Agrify Announces Launch of Innovative, Project-Based Learning Program, Agrify University

July 19, 2021

Introduces immersive program to assist Agrify customers and next-generation growers in cultivating high-value cannabis with efficiency at scale

Agrify Corporation (NasdaqCM:AGFY) (“Agrify” or the “Company”), a developer of highly advanced and proprietary precision hardware and software cultivation solutions for the indoor agricultural marketplace, today announced the opening of Agrify University, a brand new 3,500 sq. ft. state-of-the art indoor vertical farming facility featuring Agrify’s latest technology and advanced cultivation methods. We believe this new immersive, hands-on project-based learning experience will empower Agrify customers and next-generation growers with the knowledge and education to successfully cultivate cannabis with efficiency at scale by leveraging the power of Agrify’s vertical farming units (“VFUs”) and the Agrify Insights software solution.

Located in Billerica, MA, Agrify University, led by David Kessler, Agrify’s Chief Science Officer, and a team of industry experts, horticulturists, and scientists, will provide participants with in-classroom, on-site, and on-demand learning options. The immersive, multi-sensory curriculum will enable customers and growers to expand their knowledge of how to apply novel scientific research, interpret cultivation data, and leverage Agrify’s technology to improve their indoor cannabis cultivation practices.

“The cultivation methods used by many operators have not evolved as quickly as the industry itself, and we see an opportunity to use the power of data and cutting-edge techniques to dramatically improve the quality and yields from indoor cultivation,” said Mr. Kessler. “Agrify University utilizes our vast cannabis research data sets and technological innovation to provide a curriculum that we believe will support the long-term growth of our industry. We’re proud to add this valuable resource to our comprehensive Agrify ecosystem, and we look forward to welcoming our first cohorts.”

Agrify University classes are available now to all customers. For more information on how to apply and on available program resources, please contact Agrify at info@agrify.com.

About Agrify (NasdaqCM:AGFY)
Agrify is a developer of premium grow solutions for the indoor agriculture marketplace. The Company uses data, science, and technology to empower its customers to be more efficient, more productive, and more intelligent about how they run their businesses. Agrify’s highly advanced and proprietary hardware and software solutions have been designed to help its customers achieve the highest quality, consistency, and yield, all at the lowest possible cost. For more information, please visit Agrify’s website at www.agrify.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, concerning Agrify and other matters. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding Agrify University. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "intends," "targets," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this press release are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events as well as the curriculum and plans that have been developed for Agrify University. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties that affect our business, including those described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC, which can be obtained on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our public announcements and filings with the SEC.

"New Tabletop Growing System Requires Much Lower Capital Investment"

Introducing "Plantlogic’s hi-grow system"

Plantlogic is focused on developing and producing containers and growing systems for substrate agriculture.

"The benefits of tabletop strawberry production are well known – boosting yields using substrate techniques and reducing labor costs. However, the capital investment needed for the most common system, metal gutters, can be a major barrier to the expansion of this growing system," they have seen.

"Furthermore, the substrate in slabs compromises many of the benefits of substrate production. Still, other tabletop systems compromise plant health by creating continuous troughs of the substrate with uneven drainage or sealing roots into a closed space." 

For the past four years, Plantlogic has been developing a totally new tabletop growing system that seeks to reduce the capital investment while continuing to create optional conditions for roots to thrive. The result of these years of testing, design failures, and successes is the “Hi-Grow System”.

"Available in a variety of configurations including for troughs/pots, for slabs, with and without drainage collection. Now growers can enjoy the benefits of substrate tabletop production without compromising benefits with a much lower capital investment," they say. 

Specific advantages of using Plantlogic’s Hi-Grow system are first, that it benefits from tabletop production at a lower cost. "Secondly, it supports troughs/pots, as the pots provide the best conditions for root development with a fixed volume, carefully controlled drainage, and oxygen uptake holes, making irrigation easier."

"Besides, it enables growers to do develop plants in the same container in a high-density nursery environment then move tabletops for fruit production. Growers can save money by using bulk substrate or enable the use of the blended substrate. Finally, growers can avoid labor for removal or pollution from the plastic film around slabs, and the truss support is included in the pots," they continue.

This solution supports the use of traditional substrate slabs. Also, drainage is collected into a narrow gutter. Growers can reduce risks by separating plants from drainage and other containers, as the trough is not continuous.

