KSA-Based Natufia Makes It Easy To Grow Food In Your Home With Its Hydroponic Tech

By Pamella de Leon

August 10, 2021

Can you imagine growing your own salad in your kitchen? This is what KSA-based enterprise Natufia is daring to achieve. Founded in 2015 by Gregory Lu and Nadim Taoubi, Natufia is a multi-awarded research lab specializing in hydroponic kitchen appliances. With its fully integrated and automated indoor smart hydroponic kitchen garden, especially created for restaurant kitchens and households, Natufia enables people to grow an assortment of the freshest plants, vegetables, flowers and herbs all year round right in the heart of their kitchen.

Offering a holistic solution to healthy living, this smart garden nestled in your kitchen provides the optimal combination of water, lighting, nutrients, and even music (as the team’s research found that it helps to stimulate more growth). The fridge-sized appliance is easy to use: seed pods -which can be compared to the size of Nespresso capsules- are placed in the nursery drawer where it will grow for about 10 days, after which, the pod will be moved to grow in another cabinet. After 20-30 days, you are ready to harvest, and every 3-4 months, you just need to refill the nutrients. All other steps are automated as the Natufia smart kitchen garden creates the perfect environment needed to grow plants. It can grow 32 different types of plants, such as basil, lettuces, cilantro, kale, dill, cherry tomatoes, mint, and more, simultaneously, producing 1-2 plants per day. 

Gregory Lu, co-founder and CEO, explains how the startups aims to solve the huge multifaceted problem in the food industry. “The plants that will grow in your kitchen are free of pesticides, preservatives, and because of [its] freshness, they will give you up to 400% more vitamins.” He adds, “Because they are grown right where they are consumed, you will rediscover a wider biodiversity, true original taste of the greens vegetable, whilst they are being accessible anywhere and from the proximity of one’s kitchen." The startup aims to minimize the prevalent environmental impact by reducing food waste, packaging, pollution, and food miles. It also addresses the gaps of food security and traceability awareness, a prevalent issue for the region’s food security sector.  “We are disrupting the way people relate to their food and reinventing the consumer meal journey by allowing communities to take control of their food- produce where it is consumed," Lu says, explaining the startup’s mission. "By using Natufia, we encourage people to change their food habits by consuming a diet rich in vitamins and nutrition-dense vegetables and greens, improving their health and helping our planet.”

Source: Natufia

For Lu, taking on the path to entrepreneurship was inevitable, he says. “I have been an entrepreneur from a young age, so that’s something that’s always been inside of me.” Beginning his career in the property development and investment sector, the entrepreneur accumulated over 25 years of experience in the real estate sector and decided to diversify his businesses by diving into the food industry. Upon buying an olive plantation in Sicily to produce olive and tomato sauce, Lu faced the common issues of needing to use pesticides and fertilizers, which contradicted his views on healthy food and showcased the significance of the organic food industry. “I felt people needed to experience what I experienced in these hills of Sicily- the freshness, the connection of growing your own food and the quality,” adds Lu. “My real estate background also thrusted me into following up the idea. If people could grow food in their own homes, offices, schools, or hotels, all year around having fresh quality food easily accessible, then the world would be a much better place.” Lu is joined by co-founder and COO Nadim Taoubi, whose background includes advising tech companies at Deloitte and LD&A, as well as founding his own Estonia-based e-commerce platform, Ooolala which has been sold to an undisclosed buyer in 2016.

Originally launched in Estonia, the co-founders bootstrapped the concept and built a basic prototype to show to a few European fairs and evaluate initial reception. It kickstarted the first phase of their journey, which was focused on developing the technology: “It took us years to do that, but we accumulated over 20 patents.” This was followed by proof of concept and field-testing phase, wherein the duo invested in R&D and grew its team. “We have sold dozens of our Natufia [product] to the US, Europe and the Middle East to receive feedback and analyze large amounts of data.” As the company grew, the co-founders looked outside Estonia for investment partners. In 2018, the startup was accepted into the Techstars Dubai accelerator program, held in partnership with GINCO Investments. This proved to be an advantageous step, as the startup was able to raise US$1.2 million in a seed funding round, led by Butterfly Ventures, Techstars, and GINCO Investments, as well as several angel investors from US, Europe and the Middle East. The capital was set to pave its expansion plans to Europe and the US. “We spent a lot in Dubai with Techstars and understood that the region is a great market for Natufia,” says Lu. Later on, the CEO met representatives from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) at a conference in London. After months of discussions, KAUST announced it would lead a $3.5 million investment in a Series A funding round, though its venture capital investment arm KAUST Innovation Fund, with Butterfly Ventures also participating in the round. This puts Natufia’s total funding to $4.7 million, with previous investors Butterfly Ventures, Techstars and GINCO Investments, remaining as minority shareholders.

As part of the new capital infusion, the startup is also relocating to Saudi Arabia, basing itself at the KAUST Research and Technology Park (KRTP) to help grow its R&D capabilities. Lu explains, “We felt it would be a huge opportunity being in the heart of the region to develop the market, but also being at KAUST on campus could give us the possibility to keep working on our technology to make it even better and advanced.” Lu commends KAUST’s distinctive infrastructure and tools, which can be greatly beneficial for the startup’s innovative solutions. “I give you an example: for us, it is very important to test the quality of our plants -the vitamins, nutrients, minerals, etc. In Estonia, it was a long and complex process. We had to reserve the test well in advance, transport the plants, which come with a lot of paperwork, expensive fees and long waiting times, before getting the result without being sure it was fully accurate.” He continues, “Today, at KAUST, we simply have to go across the street and get the result the same day. It means our research is more efficient. The other major factor is the community we continuously interact with, exchanging ideas with professors on pertinent topics like sensors, biology, botany, technology and so on- and that’s extremely enriching for new ideas and technology developments. We might even use KAUST technology in our future developments.”

Natufia botany lab  

Besides furthering its R&D development, Lu is also keen to help create job opportunities and align themselves with Saudi’s Vision 2030, which inevitably establish the Kingdom’s status as a top choice for businesses in the Middle East. “And we want to be a part of that,” Lu points out. At the moment, Lu notes that it’s all about the production of the newly upgraded Natufia smart kitchen garden model in Saudi and scaling its distribution locally and internationally. Next up, the team hopes to move towards mass production and develop new Natufia models. Having partnered with KAUST and Jumeirah Group, today, the startup now consists of a team of 12 people and is focused on its prime model, the Natufia smart kitchen garden, retailed at $7,955 and is available worldwide. With distributors in the USA, Europe, Australia and Saudi Arabia, the team have more lined up for next year- a model for those keen on a smaller budget, and another model to cater for commercial settings. On facing hurdles, Lu comments, “I personally work and build companies in different countries and contrary to what people might think, a lot of things are online and work smoothly. The biggest challenge was to get the residency for the core team who were not Saudi native and a bank setup for the company. It takes perseverance and patience.” However, the key benefit that the co-founders found (“and a pleasant surprise”) was the quality of local talent they found to work at Natufia, “The young generation is very well-educated, studied abroad and eager to work in the type of environment that Natufia creates- high tech, fast-moving and with big growth potential.”

As newcomers join the industry, Lu is focused on its USP: “Compared to our competition, we offer automation, quality and design. Our robust technology runs the whole process automatically and its high-end design that can be integrated into any kitchen design." And as for the future, Lu states it’s just the beginning of agritech. “We are just scratching the surface, because in the last 60 years, the industry was only focusing on quantity, price, shelf life and transportability. Since organic products came on the scene, people started to understand the importance of food quality, we opened up a new horizon. Freshness, taste and nutrient value is something that [people] will follow.” He dreams of having Natufia’s product everywhere, “We want to see Natufia in every home, in every school, in every office, hospital, airport. We want people to be able to experience the real taste of greens and vegetables and connect with nature on a daily basis from everywhere they are.”

Lead Photo: Gregory Lu, co-founder and CEO, Natufia

USA: MACOMB, ILLINOIS - Macomb Hy-Vee Begins Selling WIU-Produced Hydroponic Lettuce

August 12, 2021

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MACOMB, IL – Through a second partnership with Hy-Vee Food Store in Macomb, the Western Illinois University School of Agriculture is now growing hydroponic lettuce marketed through the local grocer.

The "Rex" butterhead lettuce is grown in WIU's Knoblauch Hall through collaborative research and classroom work by two agriculture professors and their students.

"We just delivered our first load of hydroponic lettuce to the local Hy-Vee store," said School of Agriculture Director Andy Baker. "I have been working with Gary Jenkins, the Macomb Hy-Vee's produce manager, to get this accomplished. Hopefully, we can grow our relationship with Hy-Vee even further in the future. We are super excited about getting additional food products, raised in the School of Agriculture, into our local Hy-Vee store."

WIU Agriculture Assistant Professors Shelby Henning and Dan Atherton started working together a few years ago when they built a small system in the basement of Knoblauch Hall to grow the produce. The production process allows for several research opportunities for students, including the process of detecting nutrient deficiencies.

