: S2G Ventures on Why Resilient, Sustainable And Healthy Food Systems Are More Important Than Ever
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global health and economic crisis like none we have seen in our lifetime
by guest 18 May 2020
Sanjeev Krishnan
This is a guest post by Sanjeev Krishnan, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director at S2G Ventures
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global health and economic crisis like none we have seen in our lifetime. In the food supply chain, this has impacted employees that ensure that food is planted, harvested, and processed, grocery shelves are stocked and food is available to all people. It takes a global village to feed the world, and we have seen selfless sacrifice and silent grit to ensure the continuity of our food system. Because, if our food supply breaks down, this pandemic may move from a crisis to a catastrophe.
Over the past several month’s several cracks have shown up in the food supply chain. The pandemic is challenging the nature of our global supply chain, stressing logistics networks, and reinforcing the importance of labor. There are concerns about food nationalism, continued access to labor, and redefining the nature of food security from global to national systems. While now is the time for urgent action – from government and private sector – there is a need for longer-term investments required for building a more innovative and resilient future food system.
Our team at S2G Ventures spent several months researching and monitoring COVID-19 and its implications to better understand these questions, keeping a close eye on the news cycle, conducting extensive desktop research, and speaking with various experts across many fields. We spoke to epidemiologists, healthcare professionals, farmers, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and other investors to gather insights and develop our perspective on the implications of COVID-19 on the world of food and agriculture. We have compiled our findings into a report that explores the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic to the food and agriculture industry and identifies the areas of innovation critical to building a healthier and more sustainable food system.
As an investor in companies across all stages of the food system, we believe our role in the recovery is to ensure we build a more stable, resilient, sustainable, and healthy system. We will continue to invest in entrepreneurs and innovations that are the catalysts for meaningful progress. Below, we offer a summary of our report, which can also be downloaded in full here.
Pandemics 101: A History of Recovery & Innovation
Taking a look back in time, the world suffered a deadly pandemic in 1918. The Spanish flu, whose origin is believed to be a farm outside of Kansas City, spread quickly across the globe. Although the world was not as connected, World War I was still ongoing, and troops were being shuttled between the United States and Europe. Between 1918 and 1919, the Spanish flu is believed to have infected nearly a third of the global population and killed between three and 20 percent of those who were infected. In the end it killed between 40 and 50 million people. In the years following the Spanish flu, there was a bright period of innovation that included the adoption of the Bell telephone and modern medicine. It was an event that helped shape the future.
Between the Spanish flu and today’s pandemic, there have been seven major epidemics or pandemics. Each varies in mortality, duration, and contagion, but ultimately all come to an end. The economic recovery period that follows a pandemic-induced recession is generally different from traditional economic recessions. Pandemic-induced recession recoveries have generally seen a V-shaped recovery, while traditional recessions have varied between V-, U-, W-, and L-shaped recoveries. The global financial crisis of 2008 saw an L-shaped recovery. Typically, economic recessions have a longer duration and deeper economic consequences.
The coronavirus pandemic is unique among prior events. While many events have temporarily shut down regions, none have had the same global shutdown that we are currently facing today. So, despite being able to draw comparison and insights to learn from pandemic economics, the situation is different due to a staggering rise in globalization, digitalization across many sectors, and the rise of fiat currencies. Pandemic economic history teaches us that one of the hallmarks is that innovation plays a critical role in the future normal that emerges. As Professor Katherine A. Foss notes, “disease can permanently alter society, and often for the best by creating better practices and habits. Crisis sparks action and response.”
While the direct effect of COVID-19 is on the population – with infection rates, social distancing, and shelter-in-place restrictions and continued operations of only essential businesses – there are significant implications across many industries. The second-order consequences of coronavirus are reshaping industries, catalyzing innovation, and encouraging resilience in business planning. Although the lasting impact on many industries is unknown, we see exciting innovation accelerating across automation, telemedicine, virtual reality, and transparency systems (i.e., blockchain or similar technologies).
Everyone Eats – Pandemic Proof Demand, but Supply?
While the food and agriculture sectors are generally more resilient in bad economic situations, there are several sub-sectors that rely heavily on in-person labor and are currently strained due to the unique social distancing pressures placed on businesses. One significant pressure point is meat processors. Several large meat companies have been forced to shutter processing facilities due to COVID-19 outbreaks. Smithfield had to shut down one of its pork processing facilities that supplied roughly 5 percent of the U.S. pork supply, while JBS had to close a Pennsylvania facility that processed beef. The second-order consequence of these closures is the farmer, who may be forced now to cull their herds of cattle and hogs. The strain on this pressure point affects not only the farmer but also the consumer. Wendy’s felt the effects of this during this past week when nearly one-fifth of all 1,043 locations ran out of beef.
While it will take an extended period of time to fully understand the implications of consumer purchasing data coming out of the pandemic – more specifically if the duration of the consumer behavior shift will be a ‘fad’ or ‘trend’ – certain areas of the market are seeing a quick adoption of trends that were previously accelerating. As slaughter-house closures have increased, plant-based meats sales have jumped 200 percent. Plant-based meats remain a small portion of the market, but this is a significant and notable demand signal from consumers.
Coronavirus is notably changing how consumers shop, prepare and consume food. Between 2009 and 2018, out-of-home eating rose from 50.1 percent to 54.4 percent of the market. Now, with social distancing limited the ability to eat at restaurants, many are turning to preparing food at home or ordering delivery or takeout. And, despite food being a resilient sector, the bifurcation between grocery and foodservice has become clear.
In the grocery store, private label market-share gains are poised to accelerate, as consumers tighten spending and look for value-focused alternatives. However, we expect consumers to prioritize a balance of value and better-for-you brands instead of a complete tradeoff to value, consistent with the consumer megatrend towards better-for-you products.
Taking a step back, and observing the broader food value chain, we observed three primary delivery vulnerabilities in the food system:
1. Agricultural inputs to farms (e.g., seeds, animal feed, fertilizer, et al.)
2. Farm products to processors, packagers, spot markets and export markets
3. Food to retail distribution
This is important because the global food system relies on a just-in-time economy, where inventory levels are intentionally kept low. Meaning, that regardless if there is enough supply in existence, it may not be able to reach its proper destination if the supply chain is disrupted.
China, which provides a good example because it is further along in the lifecycle of the pandemic, has been suffering from this problem in the last several months. Upstream and downstream logistics are a major challenge; at the ports, there are thousands of frozen meat containers piling up because the trucking has effectively collapsed. Meanwhile, ports are running out of power, stoking fears that much of the food currently stored there will go bad. There is also an American company that makes immunization equipment for chicken that said their containers had been docked at Chinese ports for four weeks. Although China is doing its best to ensure that the grain planting season is not missed, the logistics of this supply chain are making it increasingly difficult.