For more information:
Plantlogic
sales@getplantlogic.com
www.getplantlogic.com 

17 Jun 2021

Little Leaf Farms Raises $90M to Grow Its Greenhouse Network

by Jennifer Marston

Image from: Little Leaf Farms

Massachusetts-based Little Leaf Farms has raised $90 million in a debt and equity financing round to expand its network of hydroponic greenhouses on the East Coast. The round was led by Equilibrium Capital as well as founding investors Bill Helman and Pilot House Associates. Bank of America also participated.

Little Leaf Farms says the capital is “earmarked” to build new greenhouse sites along the East Coast, where its lettuce is currently available in about 2,500 stores. 

The company already operates one 10-acre greenhouse in Devins, Massachusetts. Its facility grows leafy greens using hydroponics and a mixture of sunlight supplemented by LED-powered grow lights. Rainwater captured from the facility’s roof provides most of the water used on the farm. 

According to a press release, Little Leaf Farms has doubled its retail sales to $38 million since 2019. And last year, the company bought180 acres of land in Pennsylvania on which to build an additional facility. Still another greenhouse, slated for North Carolina, will serve the Southeast region of the U.S. 

Little Leaf Farms joins the likes of Revol Greens, Gotham Greens, AppHarvest, and others in bringing local(ish) greens to a greater percentage of the population. These facilities generally pack and ship their greens on the day of or day after harvesting, and only supply retailers within a certain radius. Little Leaf Farms, for example, currently servers only parts of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. 

The list of regions the company serves will no doubt lengthen as the company builds up its greenhouse network in the coming months.

Agritech: Precision Farming With AI, IoT and 5G

Image from: Photo by Mohd Izwan Mohd Nazam/The Edge

For a company that grows and delivers vegetables, Boomgrow Productions Sdn Bhd’s office is nothing like a farm, or even a vertical farm.

Where farms are bedecked with wheelbarrows, spades and hoes, Boomgrow’s floor plan is akin to a co-working space with a communal island table, several cubicles, comfortable armchairs, a cosy hanging rattan chair and a glass-walled conference room in the middle.

At a corner, propped up along a walkway leading to a rectangular chamber fitted with grow lights, are rows of support stilts with hydroponic planters developed in-house and an agricultural technologist perched on a chair, perusing data. “This is where some of the R&D work happens,” says Jay Dasen, co-founder of the agritech start-up.

But there is a larger farm where most of the work behind this high-tech initiative is executed. Located a stone’s throw from the city centre in Ampang is a 40ft repurposed shipping container outfitted with perception technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that mimic the ideal environment to produce more than 50,000kg of vegetables a year.

Stacked in vertical layers, Boomgrow’s vegetables are grown under artificial lights with Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to detect everything from leaf discolouration to nitrate composition. This is coupled with AI and machine learning algorithms.

Boomgrow is the country’s first 5G-connected vertical farm. With the low latency and larger bandwidth technology, the start-up is able to monitor production in real time as well as maintain key para­meters, such as temperature and humidity, to ensure optimal growth conditions.

When Jay and her co-founders, K Muralidesan and Shan Palani, embarked on this initiative six years ago, Boomgrow was nowhere near what it is today.

The three founders got together hoping to do their part in building a more sustainable future. “I’ve spent years advising small and large companies on sustainability, environmental and social governance disclosures. I even embarked on a doctorate in sustainability disclosure and governance,” says Jay.

“But I felt a deep sense of disconnect because while I saw companies evolving in terms of policies, processes and procedures towards sustainability, the people in those organisations were not transforming. Sustainability is almost like this white noise in the background. We know it’s important and we know it needs to be done, but we don’t really know how to integrate it into our lives.

“That disconnect really troubled me. When we started Boomgrow, it wasn’t a linear journey. Boomgrow is something that came out of meaningful conversations and many years of research.”

Shan, on the other hand, was an architect who developed a taste for sustainable designs when he was designing modular structures with minimal impact on their surroundings between regular projects. “It was great doing that kind of work. But I was getting very dissatisfied because the projects were customer-driven, which meant I would end up having debates about trivial stuff such as the colour of wall tiles,” he says.

As for Murali, the impetus to start Boomgrow came from having lived overseas — while working in capital markets and financial services — where quality and nutritious produce was easily available.

Ultimately, they concluded that the best way to work towards their shared sustainability goals was to address the imminent problem of food shortage.

“By 2050, the world’s population is expected to grow to 9.7 billion people, two-thirds of whom will be in Asia-Pacific. Feeding all those people will definitely be a huge challenge,” says Jay. 

“The current agricultural practice is not built for resilience, but efficiency. So, when you think of farming, you think of vast tracts of land located far away from where you live or shop.