The roots of the lettuce grow in channels similar to vinyl rain gutters, which allow for the introduction of nutrients. LED lights are utilized to increase production and to ensure the lettuce has adequate hours of light during the day.

In October 2020, the School of Agriculture began selling ground sausage, as well as links and patties, in traditional and zesty flavors, produced by Leatherneck Country Meats (LCM), through Hy-Vee's East Jackson Street location. LCM is an organization that sells pork products that were raised on the University Farm.

The products are processed by Farmhouse Meats in Carthage, IL, which is partly owned by several WIU School of Agriculture alumni. Products are also sold on the LCM website at bit.ly/LCMorder.

It is also anticipated that bell peppers and tomatoes, grown through the University's agriculture program, will be sold through Hy-Vee's produce section beginning soon.

For more information about the WIU School of Agriculture, visit wiu.edu/ag

Posted By: Jodi Pospeschil (JK-Pospeschil@wiu.edu)
Office of University Relations

Where Does Our Lettuce Really Come From?

According to www.keepcaliforniafarming.com, more than 90% of the U.S. production of lettuce comes from either California or Arizona. The website also tells us: “The majority of production from April through October occurs in the Salinas Valley of California, while production from November through March occurs in California’s Imperial Valley.”

This shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise to folks who understand that the majority of leafy greens, and indeed most vegetables need a warm climate to thrive and grow. And that’s why California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and states with similar climates are successful in agriculture.

The U.S. is the second-largest user of lettuce after only China (which makes complete sense based on population), but when we look at lettuce consumption and production as an example, we can see why vertical indoor farming can be such a great way to supplement what we eat.

The same website gives us quite a few facts about lettuce that we may never have thought of including that Americans consume on average, 30 pounds of lettuce each per year. That’s because lettuce is healthy, used in a variety of ways, and well, it just plain tastes good to a LOT of consumers both here in America and almost everywhere else. It’s nutritious, low in calories, generally healthy, and has a lot of varieties that can be consumed in a number of salads and other dishes. Americans have also become more accustomed to having choices in both restaurants and supermarkets. The days of relying just on iceberg lettuce are long gone. Today consumers are aware of less mainstream varieties or cultivars and they want to not only experience those cultivars but enjoy them on a routine basis. We have, in a word become “picky” about something as simple as a leafy green lettuce.

So let’s say that 90+% of the U.S. lettuce production is in California and Arizona, but we know that those two states only account for a small percentage of the U.S. population. How does the rest of America get their lettuce? The answer for most folks is by truck. So, the lettuce, like many vegetables in the U.S., is grown in California and shipped across the country - usually by a tractor-trailer. Of course, this has historically been the way to do things, and likely will be for the near term, but that transportation comes with its own set of challenges and increasing costs. For example, we read all the time about shortages of qualified truck drivers, the increasing cost of fuel that we can all see, the increase in salaries due to the worker shortage, and so on. What this means is that supplies to other parts of the country coming from the west coast may be inadequate to meet demand - especially if demand is increasing due to people wanting to eat healthier.

The USDA Specialty Crops Truck Rate Report published August 4, 2021, showed slight shortages of lettuce in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York, and Philadelphia. Keep in mind that this may only be termed as “slight shortage” but also this is a report for August and August is a month when it should be relatively easy to produce large amounts of lettuce - even outside of Arizona and California. So why the shortage? And, if a slight shortage now, what happens at other times of the year when the growing season isn’t exactly peak for other parts of the U.S. outside of California and Arizona?

Of course, the answer is that the “slight shortage” can very easily become more of a real shortage during times when other areas can’t produce lettuce to supplement that which comes out of Arizona and California. Factor in the increased cost of transportation, spoilage that is inevitable when a food source is harvested and then must be transported long distances, and other factors that can be catastrophic in nature and may include droughts, fires, floods, etc. and it becomes a compelling argument that growing indoors more closely to where a product is consumed can be very appealing.

Also, growing vertically in a controlled environment will help to lessen the chances for something to be introduced into the crop that isn’t wanted. Think about the E.coli scares that we have seen in the past several years. While diseases can be introduced into a crop at the seed level and so indoor farming is not 100% a safeguard against something like E.coli, it does help to mitigate many of the factors that might influence such a malady.

Vertical farming then can play a significant role in where our lettuce or other vegetables or plants come from both now and well into the future. By growing products close to the source of consumption, the product is fresher, should theoretically be cheaper over time, and should taste better with much less spoilage. As an added bonus, the lettuce can be grown year-round without herbicides and pesticides so it actually can be a cleaner form of plant than even something termed “organic.”

So, where does our lettuce come from today and where will it come from tomorrow? At HYVE they are helping to construct an infrastructure that hopefully answers that question in a way that will lead to great outcomes for all within the supply chain and also those ultimately eating the lettuce.

Visit www.growhyve.com to learn more about the indoor farming systems being produced. While they are not likely to supplant traditional farming in the short term, the systems are compelling for their advanced automation, accelerated ability to produce crops, and mostly for their ability to make growing local something that can happen anywhere. Again, we ask the question - Where does our lettuce really come from? We should also bookmark that question to ask a few years down the road because the answer may be very different.

2021 Global CEA Census Will Measure The Impact of Sustainability

The 2021 Global CEA Census has launched with a focus on growers’ perspectives on sustainability and how they are measuring specific ESG (environmental, social, and governance) outcomes.  

This year Agritecture Consulting will partner with AgTech leader WayBeyond who has taken over the responsibility of the Census from automation business Autogrow.   

“Our WayBeyond ethos for sustainable crop production technology fits perfectly with this year’s Census. Understanding the impact of CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) on the planet allows us to continue highlighting the growers doing remarkable work to reduce environmental impact while producing quality crops.

There’s clear evidence showing consumers, particularly Gen-Z, are making decisions based on the sustainability factor of not only the food they eat but also the packaging, distribution and producers themselves. This Census will give a clear view of the role CEA can play in creating a more sustainable planet.”

— WAYBEYOND CEO & FOUNDER DARRYN KEILLER

This is the third year the Census has run with increasing participation each year from greenhouse, indoor vertical, and tunnel house growers. Past Census reports have brought forward key information on the state of the industry, tactics being used, and the people behind its many operations. For example, the 2020 report showed that there was plenty of optimism despite the pandemic, with 95% of respondents having an “excellent” or “good” outlook for the 12 months ahead, and only 5% indicating that the business’ future was uncertain.

“We work hard to encourage as many growers to participate as possible and, with a focus on sustainability, we hope to gain an even better uptake this year, especially from large-scale operations.

This is the most comprehensive global survey of CEA operations running, and the published findings will provide valuable insights that may affect policy, financing options, operational practices, and new technology. That is a benefit for all of us in the industry.”

— AGRITECTURE CONSULTING FOUNDER AND CEO HENRY GORDON-SMITH

The 2021 Global Census will run from 7 July 2021 until 20 August 2021.

Take the survey: Global CEA Census

Survey Terms and Conditions can be found here.

Pinduoduo Launches 2021 Smart Agriculture Competition To Spearhead Agriculture Modernization And Sustainability

August 09, 2021 

Source: Pinduoduo Inc.

SHANGHAI, China, Aug. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pinduoduo (NASDAQ:PDD), China Agricultural University, and Zhejiang University jointly announced the launch of the 2021 Smart Agriculture Competition, an agricultural technology competition with the aim of fostering innovation and promoting agricultural modernization.

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Contestants will take a multidisciplinary approach, applying nutrition science, precision farming, and other relevant technology to cultivate tomatoes. The winners will be judged on yield, nutritional value, environmental sustainability, and commercial viability. The competition is open to young agronomists and computer scientists from around the world and offers a total prize pool of more than 1 million yuan ($154,000).

Registration for the competition will end on Sept. 9, 2021. Teams can register through the competition website (https://smartagricompetition.com/register). A total of 15 teams will be shortlisted by the judging panel to present their plans. The four teams with the highest scores will proceed to the final round of the competition.

Now in its second year, the Smart Agriculture Competition is led by Pinduoduo, China Agricultural University and Zhejiang University, with technical guidance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Wageningen University & Research. The Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences and representative agencies from the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark have also provided strong support. Leading agritech companies including Bayer Crop Science, Ridder Group, and Omron have lent their industry expertise and advanced solutions to the competition.

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Pinduoduo is organizing the annual competition as part of its support for global efforts to improve and modernize the agri-food system through technology. As China’s largest agriculture platform serving 824 million consumers, the company has made agriculture a central part of its mission to improve the way food is grown, transported, and sold.

“The driving force for the improvement of the agricultural industry comes from the development and application of cutting-edge technologies,” said Andre Zhu, Senior Vice President at Pinduoduo. “As China’s largest platform for agriculture, we want to play our part to improve food security and quality in a sustainable way.”