The Future of Food – COVID-19 and Calories
While we continue to watch the situation and the strain it is placing on the food system, we view the common threat that could bridge the existing system to the future as technology. Consumer purchasing behavior coupled with innovation may drive changes in market share and pressure existing players in the market. Although we have not seen COVID-19 create a new trend, we have seen several trends that were in motion pre-coronavirus further accelerated by the pandemic, including alternative protein, indoor agriculture, digitalization of agriculture, and grocery and food as medicine.
Although animal agriculture remains a large and growing market, the pandemic has exposed challenges with the industries long production cycles, centralized production and limited processing facilities. It has allowed for faster consumer adoption of alternative proteins, including plant-based protein, fungi, algae and other biomass concepts including cellular meat. Notably, some of these technologies are further along than other, for example plant-based protein has been a trend for several years, while cellular meat remains in a research and development phase. We continue to believe that whatever the next generation of protein is, it will be driven by production speed, price and taste.
A second trend we believe is accelerating is food as an immunity. The convergence of food, science and technology may unlock this sector and usher in a new era in microbiome, functional ingredients, precision and personalized nutrition and medical foods. Prior to COVID-19, this was largely driven by nutrition-related disease, but the pandemic has exposed at-risk populations, with approximately 90 percent of hospitalized patients having one or more underlying condition, with the most common underlying condition being obesity.
Beyond specific trend acceleration, several themes emerge throughout this research that we believe may be catalyzed and emerge in a post-COVID-19 world. Digitalization will likely be driven by dis-intermediation to allow for new relationships with the consumer and to reduce risk throughout the supply chain. Decentralized food systems allow for the automation of local (alternative protein and produce) and the reshaping of complex perishable supply chains to reduce shrink and waste. They are also more omnichannel congruent as e-commerce, specifically online grocery, adoption accelerates. De-commoditization in the food supply chain, coupled with technologies that place deflationary pressure on the industry, may help catalyze breeding for attributes beyond yield (taste, protein content, et al), a return to polyculture farming and a shift from a strict focus on yield to profit per acre. Lastly, food as an immunity has the potential to bridge healthcare and food production and consumption for the treatment of specific nutrition-related chronic lifestyle diseases, as well as change the future of brands to focus on unique, functional ingredients. a
Our full report, The Future of Food in the Age of COVID, is available online.
_____________________________
Sanjeev Krishnan, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director at S2G Ventures
Sanjeev has nearly 20 years of experience in sourcing, executing, managing, and exiting venture and private equity investments, including a focus in agriculture and food companies. As Managing Director, Sanjeev is active in developing investments and managing portfolio companies including, serving on many portfolio company boards. His portfolio work ranges from genetics, crop protection, soil health, digital/IoT, crop insurance, merchandising, indoor agriculture, novel flavor, and ingredients, new protein development, unique processors, and brands that will feed this changing consumer.
He is passionate about the role of innovation, entrepreneurship, markets, and system investing as a theory of change. Sanjeev has worked in the intersection of sustainability, technology, and health in many regions, including Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. He has invested over $500 mm in venture and growth-stage firms throughout his career.
Sanjeev began investing as a co-founder of the life sciences practice of the IFC, the $99 billion private investment arm of the World Bank. His previous investment roles include CLSA Capital Partners, Global Environment Fund, World Bank Group’s IFC, and JPMorgan. Sanjeev is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
About S2G Ventures:
S2G Ventures (Seed to Growth) is a multi-stage venture fund investing in food and agriculture. The fund’s mission is to catalyze innovation to meet consumer demands for healthy and sustainable food. S2G has identified sectors across the food system that are ripe for change and is building a multi-stage portfolio including seed, venture, and growth-stage investments. Core areas of interest for S2G are agriculture, ingredients, infrastructure and logistics, IT and hardware, food safety and technology, retail and restaurants, and consumer brands.
For more information about S2G, visit www.s2gventures.com or connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
SINGAPORE: Interest In Urban Farming Sprouts Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Farm 85 Trading, a vegetable farm which also sells seedlings and farm supplies, said thatits’s sales went up by five times right after the circuit breaker was announced, with customers buying a range of items from soil and seedlings to compost
10 May 2020
SINGAPORE: After Madam Tan Swee Jee’s husband failed to find okra on a recent trip to the market, she revived her interest in farming and began planting again.
The retiree in her 60s had started organic farming a few years ago but grandchildren and other activities left her little time to tend to her garden. As Singapore hunkered down for the “circuit breaker” period, she found time and reason to grow not just okra, but tapioca, papaya, herbs, and other vegetables.
“We rely on other (countries) for our food, if they don’t sell to us we have nothing to eat,” she said in Mandarin. “This way, at least I can still have a lady’s fingers.”
Madam Tan Swee Jee and her husband planting peanuts and sweet potatoes in their garden. (Photo courtesy of Tan Swee Jee)
Farm supply shops and companies that run urban farming workshops told CNA that there has been more interest in home farming since around February or March.
Singapore raised its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level to Orange on Feb 7 after some locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 were detected, sparking a brief spate of panic buying.
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In mid-March, Malaysia imposed a movement control order which raised concerns that food supplies from the country, including vegetables, eggs, and fruit, might be affected. Authorities came out swiftly to say that food and essentials from Malaysia will continue to flow during the lockdown.
But Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing have warned that Singapore would have to be ready for disruptions to its supply of food and other essentials as lockdowns in various countries have diminished global production capacities and disrupted global supply chains. About 90 percent of Singapore’s food currently comes from overseas.
As the pandemic spread around the world and worsened here, Singapore announced on Apr 3 that most workplaces and schools would close in a circuit breaker period that started from Apr 7, and that people were to leave their homes only for essential activities such as buying food and groceries.
GROWTH IN INTEREST, SALES
Vegetable plots at Farm 85 in Lim Chu Kang. (Photo: Zach Tan)
Farm 85 Trading, a vegetable farm which also sells seedlings and farm supplies, said that its sales went up by five times right after the circuit breaker was announced, with customers buying a range of items from soil and seedlings to compost.
“Most of the customers we have seen are people who were new to farming or gardening ... Almost all customers were determined to try and grow edibles in their own homes,” said Mr. Zach Tan, the farm’s manager.
Demand for farming supplies has gone up at Farm 85 Trading amid the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo: Zach Tan)
Mr. Kevin Tan, director of Ban Lee Huat Seed said they saw a 50 percent increase in sales of seeds since the start of the outbreak, along with more interest in Asian leafy greens like bak choy and kang kong.
Urban farming social enterprise Edible Garden City has seen an uptick of interest in home gardening, a spokesperson said. Enquiries for their edible landscaping service increased by 40 percent, but they could not follow up with these requests after circuit breaker measures kicked in.
“Many of those who enquired about garden builds cited COVID-19 as just one amongst a host of reasons why they wanted to have a home garden … Many also added that they now see that food security is an important issue in Singapore,” said the spokesperson.
Two centres that run organic farming courses, Gardens with Purpose and The Living Centre, also said that demand for their courses are at a high.
Ms. Joanne Ng, founder of Gardens with Purpose, said that she was slated to have a large class just before the circuit breaker but she had to suspend it as measures restricting gatherings were tightened.