“The only way we could reimagine or rethink that was to make sure the food is located closer to consumers, with a hyperlocal strategy that is traceable and transparent, and also free of pesticides.”

Having little experience in growing anything, it took them a while to figure out the best mechanism to achieve their goal. “After we started working on prototypes, we realised that the tropics are not designed for certain types of farming,” says Jay. 

“And then, there is the problem of harmful chemicals and pesticides everywhere, which has become a necessity for farmers to protect their crops because of the unpredictable climate. We went through many iterations … when we started, we used to farm in little boxes, but that didn’t quite work out.”

They explored different methodologies, from hydroponics to aquaponics, and even started growing outdoors. But they lost a lot of crops when a heat wave struck.

That was when they started exploring more effective ways to farm. “How can we protect the farm from terrible torrential rains, plant 365 days a year and keep prices affordable? It took us five years to answer these questions,” says Jay.

Even though farmers all over the world currently produce more than enough food to feed everyone, 820 million people — roughly 11% of the global population — did not have enough to eat in 2018, according to the World Health Organization. Concurrently, food safety and quality concerns are rising, with more consumers opting for organically produced food as well as safe foods, out of fear of harmful synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.

According to ResearchAndMarkets.com, consumer demand for global organic fruit and vegetables was valued at US$19.16 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5% by 2026.

Meanwhile, the precision farming market was estimated to be US$7 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach US$12.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 12.7% between 2020 and 2025, states MarketsandMarkets Research Pte Ltd.

Malaysia currently imports RM1 billion worth of leafy vegetables from countries such as Australia, China and Japan. Sourcing good and safe food from local suppliers not only benefits the country from a food security standpoint but also improves Malaysia’s competitive advantage, says Jay.

Unlike organic farming — which is still a soil-based method — tech-enabled precision farming has the advantage of catering for increasing demand and optimum crop production with the limited resources available. Moreover, changing weather patterns due to global warming encourage the adoption of advanced farming technologies to enhance farm productivity and crop yield.

Boomgrow’s model does not require the acres of land that traditional farms need, Jay emphasises. With indoor farms, the company promises a year-round harvest, undisturbed by climate and which uses 95% less water, land and fuel to operate.

Traditional farming is back-breaking labour. But with precision technology, farmers can spend less time on the farm and more on doing other things to develop their business, she says.

Boomgrow has secured more than RM300,000 in funding via technology and innovation grants from SME Corporation Malaysia, PlaTCOM Ventures and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, and is on track to build the country’s largest indoor farms.

Image from: Boomgrow

The company got its chance to showcase the strength of its smart technology when Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) approached it to be a part of the telco’s Smart Agriculture cluster in Langkawi last October.

“5G makes it faster for us to process the multiple data streams that we need because we collect data for machine learning, and then AI helps us to make decisions faster,” Jay explains.

“We manage the farm using machines to study inputs like water and electricity and even measure humidity. All the farm’s produce is lab-tested and we can keep our promise that there are no pesticides, herbicides or any preserving chemicals. We follow the food safety standards set by the EU, where nitrate accumulation in plant tissues is a big issue.”

With TM’s 5G technology and Boomgrow’s patent-pending technology, the latter is able to grow vegetables like the staple Asian greens and highland crops such as butterhead and romaine lettuce as well as kale and mint. While the company is able to grow more than 30 varieties of leafy greens, it has decided to stick to a selection of crops that is most in demand to reduce waste, says Jay.

As it stands, shipping containers are the best fit for the company’s current endeavour as containerised modular farms are the simplest means of bringing better food to local communities. However, it is also developing a blueprint to house farms in buildings, she says.

Since the showcase, Boomgrow has started to supply its crops to various hotels in Langkawi. It rolled out its e-commerce platform last year after the Movement Control Order was imposed. 

“On our website, we promise to deliver the greens within six hours of harvest. But actually, you could get them way earlier. We harvest the morning after the orders come in and the vegetables are delivered on the same day,” says Jay.

Being mindful of Boomgrow’s carbon footprint, orders are organised and scheduled according to consumers’ localities, she points out. “We don’t want our delivery partners zipping everywhere, so we stagger the orders based on where consumers live. 

“For example, all deliveries to Petaling Jaya happen on Thursdays, but the vegetables are harvested that morning. They are not harvested a week before, three days before or the night before. This is what it means to be hyperlocal. We want to deliver produce at its freshest and most nutritious state.”

Plans to expand regionally are also underway, once Boomgrow’s fundraising exercise is complete, says Jay. “Most probably, this will only happen when the Covid-19 pandemic ends.”