For the 2021 Smart Agriculture Competition, the judging panel is composed of leading experts and growers with diverse backgrounds including horticulture, crop modeling, algorithm design and policymaking. Tomato experts from China, the Netherlands, and Denmark will provide guidance to the participating teams.

The competing teams will be judged not just on yield but also on the nutritional value and environmental impact of their farming methods. This is in line with Pinduoduo's strong commitment to environmental sustainability, food quality and food safety.

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“The Smart Agriculture Competition plays a unique role in that it aims to foster innovation that is usable by smallholder farmers, who produce around 80% of the food in China,” said Tian Jianhui, Vice President of China Agricultural University. “It is an important platform for the different stakeholders in the agri-food ecosystem to come together to develop practical, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable solutions for working farms.”

In last year’s inaugural competition, the four technology teams employed data analysis, intelligent sensors and greenhouse automation to grow strawberries, producing 196% more fruit by weight on average compared with experienced farmers. Two of the technology teams have started to commercialize their technology after the competition, resulting in real-life gains in productivity for local farmers.

"China’s farming sector will undergo tremendous change, making the leap from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture,” said He Yong, Dean of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science College of Zhejiang University. “The Smart Agriculture Competition has encouraged more forces to push the industry forward together.”

Pinduoduo has gone from zero to over 800 million customers in just six years, making it the world's largest agri-focused tech platform. It is unique among other large internet companies to make digitizing the agriculture industry a core and strategic priority. Pinduoduo is also actively evaluating global opportunities to solve food safety and food security issues.

"Technology is transforming agriculture and food production. It is extremely important to implement the digital transformation of agriculture and improve food safety," said Carlos Watson, the FAO Representative to China. “FAO provided technical support to the Smart Agriculture Competition last year. We are looking forward to another successful collaboration to bring farmers real benefits through digitalization."

About Pinduoduo Inc.

Pinduoduo is a mobile-only marketplace that connects millions of agricultural producers with consumers across China. Pinduoduo aims to bring more businesses and people into the digital economy so that local communities can benefit from the increased productivity and convenience through new market opportunities.

For more information on Pinduoduo news and industry trends, please visit the content hub at https://stories.pinduoduo-global.com.

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For media inquiries, please contact internationalmedia@pinduoduo.com

Tags agriculturefarmingtechnologycompetition

Berry Leader Driscoll's Transitions Santa Maria Cooling Facility To Solar

The Transformation Is The First of

More Renewable Energy Updates To Come From The Berry Company  

WATSONVILLE, CALIF. (Aug. 11, 2021) – Driscoll’s has installed 3,384 solar panels on its 155,000 square-foot cooling facility in Santa Maria, Calif., which is estimated to generate 1.4 million kilowatt-hours of power annually.

In addition to solar power, Driscoll’s has installed a battery storage system that can hold up to 700 kilowatt-hours. Together, both systems will allow the company to offset about 92% of the facility’s energy usage, generating a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing more than 7,750 cars from the road over the course of 25 years. 

The solar installation in Santa Maria is one of many, as Driscoll’s is in the early stages of pursuing clean and alternative energy sources for its owned and operated coolers across North America.  

“The solar installation in Santa Maria is the first of several planned energy investments,” said J. Miles Reiter, Driscoll’s chairman, and CEO. “We view this inaugural installation as a commitment to Santa Maria, our employees, and our local growers. It’s an investment in our future by having clean technology to support our local operations.” 

In support of Driscoll’s transformation of its cooling facility to solar power, Driscoll’s employees, community members, and local dignitaries, including Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino, gathered at the facility for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Patino commended Driscoll’s for elevating agriculture’s longstanding positive impact on the community by leading with clean and renewable energy. The event was a celebration of Driscoll’s renewable energy milestone and its future alternative energy investments.

As a community-based business, Driscoll’s is committed to growing in harmony with the environment and growing communities it depends on. The commitment challenges Driscoll’s to assess its dependency and impact on local resources, including the energy grid. Berries are a delicate and perishable fruit that must be kept in controlled temperatures as much as possible, which requires a significant amount of energy consumption. Driscoll’s decision to transform its Santa Maria facility to clean energy is a continuation of its 50-year commitment to the community, employees, and local grower network.

About Driscoll’s

Driscoll’s is the global market leader of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. With more than 100 years of farming heritage, Driscoll’s is a pioneer of berry flavor innovation and the trusted consumer brand of Only the Finest Berries™. With more than 900 independent growers around the world, Driscoll’s develops exclusive patented berry varieties using only traditional breeding methods that focus on growing great-tasting berries. A dedicated team of agronomists, breeders, sensory analysts, plant pathologists and entomologists help grow baby seedlings that are then grown on local family farms. Driscoll’s now serves consumers year-round across North America, Australia, Europe and China in over twenty-two countries.

2021 Virtual Plant Lighting Short Course

Now Open For Registration! 

Working in partnership, GLASE, OptimIA, and LAMP are excited to announce the first annual Plant Lighting Short Course! This 6-week modular short course is designed to provide participants the opportunity to learn about all aspects related to the selection, implementation, and benefits of plant lighting systems.

In each sequential module, attendees will use interactive tools to define their specific lighting requirements, hear from industry experts about available horticultural lighting systems, and learn how to compare different lighting strategies. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to make informed decisions about the best options to meet their lighting needs.

More Info & Registration

Media Partners

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Recordings Now Available

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Optimizing Resource Use Efficiency in CEA Systems - July Webinar

New CEA Research Programs in the U.S. - June Webinar

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SCOTLAND: World’s Most Powerful Tidal Turbine Starts To Export Power To The Grid

29 July 2021

Orbital Marine Power’s O2, the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, has commenced grid-connected power generation at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. The innovative, floating turbine is anchored in the Fall of Warness where a subsea cable connects the 2MW offshore unit to the local onshore electricity network, so the company in a press release yesterday.

Manufactured and launched in Dundee earlier in the year before being towed up to Orkney, the O2 is Orbital’s first commercial turbine and represents the culmination of more than 15 years of world-leading product development in the UK. The 74m long turbine is expected to operate in the waters off Orkney for the next 15 years with the capacity to meet the annual electricity demand of around 2,000 UK homes with clean, predictable power from the fast-flowing waters. In a further ground-breaking element of the project, the O2 is to provide power to EMEC’s onshore electrolyzer to generate green hydrogen that will be used to demonstrate decarbonization of wider energy requirements.

‘Creating a new, low-carbon industrial sector.’

Orbital CEO, Andrew Scott, said: “Delivering this pioneering renewable energy project safely and successfully is a major milestone for the O2. This project is the trigger to the harnessing of tidal stream resources around the world to play a role in tackling climate change whilst creating a new, low-carbon industrial sector.”

The construction of the O2 turbine was enabled by public lenders through the ethical investment platform, Abundance Investment, as well as being supported by the Scottish Government by the Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund. The O2 project has been supported through funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the FloTEC project and the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg northwest Europe Programme under the ITEG project.

Read the complete press release here.

Read also: Ocean waves and giant magnifying glasses should facilitate energy transition

Spain is going for floating wind turbines and tidal energy on a grand scale

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GLASE Webinar Series

The photosynthetic activity of far-red photons was discovered 70 years ago, but has largely been ignored since then. Recent research has drawn new attention to the importance of far-red photons.

This short presentation will cover the history of research on photosynthetic responses to light spectrum, recent work on the importance of far-red photons, and a discussion of the implication of (not) extending the definition of PAR. There will be ample time for discussion following the presentation.

Register Here - August 26 • 2-3 p.m. EST

Roto-Gro Set To Blast Into Space With Food Production System

Advanced Agritech Company Roto-Gro International (ASX: RGI) Is Aiming To Feed The World’s Astronauts.

August 9, 2021

Roto-Gro is capitalizing on the space exploration boom, as it applies to a NASA challenge developing novel food production technologies to feed astronauts on long-term missions.

Advanced agritech company Roto-Gro International (ASX:RGI) is aiming to feed the world’s astronauts as it capitalizes on innovations in food production systems and a boom in space exploration.

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Roto-Gro World Wide (Canada), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Roto-Gro International, has applied to the Deep Space Food Challenge as part of its first step into the space agriculture sector.

Administered under an international collaboration between National Aeronautics and the Space Administration (NASA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the international competition aims to incentivize the development of novel food production technologies needed for long-development space missions and terrestrial applications.

Roto-Gro’s application highlight’s the technological diversification and adaptability of its patented proprietary indoor vertical farming technology.

Astronauts’ food needs changing as missions evolve

Astronauts currently receive food from spacecrafts regularly launching from Earth, for example to the International Space Station.

However, NASA and the CSA recognize that as the distance and duration of space exploration missions increase, the current method of feeding astronauts will no longer be sustainable.

Future astronauts will be required to use food production systems on their voyages and be self-sustaining. The challenge aims to inspire the agricultural industry to help bring innovative food production technologies to space, reducing the need for resupply from earth and ensuring astronauts have continuous safe and nutritious food supplies.