She is now considering selling the vegetables she grows on her 2,000 sq ft farm as she has been getting more queries from consumers.
Microgreens can be grown at home. (Photo: National Parks Board)
The National Parks Board (NParks) said that as the interest in gardening increases, more people are growing their own microgreens, herbs, and other edibles at home.
“Given the amount of time we are spending at home, it is a good opportunity for more people to learn to garden at home,” said Mr. Ng Cheow Kheng, group director for Horticulture & Community Gardening at the agency.
GREENHORNS & BEAN SPROUTS
Mr. Jack Yam holding a pot of kailan at his corridor farm. (Photo: Jayna Yam)
Rock climbing instructor and gardening enthusiast Jack Yam told CNA that substantially more people have been asking to join the Facebook interest group he runs – Urban Farmers (Singapore).
Some have also been posting questions on how to start their own home gardens or farms, which prompted him to post tutorials on the Facebook page for their reference.
“There were quite a number of posts in the group, new members actually saying that hey, I'm totally new. I have no idea how to start. What are the things that are needed?” he said.
One of them was engineer Ong Chee Lam, who said that he has an interest in growing edibles but has yet to start a proper farm at home. He has begun experimenting with bean sprouts and some herbs.
“The reason why I wanted to start was because of how the COVID-19 situation unfolds, it made us realise that the food security is a real issue so went to read up and see how we can do something in urban Singapore,” he said.
Bean sprouts grown by Mr. Ong Chee Lam. (Photo: Ong Chee Lam)
His first haul was 400g of bean sprouts which added some crunch to his mee rebus, and he will continue, he said.
“I suspect the new normal will not be the same ... (I) will definitely continue to research and take action to keep this as a sustainable hobby,” he added.
FLOURISHING FARMS
Meanwhile, some experienced growers CNA spoke to are growing more edibles rather than ornamental plants.
Ms Mandisa Jacquelin Toh said that her family was working towards self-sufficiency when it comes to vegetables and fruit.
“It's truly a right direction when we are hit by COVID-19 and the circuit breaker period … we don't have to risk ourselves going to wet market and supermarket unnecessarily,” she said.
The IT professional, who is in her 40s, said she has set up a rotating system that allows her to harvest some produce every day from her rooftop garden, which she said is a third the size of a football field.
A basket of vegetables harvested from Ms Mandisa Jacquelin Toh's rooftop farm. (Photo: Facebook/Mandisa Jacquelin Toh)
The list of edible plants she grows rivals a supermarket’s selection, including long beans, figs, mulberries, herbs, corn, tomatoes, chili, lime, okra, and bittergourd. She even has muskmelons, watermelons, guava, custard apples, starfruit, kedongdong, mangoes, and cempedek.
“We regretted not starting even earlier when COVID-19 started,” said the long-time gardener, who started seriously growing edibles about 10 months ago.
Mr. Yam, who grows his plants along the corridor and common spaces outside his Housing Board flat, also made the switch months earlier and said he was glad he did. Now, vegetables including xiao bai cai, kalian, and kale make up 80 percent of his urban garden.
“Because of my space constraints, it’s not fully sustainable, but at least it supplements the food that we are eating,” he said. “Seeing the sudden surge in interest, I'm actually quite excited and happy about it.”
But he found that many people who wanted to start their home gardens or farms were “caught off-guard” and once the circuit breaker started, it was hard for them to get supplies. This was why he also put up a tutorial on growing bean sprouts, and he has seen quite a few people posting their attempts online.
“Green beans are easy to get hold off, and then within three to four days, you can get the harvest. As a parent, you could occupy your kids with this particular activity, yet at the same time grow something that your family can eat,” he said.
NParks has also put up a series of tutorials on home gardening on social media, including DIY gardening videos, information on plants that can be easily grown at home and simple recipes for produce from home gardens.
Some simple plants to start with are microgreens, Brazilian spinach, Indian borage, and herbs like mints and basils, Mr Ng suggested.
GREEN THERAPY
Beyond sustenance, the home farmers said that caring for their plants has been a good exercise and a source of joy in an anxious time for many.
Halfway house The Helping Hand happened to start their urban farm this month, and tending to the vegetables has replaced some of the carpentry and furniture delivery activities residents did before the circuit breaker period.
An underused grass patch at the home now has 20 raised vegetable beds that is providing both food and therapy of sorts.
“It teaches our residents some very important skills and values, which helps us in some ways as an emotional regulator. It teaches them patience, and also introduces the green concept,” CEO Mervyn Lim told CNA.
For now, the vegetables will be cooked and consumed by the residents but they will look into turning the farm into a social enterprise, and may even open a café, he added.
Resident Toh Chiang Hee, who is in his early 60s, told CNA that seeing the plants grow has given him a lot of joy.
“I talk to the seedlings and tell them to grow bigger and taller,” he said in Mandarin.
Vegetable beds at halfway house The Helping Hand's urban farm. (Photo: The Helping Hand)
FOOD SECURITY
These shoots of growing interest come as Singapore aims to produce 30 percent of its food supply locally by 2030. A new S$30 million grant was announced in April for the agri-food industry to help commercial farms speed up the production of commonly consumed food like eggs, vegetables, and fish.
And the spurt of enthusiasm for home farming springs from a gradual burgeoning of interest in recent years said both Ms. Ng of Gardens with Purpose and Ms. Faith Foo from The Living Centre.
“We have been advocating for urban farming through a wide range of urban farming courses since the establishment of our center the last five years, and thus have also seen a progressive trend of people interested in urban farming,” said Ms. Foo, who has moved all their courses online for the circuit breaker period.
Ms. Ng said that she has noticed more young people and families sign up for her organic farming courses before the COVID-19 outbreak and hopes that schools can be next. Before this, many Singaporeans still felt that it was easier to import vegetables from other countries, and the toil for “a few vegetables” was not worth it, she added.
“Toxic chemicals are everywhere, be it food or the environment, so I started to prepare this 10 years ago … now the time is right, Singaporeans didn’t expect the food supply chain can be disrupted,” she said. “I didn’t see COVID-19 coming but I knew there would be a demand for clean food.”
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
Lead Photo: Madam Tan Swee Jee tends to a vegetable patch in her garden. (Courtesy of Tan Swee Jee)
Source: CNA/hm
Tagged Topics food agriculture COVID-19 coronavirus
Vertical Farms Boom As COVID-19 Bolsters Appetite For Locally Grown Food
Vertical farms — indoor spaces where climate and light are tightly controlled — were already expanding in urban areas before the pandemic struck
May 1, 2020
The industry is benefiting from the pandemic as consumers crave healthy, regional produce
Vertical farming is booming as COVID-19 bolsters demand for locally-grown greens.
Impact investors might find the sector appealing because the farms offer organic vegetables and fruit while using less water and land than conventional agriculture.
There is a growing interest in vertical farming worldwide, with massive facilities already operating in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, and new projects announced since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
While many industries are contracting because of COVID-19, vertical farming is booming as it meets demand for locally grown kale and lettuce.
Vertical farms — indoor spaces where climate and light are tightly controlled — were already expanding in urban areas before the pandemic struck. Since they control everything from seed to store, vertical farms can provide skittish consumers with information about where their food comes from and how it’s produced. While crops rot in fields because of disruptions to farming and supply chains, vertical farms such as Bowery Farming and AeroFarms are boosting output.
“This pandemic exposed the fragility and vulnerabilities with our food supply system that have left people without access to fresh food when they need it most,” Irving Fain, CEO of Bowery Farming, told Karma. “Bowery is in a position to support our communities with fresher, safer produce during this time and beyond.”
Bowery Farms has been pairing technology with agriculture to boost yields and curb the need for water and other inputs. The startup’s software uses vision systems, automation technology, and machine learning to constantly monitor plants. Bowery’s three farms, two in Kearny, New Jersey, about 10 miles from Manhattan, and one in Baltimore, use no pesticides, 95% less water, and are more than 100 times more productive than traditional agriculture per acre.
“Our online sales have more than doubled and demand from our in-store retail partners has gone up 25-50%,” Fain said.
Vertical farms are sprouting in many urban areas. Another pioneering startup in the field, South San Francisco-based Plenty is building a new farm in the middle of Los Angeles. Orlando-based Kalera opened a second facility near the Orlando International Airport that is projected to produce about 6 million heads of lettuce per year.
“Vertical farming will see an economic boon due to increased localization and shortening of the supply chain to be more resilient to crises like COVID-19,” Henry Gordon-Smith, Founder of Agritecture, a global urban farming consultancy, told Karma.
Vertical farming has hit speed bumps. It requires a massive input of capital to launch, and the output isn’t cheap. They are energy-intensive, although much more efficient than earlier because of LEDs. Solar panels have the potential to make them carbon neutral. Industry backers are not projecting that vertical farms will replace conventional agriculture anytime soon, but are bullish about its ability to fill a niche in urban areas.
The high upfront costs haven’t scared off investors. Bowery has raised $172.5 million from investors including GV, General Catalyst, GGV Capital, First Round Capital, and Temasek. Plenty has raised $400 million, with backing from SoftBank’s Vision Fund, Bezos Expeditions, Innovation Endeavors, and others. New Jersey-based AeroFarms in New Jersey raised $100 million in 2019 to expand its facilities.
The growth isn’t limited to the U.S., with large vertical farms found in such varied places as Singapore, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates. The pandemic has led to increased interest in urban agriculture. Singapore announced on April 15 that it will take steps to accelerate local food output because COVID-19 underscores the need for local food production.” Earlier in April, AeroFarms announced plans to build the world’s biggest R&D vertical farm in Abu Dhabi.
“In addition to the reduced distance to the consumer, indoor farms such as greenhouses and vertical farms have certain abilities to adapt to shocks in the system by changing their crops in hydroponic systems to adjust to demand,” Gordon-Smith said. “Relative to soil, these systems provide some advantages.”
Gardening During Coronavirus: How Going Vertical Can Save Space, Move Plants Indoors
Vertical Field, an international company based in Israel, produces soil-based farms that have their own light source
Heather Clark Poughkeepsie Journal
May 2, 2020
During the coronavirus pandemic, in which much of the country is sheltering in place, gardening is growing in popularity as a hobby, not to mention a reliable resource for fresh produce.
For many, growing vegetables and herbs has provided peace of mind and relieves the anxiety around such questions as "where does this come from?" or "who's touched this?"
But one big question for some remains: What do you do if you don't have the space to make an in-the-ground-garden?
That's where vertical gardens come in.
Vertical gardens bring the plants off the ground. They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and methods. Some use soil, others only water and air.
From left, Vertical Field U.S. launch manager Sam Miner and Chef John Lekic, owner of Farmers and Chefs restaurant, food trucks and catering harvest their first batch of herbs and vegetables on April 29, 2020.
Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal
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Fresh, green from the soil
Vertical Field, an international company based in Israel, produces soil-based farms that have their own light source. According to Sam Miner, Vertical Field U.S Launch Manager, the system is designed so its operators can pick and choose what plants go into the garden depending on the menu.
"Essentially within 30 days, someone can have planted plants and be preparing for harvest," Miner said. "The idea is that grocery stores, hotels, restaurants, chefs, nursing homes, and even communities can have these and can become self-sustainable."
In Poughkeepsie, John Lekic, chef and owner of Farmers and Chefs restaurant, recently had a Vertical Field system installed for his restaurant.
"Visually, it's amazing," said Lekic, who also does catering and has food trucks. "I'm really looking forward to the day we can really reopen and customers can experience it."
At Farmers and Chefs, Lekic has grown lettuce, baby kale, brown fennel, basil on the Vertical Field system — and that's just half of their container. Lekic said having the ability to take the vegetable from the farm directly to the customer is a very wholesome experience.
Vegetables grow in the indoor vertical garden at Farmers and Chefs restaurant in the City of Poughkeepsie on April 29, 2020. Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal
"I've always been inspired by local farms, and for a chef to be able to grow from the seed then serve on a plate, it really completes the circle," Lekic said. "The technology is a great example of how we can and need to be sustainable."
And the vegetables aren't just used for salads and sides, but dessert too, as Lekic hopes to infuse the ingredients found in their Vertical Field to be used in their vegetable-based ice creams.
Evergreen, a kosher supermarket in Monsey, has installed its first Vertical Field system to ensure customers can see where the vegetables are coming from.
"The fact that customers are always worried about shelf life, they don't know how long it took for the produce to get from the farm to shelf and with this, there's a piece of mind that it's fresh," said Menachem Lubinsky, marketing consultant for Evergreen.
Vegetables grow in the indoor vertical garden at Farmers and Chefs restaurant in the City of Poughkeepsie on April 29, 2020. Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal
"This is kind of a resolution, I see it as going beyond the supermarket. There is also a beneficial factor that the taste seems to be better, purer."
Lubinsky also believes the Vertical Field in their stores will give customers a learning experience as they can see how their produce is grown and watch the process.
No soil, just water, and air
Chris Ann Sepkowski of Mamaroneck swears by Tower Garden, a vertical indoor and outdoor aeroponic system that allows you to grow your own produce without the learning curve or time commitment of a traditional garden. There’s no soil; instead, it runs on air and water and takes up just 3 feet of space.
"Especially during this time of the pandemic, it's really a blessing to have it," Sepkowski said. "It provides food security since we can't get out to the store and everyone's a little scared to go — meanwhile here we are picking off of the tower garden. There's nothing like growing your own."
She grows everything on it: lettuce, strawberries, bok choy, spinach, kale, edible flowers, Swiss chard, a variety of herbs, celery, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, squash, eggplant, edamame, green beans, pretty much any veggie that isn't a root.