The ability to develop sustainable food production is considered the crucial next step for longer-term human presence on the lunar surface and the future missions to Mars.

The challenge is not only about space exploration but also missions in extreme arid and resource-scarce environments on Earth. Like space, input efficiency will be key, including the efficient use of water and electricity to reduce resources needed for food production here on Earth.

Adapting Roto-Gro’s existing models key to space success

A new Roto-Gro rotational garden system — branded Roto-Gro Beyond Earth — will be designed with engineering adapted-off components from its existing Model 420 and Model 710 rotational garden systems.

Roto-Gro Beyond Earth will be a smaller, more portable version of the Model 420 but feature the injection feed system from the Model 710, significantly reducing the required resource inputs while maximizing nutritional outputs when compared to other indoor farming technologies.

Roto-Gro CEO Michael Di Tommaso said Roto-Gro Beyond Earth will enhance the already existing, unique benefits of its rotational garden systems, optimizing both the operational efficiencies and yield per m2, which is crucial to the development and prospective use of food production systems in space.

“The technology developed to form the application to the challenge is astoundingly demonstrating the vast applicability and sheer innovation of the company’s technology,” Di Tommaso said.

He said the company had developed several key relationships with organizations currently providing food system solutions for long-duration space voyages, along with others focused on using space to solve problems we are experiencing on earth.

“We look to develop and foster these relationships moving forward, further strengthening our position in the sector,” Di Tommaso said.

He said entering the space agricultural sector was a natural progression for Roto-Gro, supporting its vision to provide sustainable technological solutions for agricultural cultivation, critical to ensuring global food security.

“Food system innovation is crucial to our progression in space, and we are excited with the prospect of moving to the next phase of the Deep Space Food Challenge, while also generating other opportunities to develop and implement Roto-Gro’s technology in the industry,” Di Tommaso said.

 Roto-Gro global forecasts international growth

Established in 2015, Roto-Gro is continuing to attract interest on a global scale.

The company recently partnered with agriculture company Verity Greens Inc. who has signed a binding $10M Technology License to purchase 624 RotoGro Model 710 rotational garden systems, with the first, flagship indoor vertical farming facility to be built in Canada.

The deal is expected to generate long-term, sustained recurring revenue with Di Tommaso hailing it as not only a “win-win” for both companies but a venture that works on a socially responsible level by helping tackle global food shortages.

“RotoGro will introduce our revolutionary technology into the booming indoor vertical farming space, while Verity Greens, utilizing the RotoGro Garden Systems and supporting technology, will operate with a viable and cost-effective competitive advantage,” he said.

“Verity Green’s first facility also serves to further its objectives – to roll out indoor vertical farming facilities globally utilizing RotoGro’s technology, not only to generate substantial revenue for both companies but also to provide a truly sustainable solution to address the issues caused by food insecurity.”

Lead photo: Pic: Giphy

This article was developed in collaboration with Roto-Gro International, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

 This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

iUNU Announces Acquisition of CropWalk, Significantly Expanding The Consulting Capacity For Both

iUNU (“you knew”) is an agricultural machine vision company headquartered in Seattle, with satellite offices in California, Florida, and Toronto as well. Founded in 2013 and currently with over 40 employees across the world, the company leverages computer vision and machine learning to allow farms to better manage crop issues and optimize growth cycles. The LUNA system focuses on identifying growing maladies before the crop is affected and promotes better accountability of growing practices through the workflow management application.

In making the announcement, Adam Greenberg, CEO of iUNU, said: “Rising consumer demand is accelerating the growth of the greenhouse industry, but the massive shortage of both growers and manual labor requires a scalable machine vision solution to further produce supply. Having a renowned agronomy team to assist in deploying state-of-the-art technology like LUNA will have a profound impact on our constantly improving capacity to help growers increase quality, yields, and profits. 65% of growers are above the age of 55, and the shortage of qualified people is hitting the fast growing industry hard. Something has to give, thus the future is the centralized management of distributed facilities.”

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CropWalk is an integrated pest management (IPM) company that was founded in 2019 and has an expanding team with employees located in key regions across North America, including their Founder and Director of Partnerships, Charlie McKenzie, in the US Southeast, and the CropWalk Director of Operations, Robert Shearer, and Director of Science, Education, and Strategic Development, Ayana Stock, along the US West Coast. 

They are a widely recognized name in the horticultural industry for their unbiased approach to empowering growers of high-value crops with the knowledge and resources to prevent and manage pests and plant pathogens. With plans underway to expand their crop care services, CropWalk is well-known for how they customize a unique suite of services for operations of various kinds, offering risk assessments, IPM program development, training sessions, the online CropWalk Academy, and more, including remote monitoring services, the capacity of which are now dramatically enhanced by iUNU’s LUNA system.

Charlie McKenzie, CEO of CropWalk, said: “We’ve always used remote monitoring technology to identify and mitigate conditions that foster plant pathogens. The mantra we live by at CropWalk is ‘Start Clean, Stay Clean.’ Working with the iUNU team and using LUNA, we can digitally walk a crop from anywhere at any time allowing our team to effectively prevent problems before they result in economic injury. Our clients want us around more often, with LUNA, we can be there all the time. It’s a win for growers, a win for CropWalk, and a win for iUNU.”

LUNA, iUNU’s chief product, is an AI tasked with connecting plants, facilities, and people through a single interface. LUNA runs on computers or mobile devices and turns commercial greenhouses into precise, predictable, demand-based manufacturers. LUNA was born in the heart of Seattle, trained in Silicon Valley and the greenhouses of Washington, and is accessible from everywhere.

The future of crop care in modern greenhouses that will feed families for generations involves both people’s human expertise and the best available technologies. The union of iUNU and CropWalk is great news for CEA crop producers seeking the advantage of cutting-edge artificial intelligence, computer vision, and machine learning coupled with industry-leading IPM & biological services. Two companies that were excelling independently have joined forces to set a new standard for the remote monitoring of crops. Services of both companies will still be available for clients independent of one another but will have expanded resources at their disposal.

iUNU’s acquisition of CropWalk helps both companies become more effective in their work towards an important common goal: reducing the cost of nutrient-rich food reaching urban centers while helping growers thrive.

Outstanding Women in Ag Receive WIA Demeter Award of Excellence

BOSTON, July 27, 2021 – Three ag industry all-stars have been named recipients of the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence, an honor bestowed each year to women who have achieved excellence in their field and/or who have exhibited an outstanding contribution to the agribusiness industry. Presented by HighQuest’s Women in Agribusiness (WIA) division, this year’s recipients are: Dr. Toni Bucci of AgBiome, Anne Cleary of Wilbur-Ellis and Dr. Vicky Salin of Texas A&M University.

Each recipient will be recognized at the 10th annual Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Summit, which will be held in-person (and online) this year at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, September 21-23.

The annual award, so named for Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture, also seeks out women who have demonstrated a positive impact on her clients, her company, her colleagues or the agribusiness sector as a whole.

Dr. Toni Bucci

Chief Operating Officer, AgBiome 

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Dr. Toni Bucci has over 20 years of experience in the agricultural sector – from an R&D biologist at BASF to currently AgBiome’s chief operating officer, a position she has held since 2018. She also leads the commercial organization where she is responsible for attracting and retaining scientific and commercial talent. Under Toni’s leadership, Howler®, a revolutionary fungicide that harnesses the power of the plant microbiome, was launched and is now registered in 49 U.S. states. She is currently working on her second fungicide launch – Theia™ – which promises wide success as well. “During this time, she has led an organization in product development and growth, motivated her colleagues, and has inspired the industry of agribusiness as a whole to become the best it can be,” as was said in her nomination letter.

Toni also has stood out in her efforts in mentorship by growing the company’s program. “Toni’s approach to AgBiome’s mentor program is rooted in attracting and retaining the brightest talent. With a passion for building female leaders in science, Toni is an example and inspiration for her female colleagues entering the field. Her enthusiasm for mentoring and sharing her knowledge and skills with others is highly appreciated by all of her AgBiome mentees,” as was noted in her nomination application.

Anne Cleary

Vice President of Human Resources, Wilbur-Ellis 

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Anne Cleary was commended in her Demeter nomination letter for her “ability to adapt and even anticipate change that has helped her to lead positive business transformation. And she’s done so with agility, a strong sense of vision, and always with humor and empathy.” She also is credited with centralizing the company's HR systems across the U.S., Canada and Asia – and for the creation of THRIVE (a nod to the company’s purpose) to unify and enhance the recruiting, onboarding and ‘reboarding’ experience for all employees.

 When in-depth analysis of the company’s demographics revealed that women represented only 30 percent of their workforce, Anne drove efforts to look at pay equity, growth opportunities, recruiting practices, and culture for women. This led to the establishment of the first employee resource group, the Women of Wilbur-Ellis (WoW), and to incorporating diversity and inclusion as part of the broader company business plans.