"People have put (the Tower Garden) on their terraces or even their rooftops in New York City because they don't have access to a backyard," Sepkowski said. "The home model is only 3 feet; it's as simple as removing an end table."
Sepkowski also says it's encouraged healthier eating among her children, who will snack on the variety of vegetables growing.
Elmer Oliveros, co-owner of Brothers Fish and Chips in Ossining, has been using the Tower Garden for a little over a year in the restaurant. He's grown edible flowers used for garnishing as well as lettuce served in the restaurant's salads.
"You know what you put in and where it's coming from. There's more connection, it's very personal. It's right here, I don't need to go anywhere," Oliveros said. "When people come in, there is this aroma from the Tower Garden, it's very pleasant and I really love that. Just the look of having greens right there, during winter especially, it's very rewarding."
Oliveros' word of advice for vertical garden growers is to not let anything overgrow, to keep trimming the plants, and to get rid of the plants that don't quite make it.
Heather Clark: hclark@lohud.com
Published 2:59 PM EDT May 2, 2020
US: OHIO - Amid The Pandemic, A Greater Cincinnati Tomato and Produce Farm Adjusts And Flourishes – Indoors
"With COVID we've realized how valuable supply chains are," said Mike Zelkind, CEO, and co-founder of 80 Acres Farms in Hamilton
Alexander Coolidge Cincinnati Enquirer
Published: May 3, 2020
A view of 80 Acres Farms Vine farm facility on Thursday, April 9, 2020 at the in Hamilton. The building is known for being the Miami Motor Car Company building and previously automotive parts were produced in the building. Albert Cesare / The Enquirer
Eat your vegetables
You know your mom told you, but it's gotten harder in recent weeks as supermarkets have scrambled to keep shelves stocked amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
"With COVID we've realized how valuable supply chains are," said Mike Zelkind, CEO, and co-founder of 80 Acres Farms in Hamilton.
Zelkind's business has been forced to pivot with the crisis as well, though with different results: sales have doubled.
A sign outside 80 Acres Farm asking people to "Romaine Calm & Veg Out" in Hamilton on Thursday, April 9, 2020. Albert Cesare / The Enquirer
While 80 Acres previously sold half its produce to restaurants like Jeff Ruby's and Salazar Cincinnati, supermarkets have clamored for its Ohio-grown produce amid disruption to normal supply chains even as restaurant demand dwindled amid Ohio's suspension of dine-in service.
While not as hard-hit as the toilet paper aisle at the grocery store, high-demand items like tomatoes have sometimes been gone or heavily picked over in the produce section.
The gaps on shelves had laid bare problems in the nation's food supply chain: while food is still making it to stores, some crops have been wasted because some farms only sold to restaurant suppliers. Sickness and harsh immigration policy amid the pandemic have also complicated harvesting crops.
A farm tech checks Cheramy Tomatoes while she packages them on Thursday, April 9, 2020 at 80 Acres Farm in Hamilton. Albert Cesare / The Enquirer
Kroger began selling 80 Acres products at some of their Cincinnati stores, including its Downtown location, last fall.
Other grocers carrying their products include: Clifton Market, Jungle Jim's, Country Fresh Market & Wine Depot in Anderson Township and Giant Eagles across Ohio.
Zelkind hopes some of the shift remains permanent. His company is a vertical farmer or hydroponic grower that produces crops without soil. One of its local farms is inside an old 30,000-square-foot auto-parts factory (once called Miami Motors) in Hamilton.
80 Acres grows tomatoes, baby cucumbers, herbs, lettuce and other leafy greens. Because they farm indoors, they don't worry about bugs and don't use pesticides. Because they don't need sunlight (they use LED lighting) or favorable weather, they grow year-round.
And because it's local, it's fresh.
Zelkind and company believe vertical farming is a model for the future because it's more efficient: they use 100% renewable energy powered by the Great Miami River and 97% less water than a comparable outdoor farm. And because a lot of the heavy work is automated, it's a good fit for old industrial buildings.
A veteran of the food and packaged goods and private equity, Zelkind, 51, was the president of Sager Creek Vegetable Co., a Del Monte Foods subsidiary, before founding 80 Acres five years ago with Tisha Livingston, another food and packaged goods vet.
Mike Zelking of 80 Acres Farms stands in front of hydroponically grown Cheramy tomatoes, a variety of cherry tomatoes, on Thursday, April 9, 2020 at the Vine farm facility in Hamilton. Albert Cesare / The Enquirer
The company is in the middle of building another $30 million facility in Hamilton that will produce lettuce, basil and other leafy greens. The indoor farm is expected to begin production in the fall.
The company also operates indoor farms in Arkansas, North Carolina – and New York City. The company is growing cherry tomatoes right outside the Guggenheim Museum as part of an exhibit called "Countryside, The Future."
Guy Tyree, A farm tech, picks ripe Cheramy tomatoes at 80 Acres Farm in Hamilton on Thursday, April 9, 2020. Albert Cesare / The Enquirer
Demand for fresh vegetables has been so strong amid the epidemic, 80 Acres in the last month began selling directly to consumers from a site in Hamilton and one facility in the middle of industrial Spring Grove Village in Cincinnati. Customers can make an order off their website; pickups are on Tuesdays and Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m.
"We were asked to do curbside. We didn't know how it was going to work, but it has been phenomenal," Zelkind said.
Amid the coronavirus crisis, 80 Acres will also take online donation orders for local hospital and other workers on the front-line of the epidemic.
Frill Lettuce and Butter Lettuces are grown hydroponically inside a 80 Acres Farm facility in Hamilton on Thursday, April 9, 2020. After being planted the lettuce is harvested by a robot and a harvester, limiting its exposure to human contact. Albert Cesare / The Enquirer
Guy Tyree, A farm tech, tosses an unripe Cheramy tomato into a bin for unripe tomatoes while helping package them at 80 Acres Farm in Hamilton on Thursday, April 9, 2020. The farm picks their tomatoes daily as they become ripe on the vine. Albert Cesare / The Enquirer
Cheramy Tomatoes wait to be checked and packaged on Thursday, April 9, 2020 at 80 Acres Farm in Hamilton. Albert Cesare / The Enquirer
Butter head lettuce grows on Thursday, April 9, 2020 at an 80 Acres Farms facility in Hamilton.
Albert Cesare / The Enquirer
For the latest on Cincinnati business, P&G, Kroger and Fifth Third Bank, follow @alexcoolidge on Twitter.
Published 8:32 PM EDT May 3, 2020
Babylon Micro-Farms Provides Local Produce During The Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in this country’s food supply chain, and the co-founder of a local company, Babylon micro-farms, says it's part of a solution
April 27, 2020
By Courteney Stuart
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- The coronavirus pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in this country’s food supply chain, and the co-founder of a local company, Babylon micro-farms, says it's part of a solution.
“What we saw was an opportunity for technology to make this kind of indoor farming accessible,” said Alexander Oleson, who co-founded Babylon with Graham Smith while they were undergraduate students at the University of Virginia in 2016.
“What we’ve done is basically load all the complex aspects of growing, so nutrient dosing, environmental control, LED grow lights and that kind of thing, into a standardized unit that can be produced at scale,“ Smith said.
Each modular vertical farming unit can hold about 500 plants and yields about 50 pounds of produce each month.
Oleson said each micro-farm takes up about 15 square feet while growing the same quantity outdoors would require 2,000 square feet.
“We’re using 90 percent less water than outdoors," Oleson said. "There’s no intensive pesticide, no intensive fertilizer.”
The company caters to commercial clients like universities, hospitals, and senior living facilities. It operates the units virtually through the cloud using an app.
"All the user has to do is plant their seed pods and harvest,” Oleson said.
During the pandemic, Babylon micro-farms has also donated surplus to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Branch Manager Joe Caputi says locally grown produce has been critical during this crisis.
“It allows us to get their product into the hands of people who really need fresh vegetables and nutritious pounds of food,” Caputi said.
Oleson says having fresh produce that doesn’t rely on a long food supply chain has been a benefit to Babylon's paying clients as well.
“For a lot of the health care and senior living, it’s been really encouraging to see how happy they are to have their fresh produce every week despite the disruption to the supply chain and the crisis around them,” he said
Wastewater Test Could Provide Early Warning Of COVID-19
The wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) approach could provide an effective and rapid way to predict the potential spread of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) by picking up on biomarkers in faeces and urine from disease carriers that enter the sewer system
Researchers at Cranfield University are working on a new test to detect SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater of communities infected with the virus.
The wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) approach could provide an effective and rapid way to predict the potential spread of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) by picking up on biomarkers in faeces and urine from disease carriers that enter the sewer system.
Rapid testing kits using paper-based devices could be used on-site at wastewater treatment plants to trace sources and determine whether there are potential COVID-19 carriers in local areas.
Dr Zhugen Yang, Lecturer in Sensor Technology at Cranfield Water Science Institute, said: “In the case of asymptomatic infections in the community or when people are not sure whether they are infected or not, real-time community sewage detection through paper analytical devices could determine whether there are COVID-19 carriers in an area to enable rapid screening, quarantine and prevention.
“If COVID-19 can be monitored in a community at an early stage through WBE, effective intervention can be taken as early as possible to restrict the movements of that local population, working to minimise the pathogen spread and threat to public health.”
Recent studies have shown that live SARS-CoV-2 can be isolated from the faeces and urine of infected people and the virus can typically survive for up to several days in an appropriate environment after exiting the human body.
The paper device is folded and unfolded in steps to filter the nucleic acids of pathogens from wastewater samples, then a biochemical reaction with preloaded reagents detects whether the nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 infection is present. Results are visible to the naked eye: a green circle indicating positive and a blue circle negative.
“We have already developed a paper device for testing genetic material in wastewater for proof-of-concept, and this provides clear potential to test for infection with adaption,” added Dr Yang. “This device is cheap (costing less than £1) and will be easy to use for non-experts after further improvement.
“We foresee that the device will be able to offer a complete and immediate picture of population health once this sensor can be deployed in the near future.”
WBE is already recognised as an effective way to trace illicit drugs and obtain information on health, disease, and pathogens. Dr Yang has developed a similar paper-based device to successfully conduct tests for rapid veterinary diagnosis in India and for malaria in blood among rural populations in Uganda.
Paper analytical devices are easy to stack, store and transport because they are thin and lightweight, and can also be incinerated after use, reducing the risk of further contamination.
An overview of the approach – Can a Paper-Based Device Trace COVID-19 Sources with Wastewater-Based Epidemiology? – co-authored with Hua Zhang and Kang Mao of the Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China, has recently been published in the Environmental Science & Technology journal.
Further development of the test is being sponsored by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Royal Academy of Engineering.
About Cranfield University
Cranfield University is a specialist postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and transformational research in technology and management.
Source: Cranfield University
Major US Meat Producer Warns Food Supply Chain Is Breaking
Tyson Foods, one of America’s largest meat producers, has warned “the food supply chain is breaking” amid the coronavirus crisis
Tyson Foods says ‘there will be limited supply of products’ until it can open plants forced to close amid coronavirus pandemic. Tyson Foods, one of America’s largest meat producers, has warned “the food supply chain is breaking” amid the coronavirus crisis.
In a full-page ad on Sunday with the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Arkansas-based company cautioned “there will be limited supply of [their] products” until they can reopen closed facilities.
“As pork, beef and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain,” John Tyson, Tyson’s board chairman, wrote.
The advertisement came as several Tyson plants have shuttered amid the coronavirus pandemic. Tyson has closed or reduced production at several facilities throughout the US, including a pork-processing plant in Iowa, where several workers tested positive for the virus.
Tyson plants in Texas and Indiana had also closed. Other companies, including Smithfield Foods pork plant in South Dakota, and JBS beef plant in Wisconsin, have also announced temporary shutdowns.
Tyson also warned “farmers across the nation simply will not have anywhere to sell their livestock to be processed,” further sounding the alarm on the threat to the nation’s food supply chain.
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) had previously vowed to work with the FDA and the CDC, “ensuring the safety of the US food supply and protecting agricultural health”.
The USDA had been criticized for the millions of pounds of food rotting while the country’s food banks became increasingly depleted due to high demand amid the economic dive. Experts have warned it could be a matter of weeks before consumers feel the effect of shutdowns with meat shortages at grocery stores.
USDA waited more than a month to “make its first significant move to buy up surplus fruits and vegetables,” Politico reported. The agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, drew fire for the lag in response to the pandemic compared with other federal agencies.
“USDA is committed to maximizing our services and flexibilities to ensure children and others who need food can get it during this coronavirus epidemic,” Perdue said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump had said that he expected the secretary “to use all of the funds and authorities at his disposal to make sure that our food supply is stable and safe.”
The USDA did not respond to the Guardian’s requests for comment. Meanwhile, concerns about food supply echo worries about the health of workers.
According to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Unions, a meatpacking and food processing union, at least 10 meatpacking workers and three food processing workers have died from the coronavirus and at least 5,000 meatpacking workers and 1,500 food processing workers have been directly affected by the virus.
Tyson, among others, had faced growing criticism for subpar standards in protecting workers, including a lack of adequate gear. The company had faced backlash for slow response to worker safety, including only requiring employees to wear company-supplied masks since mid-April.
Tyson shot back at accusations of an inadequate coronavirus response, committing to “waiving the waiting period to qualify for short-term disability so workers can immediately be paid if they get sick”.
The company also agreed in the letter to pay nearly $60m in bonuses to more than 115,000 workers and truck drivers.
Tyson Foods referred the Guardian to its letter in response to request for comment, but in an emailed statement to Time, said it “places team member safety as our top priority”, launching safety measures including temperature checks, requiring masks and ramped-up facility cleaning.
“Despite our aggressive efforts, in some locations, this was not enough and we decided to close several of our facilities,” the statement said.