John Thacher, Wilbur-Ellis’ executive chairman, said: “She turned it [the HR department] from a transaction-focused organization into a strategic business partner.” Added John Buckley, company president, and CEO, “When I came to the company four years ago, it was important to me that our HR leader possesses the skillset I knew we would need. But equally important, did they have their finger on the employee's pulse? Did they have a clear understanding of what employees are thinking and feeling? With Anne, we have both.”

Dr. Vicky Salin

Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University

Dr. Salin was one of the founding supporters and board members of WIA and has been instrumental in growing WIA’s student scholarship program. “Dr. Salin was eager to be a part of the creation of Women in Agribusiness in 2012 and remained the on advisory board for several years,” said Joy O’Shaughnessy, WIA event director and COO of HighQuest. “She continues to be involved in this event in various ways, including supporting several of her ag students in attending the WIA Summit each year. This feeds the workforce pipeline and results in a high percentage of these students becoming the new hires with our attending companies.”

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In her work, Vicky, who also is chair of the Intercollegiate Faculty of Agribusiness at Texas A&M University, researches food safety, traceability, and efficiency of enterprises involved in food distribution. She provides economic and financial research for the Scientific Advisory Council of the World Food Logistics Organization, an affiliate of the Global Cold Chain Alliance. Vicky serves on the Board of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, where she monitors entrepreneurial ventures and other means to commercialize agricultural technologies to enhance food security in Africa. 

Learn more about the Demeter Award and the Women in Agribusiness Summit at womeninag.com, and visit us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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About Women in Agribusiness

Women in Agribusiness (WIA) is a business unit of HighQuest Partners, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) global agribusiness consulting, events, and media firm. The Women in Agribusiness Summit took root in 2012, and since then initiatives have grown to include WIA Membership, WIA Demeter Award of Excellence, Student Scholarships, and the WIA Today blog. Learn more at womeninag.com.

Working In Partnership, GLASE, OptimIA, And LAMP Are Excited To Announce The First Annual Plant Lighting Short Course!

Dates: October 14 - November 18, 2021
Time: Thursdays 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. EDT
Presented by: GLASE, LAMP, OptimIA

More Info and Registration

About the Course

Working in partnership, GLASE, OptimIA, and LAMP are excited to announce the first annual Plant Lighting Short Course! This 6-week modular short course is designed to provide participants the opportunity to learn about all aspects related to the selection, implementation, and benefits of plant lighting systems. In each sequential module, attendees will use interactive tools to define their specific lighting requirements, hear from industry experts about available horticultural lighting systems, and learn how to compare different lighting strategies. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to make informed decisions about the best options to meet their lighting needs.

Speakers

Bruce Bugbee (Utah State University)
Erik Runkle (Michigan State University)
Roberto Lopez (Michigan State University)
Neil Mattson (Cornell University)
Marc van Iersel (University of Georgia)
Jim Faust (Clemson University)
Kale Harbick (USDA ARS)
A.J. Both (Rutgers University)
Paul Sellew (Little Leaf Farms)
Travis Higginbotham (Harborside Group)
Paal Elfstrum (Wheatfield Gardens)
Tessa Pocock (Shenandoah Growers)
Drew Koschmann (Walters Gardens)
Kenneth Tran (Koidra)
Mark Blonquist (Apogee)
Michael Eaton (Cornell University)
Trevor Burns (PL Lighting)
Joe Sullivan - (Franklin Energy)
David Hawley (Fluence Bioengineering)
Ben Campbell (University of Georgia)
Tim Shelford (Cornell University)
Erico Mattos (GLASE)

Special Thanks To Our Industry Partners

Join today

If you have any questions or would like to know more about GLASE, please contact its executive director Erico Mattos at em796@cornell.edu

By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to make informed decisions about the best options to meet their lighting needs.

Event Webpage

Sprout AI Inc. Vertical Farming Aims To Provide Sustainable Solutions To Global Food Production

Begins Growth Initiatives After Completion of Go Public Transaction and Financing

July 29, 2021

Source: Sprout AI Inc

Calgary, Alberta, July 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via InvestorWire – Sprout AI Inc. ("Sprout AI" or the "Company") (CSE: SPRT) is a technologically focused, sustainable vertical farming company that has developed scalable controlled aeroponic cultivation habitats. Sprout AI’s technology will provide solutions to the ever-increasing complexities surrounding the current and future supply of sustainable global food production and supply chain.

Sprout AI is committed to both environmental and social sustainability. With a lowered carbon footprint, Sprout AI provides solutions to many of the negative environmental impacts generated by conventional farming methods, including over-fertilization, long transport distances, and biodiversity disturbances. Social sustainability is enhanced through increased food security from a simplified supply chain, especially during Covid-19, higher density production in a world with declining arable land per capita, and a food supply less susceptible to drought, floods, wildfires, disease, and overall climate change.

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The Company’s vision is to be a leader in sustainable vertical cultivation technology by ensuring each harvest is of high quality, high yield, and with minimal product variability. The adaptive AI monitored aeroponic system generates less waste and requires a fraction of the water needed for outdoor, aquaponic, or hydroponic farming. As growth statistics from across the globe are collected, the learning technology will continue to perfect the growing formula, reducing the growth cycle and increasing future output. Additionally, the self-contained habitats reduce cross-contamination and disease which reduces the risk of large crop failures.

The Sprout AI habitats are highly relevant in urban and remote areas alike, and can be assembled in any structure throughout the world that meets, or can meet, food-grade requirements, mitigating the need for a purpose-built structure and allowing it to take advantage of virtually any vacant indoor space.

The Value of Sprout AI

• Local Availability. Achieve consistent, year-round local supply of indigenous and non-indigenous produce that is agnostic to seasons, climates, weather and geographies.

• Environmentally Friendly. Up to 95% water savings(1), significant reduction in fossil fuel required to plant, sow, fertilize and transport crops, and reduces land use and biodiversity disturbances.

• Risk Mitigation. Mitigation against natural disasters such as hail and wildfires that can wipe out entire crops, droughts and infestations that can adversely impact yields, and supply chain impacts such as Covid-19.

• Consistent Quality. Controlled, repeatable growing conditions allow for consistent quality produce that can be rapidly delivered to local markets and reduces the number of perishables from long range shipping.

• Meeting Organic Preferences. Consumer preferences are evolving to more natural, organic products(2). The controlled environment of vertical farming reduces the need for chemicals and pesticides.

• Enhanced Food Safety. Tracking and recall of local produce serving a local market is more manageable than produce grown in international jurisdictions and shipped to a broad network of international markets.

• Feeding a Growing Population. Up to 100x more productive than traditional methods(3), providing a solution to feed a growing global population amid a decrease in arable land per capita(4).

The Sprout AI Business Model and Growth Initiatives

Sprout AI is focused on a two-pronged approach to continue to commercialize its technology. Both paths are intended to provide ongoing, recurring revenue; (i) turnkey unit sales to third parties with ongoing support, and (ii) the construction of proprietary vertical farms owned 100% by Sprout AI or in a joint venture or partner format. These proprietary farms will utilize Sprout AI technology and be branded under Beyond FarmsTM, a trademark owned by Sprout AI.

Since completing the go public transaction and financing on July 5th, 2021, Sprout AI has aggressively expanded its resource base, and has begun to fulfill its first third party sales of Sprout AI units. Sprout AI has also begun discussions with potential partners for the construction of a sustainably operated Beyond FarmsTM vertical farming facility in Canada, and potentially other jurisdictions around the world.

More information about the business of the Company can be found in the final long-form prospectus of Sprout AI dated May 31, 2021, and the listing statement dated June 30, 2021, both available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

About Sprout AI

Sprout AI is a vertical farming technology company in the business of planning, designing, manufacturing and/or assembling sustainable and scalable AI-controlled vertical cultivation equipment for indoor vertical farming. The adaptive technology produces an environment with improved growing parameters and early detection of adverse conditions resulting in consistent and repeatable crops, with shorter cultivation cycles independent of geographic climates. The self-contained multi-level rolling rack technology increases the cubic cultivation area while mitigating the risk of outside and cross-contaminants.

For more information about Sprout AI, please visit http://sproutai.solutions

Chief Executive Officer
Chris Bolton
Sprout AI Inc.
Phone: +011 (507) 6384-8734
E-mail: mainweb@sproutai.solutions

Investor Relations Contact
Colleen McKay
Tel: (289) 231-9026
E-mail: cmckay@sproutai.solutions

Website: http://sproutai.solutions

Address: International Business Park, Unit 5B, Building 3860
Panama Pacifico, Republic of Panama

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE, NOR HAS OR DOES THE CSE'S REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, with respect to the Company. The forward-looking information included in this news release is not based on historical facts, but rather on the expectations of the Company's management regarding the future growth of the Company, its results of operations, performance, business prospects, and opportunities. This news release uses words such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", or similar expressions to identify forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information reflects the current beliefs of the Company's management, based on information currently available to them.

This forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements relating to: the intentions, plans, and future actions of the Company; statements relating to the business and future activities of the Company and anticipated developments in operations of the Company. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate and are subject to risks and uncertainties.

Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Whether actual results, performance, or achievements will conform to the expectations and predictions of the Company is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, including: global or national health concerns, including the outbreak of pandemic or contagious diseases, such as COVID-19 and including the evolution of new variants of COVID-19, the duration and effect thereof and delays relating to vaccine development, procurement and distribution; risks relating to the effective management of the Company's growth; liabilities and risks, including environmental liabilities and risks associated with the Company's operations; the Company's ability to attract and retain customers; the competitive nature of the industries in which the Company operates; and the other risk factors described in the Company's final long form prospectus dated May 31, 2021.

If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Information contained in forward-looking statements in this news release is provided as of the date of this news release, and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or results, except to the extent required by applicable Canadian securities laws. Accordingly, potential investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, or the information contained in those statements.

All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements.

1. Columbia University Earth Institute. “How Sustainable Is Vertical Farming? Students Try to Answer the Question”

2. Fortune Business Insights. “Organic Foods Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Raw Material/Commodity (Fruits and Vegetables, Cereals and Grains, Others), By End-use (Bakery & Confectionery, Ready-to-eat food products, Breakfast Cereals, Processing Industry, Others), By Distribution Channel (Direct Market, Processing Industry) and Regional Forecast 2019-2026”

3. Plant Factory: An Indoor Vertical Farming System for Efficient Quality Food Production. Toyoki Kozai, Genhua Niu and Michiko Takagaki.

4. The World Bank

Wire Service Contact
InvestorWire (IW)
Los Angeles, California
www.InvestorWire.com
212.418.1217 Office
Editor@InvestorWire.com

The Global Food Security & Sustainability Virtual Summit 2021 , 17th September 2021

The Global food system is at a critical stage and made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.  As many as 265 million people are threatened by famine, up 50% from last year. 700 million suffer from chronic hunger and 2 billion more from malnutrition, with obesity and associated diet-related diseases increasing in all regions. During the height of the pandemic with lockdowns, we have witnessed the collapse of the global food system with reports of food producers resorting to dumping their produce.  The food crisis faced during the pandemic is a wake-up call for both developed and developing countries of the looming crisis facing the world when the next major crisis hits us, be it climate change, pandemics, etc.  

Website link:

Website Registration Link

Linkedin: Event

The Global Food Security & Sustainability

Although the world has progressed significantly in terms of technological advancements in food production, food is not distributed in an equitable manner to regions, countries, households, and individuals. Government policies, availability of investments, and technological know-how including access to food supplies are key issues to meet the urgent food needs of the world’s growing population.  New and innovative farming technologies such as high-tech agriculture and aquaculture methods that produce more yields inland and urban conditions offer hope for the future. 

The Global Food Security & Sustainability Virtual Summit 2021 held on 17 September 2021, would be one of the most important events ever held to address the critical issues of food security from the local to the global level, and from an interdisciplinary and systemic food systems perspective. The summit will invite multi-stakeholders from governmental organizations, private sector businesses, and NGOs to address the current disruptions and possible solutions on the world food supply chain.  Discussions will also include issues surrounding sustainability issues and how societies and businesses can design more sustainable solutions in their entire food chain to minimize impact to the environment and reduce food waste. 

Nordic Harvest: Danish-Taiwanese Indoor Farming Collaboration

August 1, 2021

by Joakim Persson

Jesper Hansen, Chief Commercial Officer at YesHealth Group in Taiwan, has played an instrumental role in establishing a business partnership with Danish start-up Nordic Harvest and setting up their first Indoor Vertical Farming (IVF) plant in Copenhagen. Jesper has, a side business planning and marketing, developed vertical farm designs and so far helped raise more than USD $100 million for vertical farming projects across the world.

Following ten years of development and establishing Taiwan’s largest and profitable indoor vertical farm, further expansion in Denmark, the Nordics as well as in various countries in Asia is in the works. Their elaborate international expansion plan is based on developing technology, and building and operating such indoor vertical farming systems. Their farming technology is hydroponics-based; where plants grow in a solution of water and nutrients and no soil is used. This addresses climate change and food security challenges through sustainable and environment-friendly agricultural practices.

YesHealth Group is currently the largest vertical farming company in Asia, with its own operations and proprietary technology that underpins their vertical farms such as engineering design, climate control systems, fertilizer and micro-biology, automation design, and data collection and management.

The launch in Denmark represents a crucial milestone and the first step in its elaborate international expansion plan. “We are by far the largest player in Taiwan and our main production unit is the largest farm provider for the major retailers, in addition to hotels,” says Jesper.

Chinese studies the beginning

Jesper got involved through the family business of his Taiwanese wife. So let’s rewind to how it all started with this Dane working for a Taiwanese company exporting to Denmark.

After taking a degree in history at the University of Copenhagen earlier, Jesper realised that being a historian was not the kind of job he wanted. He then thought how he could further his studies with some skills that could allow him to travel. Language! Chinese! So he started Chinese studies, which included language, history, culture, politics, and society.

“That really kick-started my studies overseas and the first stay I had was in Hangzhou, where I first learned the basics of Chinese and got to a level where I could have a very basic conversation. I spent six months there as an integrated part of the Chinese programme at the University of Copenhagen.”

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Then an opportunity to apply for a one-year scholarship worldwide came up and Jesper applied to the University of California is very strong on Chinese studies.

“I did a one-year programme of combined history and Chinese studies. That really took me to the next level of understanding Chinese – learning how to read and write and how to understand more technical conversations.”

“Next, a Taiwanese representative office in Copenhagen contacted my Professor with the offer of some of the best students from Copenhagen to go to Taiwan, paid by the Taiwanese government, to study Chinese. My professor offered that to me and I was granted six months of Chinese studies at Taiwan University – the top university in Taipei. So I took another six months on top of my degree to go there, and I managed to increase my Chinese to an even higher level during my time here,” says the Dane about his new-found home.

“When I was just about to go back to Copenhagen I met my current wife, my girlfriend at the time. I had little time to get to know her before I was going back to Copenhagen, so I told her that I would return after completing my graduation in Copenhagen. And so I did.”

Family job offer

“Once there I first joined a local Taiwanese company that helps large Western manufacturers (American and big customers such as Ericsson in Sweden), with mechanical components, specialising on Wi-Fi devices. My role was sales but just as much a matter of acting as a cross-cultural bridge. During my two years with this company I got very familiar with Taiwanese business and I also experience in how to link a Taiwanese company’s business mindset and way of approaching business with western practice. I was gradually becoming an expert on how to sell something from there to overseas, especially towards the western world,” he explains.

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Indoor Vertical Farming by YesHealth Group in Taiwan

Then, as YesHealth Group was building a larger facility, his Taiwanese father in law took Jesper under his shoulders and offered him to join the company and work on its global expansion.

”So I joined and then spent about a year before we took on the first project, which was in China in 2018. And we succeeded in delivering that project in Shenzen and that remains one of the largest farms ever built up to today. And from 2019 onwards I started developing projects in Europe.”

Danish partnership

First out is Denmark, where in the fourth quarter of 2020 Nordic Harvest began operations of its vertical farm in greater Copenhagen, which will with full production capacity yield more than 3.000 kg every day, making it the most efficient vertical farm in Europe to date.

This Danish start-up that aims to make food production more sustainable has been made possible through a business partnership with YesHealth Group.

“Nordic Harvest ApS is backed by prominent investors and leaders within business, the food industry, and agriculture making Nordic Harvest an ideal partner,” says Jesper.

It has more than 40 private investors, aside some bigger investors and lenders like Vækstfonden, the Danish government’s financing fund for venture capital & private equity; and Danmarks Grønne Investeringsfond, a new, independent investment fund that co-finances investments supporting the transfer to a green society.

As an investor Yeshealth has also contributed capital towards setting up the Danish food business. “And we have a significantly larger stake through our technology transfer; licensing our technologies and proprietary formulas.”

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Setting up sales and distribution, marketing and operating the business is done by Nordic Harvest, while Yeshealth looks after everything relating to technology.

“We are building the next phase in 2021, which will almost triple the capacity to around 1000 tons per year – to be completed and fully operational by early next year.”

The grow area is utilised optimally by placing the plants in floors. By having full control over the plants’environment the best conditions is created for their growth. Therefore, the indoor farm can deliver delicious, tasteful and nutrient-rich herbs and lettuces every day year round – 100% free of pesticides and herbicides.

Nordic Harvest is also one part in a two-pillar idea, by the Danish founder and CEO Anders Riemann, to take away the need for traditional farmland and instead grow vegetables inside cities. Farmland outside the cities should be returned to nature by growing forests, creating lakes etc.