By Kenya Evelyn | The Guardian | April 27, 2020
Re-Engineering America's Fresh-Produce Supply Chain Post COVID-19 For Greater Resilience, Inclusiveness And Sustainability
The UN World Food Programme announced just last week that over a quarter of a billion people around the globe could suffer acute hunger by end of this year in large part owing to the coronavirus crisis — a doubling of the 130 million people estimated to experience severe food shortages last year
April 27, 2020
by Prof. Joel Cuello, Ph.D.
The UN World Food Programme announced just last week that over a quarter of a billion people around the globe could suffer acute hunger by end of this year in large part owing to the coronavirus crisis — a doubling of the 130 million people estimated to experience severe food shortages last year.
Such forecast makes all the more notable the three-way split screen that has been flickering in the news recently across the United States — showcasing barren shelves at grocery stores, miles of cars and people lined up at food banks, and milk by the millions of gallons being dumped in Wisconsin and Ohio as well as tons of fresh vegetables being plowed back into the soil in Idaho and Florida.
As jarringly incongruous and disturbing such split-screen images are, they have helped bring into stark relief the surprisingly sclerotic rigidity of the U.S. food supply chain amid the prodigious disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
At the heart of America’s fresh-produce supply-chain predicament in the time of Covid-19 are the double strands that make up this supply chain — running in parallel and perhaps even looping around each other, but never quite meeting and converging.
One supply-chain strand supplies the foodservice channels of restaurants, schools, hotels, offices, and coffee shops, while the second strand supplies the retail channels of grocery stores, supermarkets, and other retail outlets.
Never do these two fresh-produce supply-chain strands converge in normal times, but remain distinctly discrete and resolutely independent of one other.
And this explains how when Covid-19 shuttered in quick succession myriads of restaurants, schools, and coffee shops across the country, the producers and the roughly 15,000 suppliers that cater to the $300-billion U.S. foodservice industry are suddenly unable to sell the bulk of their produce.
And in attempting to pivot from the foodservice supply chain to the retail supply chain, they find themselves confronted, not only with the time-consuming and costly repackaging and relabeling requirements for their produce, but also with the daunting task under time duress of finding proper contacts as well as developing the needed contracts to deliver and sell their produce through the retail supply chain instead.
With many producers and foodservice suppliers completely unprepared and ill-equipped to accomplish the foregoing, many are forced to make the final dreadful choice of destroying millions of pounds of fresh food that they can no longer sell.
The industry trade group Produce Marketing Association estimates that approximately $5-billion worth of fresh fruits and vegetables have already gone to waste in the United States.
Thus, redesigning America’s fresh-produce supply chain post-COVID-19 to make it certainly more nimble and flexible in routing and rerouting as needed the logistical paths that connect from which farms to which tables is absolutely imperative.
Equally imperative in such redesign is also to make the fresh-produce supply chain definitively more inclusive and sustainable.
Here are six essential touchstones that should inform the much-needed re-engineering of America’s double-stranded fresh-produce supply chain after Covid-19.
(1) Regionally and locally-based— greater geographical proximity between the re-engineered supply-chain sources (producers) and sinks (retailers and foodservice providers) fosters increased resilience in terms of shorter distance, quicker access to produce, and allowing for time to repackage and relabel produce in events where there is need to switch supply-chain strands; proximity also promotes sustainability in terms of shorter food miles, lower concomitant greenhouse-gas emissions, less food waste during transport as well as greater produce quality and freshness;
(2) Inclusion of small and medium-scale producers— Addition of medium and small-scale producers in the re-engineered supply chain not only promotes economic inclusivity but fortifies the supply chain’s resilience given the relative ability of medium and small-scale producers to react more quickly and nimbly to projected changes in demands in the supply-chain sinks;
(3) Mixing of foodservice and retail clients in the chains— Combining to the extent possible foodservice and retail sinks in the re-engineered supply chains fosters resilience in regard to establishing and maintaining clients in both strands of the supply chain, and thus providing greater facility in events where produce needs rerouting from one supply-chain strand to the other.
(4) Inclusion of indoor and/or vertical farm producers— Addition of indoor and/or vertical farms significantly boosts the resilience of the re-engineered supply chain in terms of increased supply reliability (independent of weather, season, climate and geography), higher produce yield and quality, increased food safety owing to cleaner and controlled-environment operations, and amenability to the automation of operations for labor efficiency. The recent decision by Wendy’s, for instance, to source all of its tomatoes for all of its 6,000 restaurants across North America from indoor hydroponic greenhouses has helped enable the American fast-food company to uphold its motto of Always Freshby way of ensured quality as well as enhanced food safety, predictability, reliability and product traceability for its now far more dependable fresh-tomato supply chain;
(5) Linking producer farms with sources of renewable energy— Incentivizing and linking producer farms to ready sources of renewable energy, including solar and wind power plants, promotes enhanced environmental sustainability. Especially in temperate regions with reduced solar irradiance in certain periods of the year, producer farms may also be linked with wastewater treatment plants that generate renewable natural gas from digested organic wastes as exemplified by the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Brooklyn, New York City; and,
(6) Certification of the supply chain nexus— Certification for resilience, inclusiveness, and sustainability (that is, a RISe certification) adjudicated and awarded by an independent body to supply-chain nexus of producers, suppliers and retail/foodservice clients would be a great boon to the fresh-produce distribution industry as well as to consumers, the general public and the environment.
With Covid-19 temporarily decimating the global economy and in the process exposing the vulnerability of partial paralysis of the American fresh-produce supply chain amid the chaotic disruptions wrought by the pandemic, a silver lining that has emerged is that America’s fresh-produce supply chain can very well be re-engineered for a much-needed upgrade — toward greater resilience, inclusiveness, and sustainability.
Dr. Joel L. Cuello is Vice-Chair of the Association for Vertical Farming (AVF) and Professor of Biosystems Engineering at The University of Arizona. In addition to conducting research and designs on vertical farming and cell-based bioreactors, he also teaches “Integrated Engineered Solutions in the Food-Water-Energy Nexus” and “Globalization, Sustainability & Innovation”. Email cuelloj@arizona.edu.
Meat And Veg Vending Machines Do Roaring Trade in Coronavirus Crisis
Vending machines for the Sunday roast, fish to your door and salads grown in car parks – British farmers and food producers are finding new ways to get their produce to the table during lockdown, changes that may yield benefits long after restrictions ease
Vending machines for the Sunday roast, fish to your door and salads grown in car parks – British farmers and food producers are finding new ways to get their produce to the table during lockdown, changes that may yield benefits long after restrictions ease.
Many UK farmers have been hard hit by the coronavirus crisis, despite the strong demand for fresh food. Before the lockdown, half of all food and drink was consumed outside the home, and switching from supplying big catering companies and distributors has been proving difficult.
But some farmers and food entrepreneurs are finding now is their time to shine, and the environmental benefits – and the profits – may encourage more to follow suit.