“What we call nature in Denmark consist in farmland everywhere, and that’s not what nature looks like before. It’s all artificial – made by people. We should have untouched forest, which we almost don’t have any more. So the idea is to regenerate and create a better balance in the ecosystem.”

Making it sustainable and viable

The start-up also has further plans to expand into the other Nordic countries over the next years.
Jesper called the Danish launch proof “that it is now possible to commercialise vertical farming produce on a large scale and that this produce will be able to support the traditional farming sector from now on. Vertical farming is no longer just a theoretical concept for the garage.”

Favourable conditions in various markets and countries can vary. “It can be a combination of climate conditions favouring indoor farming, coupled with inexpensive energy or access to green energy. We are not dependent on the weather, so this enables us to supply the whole world locally. We can build a farm even in Greenland or Iceland if we want to and supply locally and take out the need for transportation,” says Jesper.

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Jesper Hansen inspecting YesHealth Group’s Indoor vertical farming produce

“The harsher the climate is outside the better our technology is because it means you cannot grow outside. But it also means the more difficult it is for us to control the temperature inside. And we try purposefully to link our technology with green energy resources. Actually in the case of Denmark, including the wind power, electricity is not inexpensive. But it’s clean, so we don’t have the carbon footprint. The link with green energy sources is a driver and whether or not there is a market for high quality sustainably produced produce,” adds the Dane.

“In Denmark we are the only large-scale vertical farm. So the competition comes from overseas’ producers. We identify which crops that can be, and are grown, in Denmark, and we purposely grow other things. We are trying to take away import to Denmark. Competitors would be from countries like Italy and Spain. But we’re selling at a certain price point – because the cost structure is still relatively high compared to outdoor farming. The challenge is to make it a sustainable and viable business by being able to offer produce that doesn’t cost more than the traditional. So our goal is to bring down the cost so that this kind of quality and healthy produce is available to anyone,” he continues.

This is something they will achieve gradually, partly via technology improvement in terms of driving down cost. LED technology, for instance, becomes better and better and lower in cost. The same goes for software and automation.

“There is also an operational aspect that you get better and better at operating these farms, so using the same input in money and labour we can get more and more out of the farms,” says Jesper. “So there’s a learning curve in terms of being better at that but there’s also technology improvement over time.”

“With all of our technology in-house, YesHealth Group will be able to utilise real-world data from vastly different climates and environments and improve our technology at an even greater speed and efficiency.”

The Taiwanese company is the developer of all the technology that underpins their vertical farms such as engineering design, climate control systems, fertiliser and micro-biology, automation design, and data collection and management.

Bugs and insects on the market

YesHealth Group was actually mainly started to solve the issue with pesticides: “Taiwan is a hot country with lots of bugs and insects in nature. So the farmers have to spray a lot of pesticides on the crops. By bringing farming into a closed environment, relying on LED for light source instead of the sun, we have a whole lot of advantages. For instance, we can skip all the harmful chemicals and pesticides – we don’t need them anymore; they belong to the outside world. We can also use significantly less fertilizer and water to achieve the same result. We hardly use any other water than what goes into the crops, so it’s very resource-efficient. Then, in some areas like for instance Singapore, we have the ability to grow a lot on a very small footprint.”

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Over time the Taiwanese company has developed technology and become experts at running these large farms that are suitable solutions also for export. “And our combination of being both a technology developer and manufacturer, and an operator, gives us a competitive edge towards many of our competitors who focus only on making the equipment; they don’t have live insights from operating these systems. We are one of the few companies that have been operating these farms over a number of years.”

“Almost everything essential to a vertical farm, such as LED lighting, is proprietary; something we developed. The same goes for the automation equipment – everything is made in-house.”

“We have something called ‘Nanobubble oxygene injection system’, which we use to induce oxygen in the water. We have some 50 patents of which some are only here in Taiwan and some are international, but, actually most of our core technologies are what we call trade secrets,” informs Jesper.

In Taiwan, they have a cost competitiveness advantage, but it is by no means any easy market for vertical farming and thus a tough test-bed. “Some of the values – for instance being pesticide-free and sustainable – are things that just don’t resonate. Taiwan is a little bit behind Europe and the U.S in focusing on these kinds of things, so selling the produce is more difficult. The fact that traditional produce from the field is extremely cheap in Taiwan also contributes to that. Hence, the price gap between the traditional produce and our premium produce becomes higher, whereas in Denmark people are used to eating organic, pesticide-free, high-quality produce. There, we don’t have to fight this price gap and change people’s perceptions. We just tap into the mass market, while in Taiwan we’re still a very premium product and a niche.”

“The way we see vertical farming is that it’s never going to replace traditional farming: it’s just going to be a big niche technology that will have applications in areas where you cannot grow, or have a problem with pesticides. And providing year-round pesticide-free, safe and healthy vegetables is part of a larger trend, which is to move away from the need for meat every day to a more plant-based diet. This is the kind of trend we are tapping into.”

Lead photo: Jesper Hansen, Chief Commercial Officer at YesHealth Group in Taiwan

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About Joakim Persson

Freelance business and lifestyle photojournalist

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Tags: AGRICULTURE, FISHING, FORESTRY / BUSINESS IN ASIA / CHINA / DENMARK / SUSTAINABILITY / TAIWAN

Projected Water Scarcity Prompts Need For Farming Ingenuity

Posted by chrismichlewicz

July 31, 2021

The common refrain that freshwater is the next gold is ringing true as drastic changes in our climate are resulting in greater competition and a need for more efficient water uses, especially in the agricultural industry.

National Geographic points out that while the amount of fresh water on the planet has remained fairly constant over time — continually recycling through the atmosphere and back into our oceans, lakes, and rivers — the global population has exploded in the last century. This means that competition for a clean supply of water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and sustaining life intensifies every year. There is only so much water to go around.

Essentially, when taking saltwater into account, only about .007 percent of the Earth’s water supply is usable for the planet’s 6.8 billion (and counting) people, National Geographic says.

The vast majority of freshwater  — about 70 percent by most estimates — is used for agriculture, and when you consider that feeding a planet of 9 billion people in 2050 will require an estimated 50 percent increase in agricultural production and a corresponding 15 percent increase in water withdrawals, the future becomes a lot clearer, according to World Bank.

Without proper governance, there is likely to be increased competition for water between sectors and an escalation of water crises of various kinds, triggering emergencies in a range of water-dependent sectors, according to a U.N. report.

Emerging technologies are quickly trying to find ways to get the most bang for each drop of water. Efficiencies have been identified, including vertical hydroponic farming, which drastically reduces the amount of water needed to grow crops. FarmBox Foods, a Colorado company that builds automated hydroponic farms inside repurposed shipping containers, has set its sights on creating a tangible shift in the approach to farming.

FarmBox Foods’ innovative, closed-watering system only uses 3-5 gallons of water per day and, almost as important, it does not contribute to groundwater contamination the way that traditional farming does. Furthermore, one farm is able to produce the same yield as 2 – 2.5 acres of farmland on an annual basis. 

“Our container farms are built in such a way that it takes only a fraction of the amount of water to grow that same amount of produce,” said Rusty Walker, CEO of FarmBox Foods.

Climate change is projected to increase the number of water-stressed regions and exacerbate shortages in already water-stressed regions. It’s those regions that will realize the most benefit from vertical hydroponic farming and more efficient water usage in general.

An integrated view on water, the biosphere, and environmental flows is necessary to devise sustainable agricultural and economic systems that will allow us to decelerate climate change, protect us from extremes and adapt to the unavoidable at the same time, the U.N. says.

The automated hydroponic farms have a secondary benefit, as they can grow pine trees that contribute to the overall health of the environment by helping reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One container farm from FarmBox Foods can grow 35,000 tree saplings per year.

For more information, go to www.UNwater.org or www.FarmBoxFoods.com.

Posted by chrismichlewicz on July 31, 2021 in Arapahoe County Business, Douglas County, Douglas County Business, Featured, Greenwood Village Business

Tagged #farmboxfoods, agriculture, cleanwater, Colorado, containerfarm, containerfarming, environment, farmboxfoods, freshwater, indoorag, indoorfarming, UN, Water, waterscarcity, watershortage, watersupply, waterusage

iUNU Meets U.S. House Agriculture Committee & Highlights Importance of CEA To U.S. Food Supply

Chairman David Scott (GA) held a Congressional Hearing Thursday morning to increase public awareness of the critical importance of the CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) industry to promote food safety, nutritious produce, and food security for the American people.

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Adam Greenberg | CEO | IUNU LLC

“While a global pandemic certainly magnified our food supply chain issues, one of the issues we can cover today is how to ensure a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables from all sources,” Chairman Scott asserted in his opening statement. “Controlled environment agriculture has the ability to fill in gaps where there are food deserts, reduce emissions from transportation of produce, and very importantly, limit our reliance on imports to fill our needs for fresh produce. We have an opportunity today to be on the cutting edge of technologies and the ability to provide affordable food to more households that need it.”

iUNU, an AI and computer vision-based technology platform that is employed by large commercial growers to enhance productivity is working with Congress and the USDA to ensure nutritious produce is available to all Americans. 

“iUNU is an integral part of the solution to these issues as the leading provider of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to help indoor growers rapidly expand their operations,” stated CEO Adam Greenberg at the Hearing. “The fact that 87% of the imported tomatoes come from one country, Mexico, leaves the U.S. population highly susceptible to food insecurity whether it is from a pandemic or other forces we can’t control. The CEA industry can significantly reduce these risks.”

Representative Jim McGovern (MA) expressed deep concerns about the need to recognize that food security is a national security issue in terms of ensuring the availability of healthy, nutritious produce for all Americans. “Every child in America deserves fresh, nutritious, contaminant-free fruits and vegetables they can trust.”

iUNU provides indoor growers with an AI and machine learning technology that gives growers the ability to see a plant from the time it sprouts until the time it is harvested in real-time.

“Our LUNA system can see where a problem is when it is happening and what is causing it, which significantly reduces the time it takes to identify any potential outbreak,” Mr. Greenberg said. “By catching a pest or pathogen issue as early as possible, we help growers reduce the need for pesticides. In short, we help reduce a grower’s risks and increase their productivity.”

 Representative Jim Costa (CA) reiterated his concern with the nation’s food supply. “The sustainability of our food supply is critical,” he stated. “Focusing on protecting America's food supply chain is a national security issue. We need to focus on innovation as we move forward.”

 Later in the afternoon, both Chairman Scott (GA) and Ranking Member Thompson (PA) issued a joint statement urging Congress to address the expansion of Broadband Internet so Americans living in rural areas and food deserts will have the same access as those living in urban areas. The lack of access hampers the ability of businesses such as growers to optimize their facilities through the use of AI and computer vision.

SINGAPORE - VIDEOS: How IoT And Machine Learning Are Automating Agriculture

A New Generation of Farmers Is Tapping The internet of Things And Machine Learning To Operate Self-Sustaining Urban Farms With Minimal Supervision

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By Aaron Tan, TechTarget

21 Jul 2021

A new generation of farmers is turning to technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and machine learning to automate agricultural production, alleviating the need to toil on the land while keeping a watchful eye on their crops.

Joining their ranks is Phoebe Xie, director, and co-founder of Singapore-based agrotechnology startup AbyFarm. Teaming up with technology service provider SPTel, Xie is building a smart hydroponics farm in a greenhouse that uses a plethora of IoT sensors, including video cameras, to keep the farm humming around the clock.

“To run a self-regulating farm at the optimal temperature with optimal water and nutrient supply, and to control the quality and taste of vegetables and fruits, we need IoT sensors,” she said, adding that the farm and its sensors collect and monitor thousands of data points, including humidity and temperature.

With the data and in certain environmental conditions, processes and actions are automatically triggered to protect crops from the elements. For instance, if the temperature or humidity gets too high, fans, water curtains, and roof shades are activated in the greenhouse.

Xie said the smart farm, located at a rooftop carpark in Singapore, is also equipped with sensors that monitor the pH and electrical conductivity levels of water. Among the sensors, which are connected to a Lora low-power wide area network, is a dozer that automatically releases acidic or alkaline nutrients to maintain optimal pH levels. 

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Whereas the farmers of old had to physically inspect their crops, AbyFarm’s agronomists and farmers can do so remotely using video cameras and image recognition technology to identify crops that might be succumbing to disease.

“If the image recognition finds that a plant is likely to be sick, the farmer will be alerted to go onsite to check how the plant is right now,” said Xie, adding that agronomists will also advise farmers on taking corrective actions to prevent disease or restore the health of their crops.

Like any machine learning system, AbyFarm’s algorithms get smarter over time. Each time a crop is affected by disease, data about the occurrence and corrective action is fed into the system, enabling its algorithms to formulate solutions for other farmers with similar crop issues – without consulting an agronomist.

With that, said Xie, even those who are new to the field can use the system to guide them on treating diseased crops, which can be isolated from other crops to prevent cross-infections.

AbyFarm’s automated farming system, which is hosted on SPTel’s private cloud, can also advise farmers on the best time to transplant their crops after germination and harvest them later for sale, said Xie.

Heng Kwee Tong, vice-president for engineering and customer solutions at SPTel, said the company has built up a software-defined platform to help companies like AbyFarm overcome the challenges of deploying applications such as IoT.

“The common struggle that companies like AbyFarm face with building an IoT solution is that it is quite intensive in terms of ICT infrastructure,” said Heng. “You’ve got to find the radio connectivity like Lora, subscribe to a service provider, and connect your sensors to a sensor collector.

“We make it easy by investing in a platform and because we are a service provider with edge hub assets for deploying radio connectivity, all AbyFarm needs to do is to bring their sensors onboard.”

Going forward, Heng said SPTel is looking to support next-generation video analytics capabilities through edge cloud services that can be used to crunch workloads closer to where they reside, reducing latency.

AbyFarm was one of six companies to win contracts from the Singapore Food Agency last year to build urban farms at nine rooftop carparks in public housing estates across Singapore.

The goal is to collectively produce about 1,600 tonnes of vegetables a year in a bid by the city-state – where less than 1% of the land is used for agriculture – to become more self-sufficient in meeting the nutritional needs of its people.

That could well be achievable with technology that makes farming more efficient, scalable, and less labor-intensive than before. “We are willing to train and educate the next generation in agrotechnology because now you don’t need 10 farmers to take care of one farm,” said Xie. “It’s just looking at the dashboard and, with the alerts, doing what is required.”

Farm Merges With Food Retail Spaces

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By Sylvain Charlebois

July 29, 2021

Opinion

Canadians have started to notice that grocers have begun to sell plants in miniature greenhouses.

We’ve seen gardens on rooftops, vertical farms close to stores, and even some selling gardening equipment to gardeners who are shopping for food. The farm is essentially merging with food retail spaces.

We’re slowly witnessing the rise of the “grow-cer.”

For years, customers accepted the myth that food just magically shows up at the grocery store. But COVID-19 got many of us to think differently about supply chains.

With the addition of new farmgate features, grocery stores are becoming the gateway to a world most of us rarely see: farming.

Sobeys has provided one recent example of what’s going on. The second-largest grocer in Canada recently signed a partnership agreement with German-based Infarm to get greenhouses into many outlets across the country. Infarm units were installed last year in British Columbia and can now be found in many other locations across the country.

In-farm units enable Sobeys to offer fresh herbs and produce grown hydroponically, which requires 95 percent less water, 90 percent less transportation, and 75 percent less fertilizer than industrial agriculture. As well, no pesticides are used.

Produce grown inside the store includes leafy greens, lettuce, kale, and herbs such as basil, cilantro, mint, and parsley. Expansion plans include chili peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes. The growing cycle for most of these averages five weeks.

It’s not just Sobeys. Other grocers also have decent-sized vertical farms inside their stores or nearby.

For many consumers, gardening remains a luxury due to the lack of space or time. But now grocers are bringing the farm to the store so consumers can have both the farming and the retail experience at once.

Before COVID, farmers desperately tried to get closer to city dwellers so their work could be appreciated. Campaigns over the years brought mixed results. Farming is still largely misunderstood.

City dwellers have always respected farmers and the hard work they do, but many consumers who were looking for natural and organically produced goods have grown leery of farming in general.

Grocers are starting to bridge the worlds of farmers and urban consumers.

For years, we saw pictures of farmers on packages and posters. It was nice, but it wasn’t real. The hard work, and everything else that comes with farming, can only be properly conveyed when visiting a farm or working on one for a while.

The pictures likely won’t disappear from grocery stores but they don’t really tell the whole story.

The new grow-cer brings the imagery of farming in retail to a new level. Grabbing a living plant or produce off a living plant is real and increasingly valuable for Canadians longing for local and freshness. It just can’t get more local than growing it in the grocery store.

COVID-19 eliminated many rules for grocers. Previously, every business played a part. Grocers sold food, processors manufactured it and restaurants provided ready-to-eat solutions. Lines between sectors were already becoming blurred before COVID, but the pandemic blew up the blurred lines.

Grocers are becoming brokers, connecting various functions of the supply chain. Farming connects with retail by way of new initiatives that we’re now seeing everywhere.

For example, restaurants are selling meal kits through grocers’ apps. Few saw that coming.

Food brokering for grocers is no doubt the next frontier of growth.

Whether it will last is unknown. But grocers are embracing the fact they have the privilege of interacting with consumers every day. That privilege comes with a responsibility to show consumers the true value of food by being knowledge brokers.

If that means growing more food in stores, so be it.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.

Lead photo: An employee of the urban farming start-up Infarm checks an indoor growing system at the company’s showroom in Berlin, Germany. Sobeys is working with the German company to put greenhouses into its Canadian stores. | REUTERS/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE PHOTO