Two years ago Neil Stephen, from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, invested in self-service vending machines dispensing everything from farmhouse cheese and shortbread (baked by his mother), to joints of meat, whole chickens and fresh fruit and vegetables.
He was inspired by his grandfather who, in the late 1970s, used to leave a wheelbarrow at the gates of the family farm filled with turnips and cabbages, and an honesty box for people to pay.
Now Stephen’s investment is paying off, as people are attracted to a hygienic system where the goods are neatly packaged in portions in a refrigerated unit, behind glass doors. They punch in the number, pay by card and the windows open for them to collect the goods.
Sales at Thorneybank Farm Shop are up fivefold, Stephen reports. “We were rushed off our feet. It’s worked phenomenally, it’s been stratospheric.”
The shop sells produce from neighboring farmers, too, with asparagus and strawberries coming from six miles away, and eggs and dairy from three miles down the road. They can make better profit margins than they would be selling to a big supermarket, without the hassle of door-to-door deliveries. The shop has a strong social media presence, and shoppers come from nearby Turriff town, while the city of Aberdeen is about 30 miles away.
Fishing is another industry hard hit by the Covid-19 crisis. In normal times, most of Britain’s catch is destined for overseas markets, from China to Spain, where the species commonly caught in UK waters appeal to consumers’ tastes. People in the UK have proved reluctant to move beyond cod, haddock and tuna, which mostly has to be imported.
The government has now announced £1m for English fishermen to set up new ways to sell their catch and find local markets. There are already schemes for distributing fresh-caught fish directly, such as SoleShare in London and Call4Fish, a service that operates from Berwickshire to Cornwall.
Food campaigners hope these services, where the fish on offer depends on what is caught by small boats, will encourage a more sustainable way of fishing, as consumers experiment with species less overfished than cod that might not previously have found a market.
One Londoner, Sebastien Sainsbury used to work in the investment banks that tower over Canary Wharf in London. Now he has a company, Plate to Crate, growing salad and other leafy greens in hydroponic towers in shipping containers, stacked up in air-conditioned units under heat lamps with conditions carefully monitored.
The containers seem more like labs than farms, with workers kitted out in protective gear, from boot shields to hairnets, to prevent pests getting in. As a result, lettuce, kale, pak choi and herbs are free from pesticides, insecticides and herbicides, and water use is 96% lower than in fields, with wastewater being used on local lawns.
The first harvest is due in May and, once all of the units are fully up and running, there could be 12 harvests a year, producing 15 to 18 tonnes from this site. Another will be producing soon in London’s Elephant and Castle, where a development of 3,000 homes will receive salad weekly from containers.
Sainsbury believes this is the future of fresh produce for fussy Londoners. “Younger people are more focused on where their food comes from, how fresh it is, what’s in it. This coronavirus crisis is an opportunity for us all to become aware of what we are eating.”
The Guardian | Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent | April 18, 2020
CONTAINER FARMS: Indoor Vertical Farmer Grows Local Lettuce For Hospitals in Florida During COVID-19
Matthew Kaercher got intrigued by the hydroponics system which he saw at Disney’s Epcot Center back in 2010. “I can do much better than that!”, he said. Since then, he immersed himself in the world of hydroponics and vertical farming
April 7, 2020
Matthew Kaercher got intrigued by the hydroponics system which he saw at Disney’s Epcot Center back in 2010. “I can do much better than that!”, he said. Since then, he immersed himself in the world of hydroponics and vertical farming. Once he was ready to scale, he bought his first vertical farm from Urban Crop Solutions. Now, his company has 4 different container farms (3 x FarmPro and 1 x FarmFlex) and one of his biggest clients is a hospital group in the Tampa Bay Area.
Who are your customers and what do you grow?
Our main customer is a hospital group in the Tampa Bay area, and we deliver to various restaurants and restaurant chains as well. We mostly grow different varieties of lettuce, microgreens, and some basil.
Why did the hospital group decide to work with you?
The hospital group wanted to boost sustainability on a local level. Their initial idea was serving lettuce only for doctors and nurses, but they underestimated how much one vertical farm can produce. As a result, our lettuce is sold across their cafeteria, salad bars and is used in meals for patients.
The main reason why they opted for our produce is that it is local and fresh (we harvest in the morning and deliver it in the afternoon). Various people from the hospital chain visited the farm to see how it’s produced. When they saw the automation and how food safety risks were much lower than in conventional farming, they were instantly convinced.
Did the Coronavirus impact the deliveries you were making to the hospitals?
The hospital group closed their salad bar when the Coronavirus problems started, so now they use our lettuce in the to-go salads instead. In March, one of the hospitals wanted only 50% of their typical delivery. In this case, we reviewed which hospitals needed more lettuce that day, and redistributed it to who needed more. That’s the immense benefit of working with a hospital group.
Currently, we still deliver to them from Monday to Friday, which is the same frequency as always. One of their other food distributors can’t deliver as often as they normally did, so they are grateful to have Urban Crop Solutions as one of their suppliers who can ensure continuous food supply.
Did it impact your other deliveries?
The demand for microgreens went down because they were served only to restaurants. Many restaurants use microgreens to decorate the meals, but they don’t work well in to-go meals due to the trapped steam [in the package] which makes the microgreens wilt.
For those considering buying a vertical farm, what kind of clients should they search for to be able to continuously deliver?
There isn’t really a perfect target market because every place is different. Every country, state, and even city can have a different situation and you can’t generalize. We prefer chains of restaurants or hospitals because they offer an uninterrupted order every week. The farmer’s market in St. Pete [every Saturday, in St. Petersburg, Florida] is seasonal, from October to May. Besides, we would take into consideration the impact of the weather on the opening and closing of the market. This is the reason why we didn’t choose to sell there, as we preferred to have clients who always need our produce year-round. This doesn’t mean that local markets won’t work out for you in the city where you are. Look at your unique situation. Another example is that CSAs [Community supported agriculture] are more popular in the North East [of the US] than here [in Florida].
What do you recommend to people whose clients are/will be restaurants?
Take notes of what is happening now. Who’s closing permanently? Who does take-home food? Look at Instagram, Facebook. How many followers do they have? It’s important to know that, as these are the people who will support you in the end as well. While restaurant groups seem to work better as they have more money saved and are going in for the long run, this is not always the case. For example, one of our clients is a restaurant where they barely have 20 places to be seated. Now, during the pandemic, they are flooded with take-out requests due to their marketing efforts. Social media is key.
Do you have any other advice for current farmers during these times?
Approach it day by day: address, plan and adapt. Focus on everyone in the market and not just one area. A lot of farms focus on supermarkets, restaurants, and retail. Focusing on organizations in the community is also beneficial and important.
Get creative in times like these
Remember that there is no secret formula
Any other thoughts about what’s going on now?
This pandemic situation got me thinking: which organizations would we like to work with in the future? Our company will take this more into account than before. However, most importantly, we are grateful to be able to serve society and help improve the situation, at least a little bit.