To gain the knowledge they have today, the team had to “unlearn” everything they knew and take up new skills to figure what would work best for their business, says Jay. “All this wouldn’t have been possible if we had not experimented with smart cameras to monitor the condition of our produce,” she laughs.

Warehouse Becoming Vertical Farms — And They’re Feeding New Jersey

Image from: New Jersey 101.5

New Jersey's vertical farms are transforming agriculture by helping farmers meet growing food demand.

New Jersey Agriculture Secretary Doug Fisher said that while conventional farming in outdoor fields remains critical, vertical farming has its advantages because of its efficiency and resistance to pests and thus less need for chemicals.

Vertical farming is the process of growing food vertically in stacked layers indoors under artificial light and temperature, mainly in buildings. These plants receive the same nutrients and all the elements needed to grow plants for food.

Vertical farms are also versatile. Plants may be growing in containers, in old warehouses, in shipping containers, in abandoned buildings.

"That's one of the great advantages — that we can put agriculture in the midst of many landscapes that have lost their vitality," said Fisher.

ResearchandMarkets.com says the U.S. vertical farming market is projected to reach values of around $3 billion by the year 2024.

The one drawback is that its operational and labor costs make it expensive to get up and running.

Image from: AeroFarms

In the past decade, however, vertical farming has become more popular, creating significant crop yields all over the state.

AeroFarms in Newark is the world's largest indoor vertical farm. The farm converted a 75-year-old 70,000-square-foot steel mill into a vertical farming operation. AeroFarms' key products include Dream Greens, its retail brand of baby and micro-greens, available year-round in several ShopRite supermarkets.

Kula Urban Farm in Asbury Park opened in 2014. Vacant lots are transformed into urban farms and there's a hydroponic greenhouse on site. That produce is sold to local restaurants.

Beyond Organic Growers in Freehold uses no pesticides and all seeds and nutrients are organic. There's a minimum of 12,000 plants growing on 144 vertical towers. On its website, it says the greenhouse utilizes a new growing technique called aeroponics, which involves vertical towers where the plant roots hang in the air while a nutrient solution is delivered with a fine mist. It also boasts that by using this method, plants can grow with less land and water while yielding up to 30% more three times faster than traditional soil farming.

Vertical farms in New Jersey help feed local communities. Many are in urban areas and are a form of urban farming.

Fisher predicts that vertical farms will be operational in stores and supermarkets around the state.

"It's continued to expand. There's going to be many, many ways and almost any area in the state has the opportunity to have a vertical farm," Fisher said.

Is AppHarvest the Future of Farming?

Special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, are red-hot right now, with investors clamoring to get into promising young companies.

In this video from Motley Fool Live, recorded on Jan. 28, Industry Focus host Nick Sciple and Motley Fool contributor Lou Whiteman discuss AppHarvest, one such SPAC that is looking to disrupt the agriculture industry. Here are the details on what AppHarvest wants to do, and a look at whether the company represents the future of farming.

Nick Sciple: One last company I wanted to talk about, Lou, and this is one I think it's -- you pay attention to, but not one I'm super excited to run in and buy. It was a company called AppHarvest. It's coming public via a [SPAC] this year. This vertical farming space. We talked about Gladstone Land buying traditional farmland. AppHarvest is taking a very different approach, trying to lean into some of the ESG-type movements.

Lou Whiteman: Yeah. Let's look at this. It probably wouldn't surprise you that the U.S. is the biggest global farm exporter as we said, but it might surprise you that the Netherlands, the tiny little country, is No. 2. The way they do that is tech: Greenhouse farm structure. AppHarvest has taken that model and brought it to the U.S. They have, I believe, three farms in Appalachia. The pitches can produce 30x the yields using 90% less water. Right now, it's mostly tomatoes and it is early-stage. I don't own this stock either. I love this idea. There's some reasons that I'm not buying in right now that we can get into. But this is fascinating to me. We talked about making the world a better place. This is the company that we need to be successful to make the world a better place. The warning on it is that it is a SPAC. So it's not public yet. Right now, I believe N-O-V-S. That deal should close soon. [Editor's note: The deal has since closed.] I'm not the only one excited about it. I tend not to like to buy IPOs and new companies anyway. I think the caution around buying into the excitement applies here. There is a Martha Stewart video on their website talking up the company, which I love Martha Stewart, but that's a hype level that makes me want to just watch and see what they produce. This is just three little farms in Appalachia right now and a great idea. This was all over my watchlist. I would imagine I would love to hold it at some point, but just be careful because this is, as we saw SPACs last year in other areas, people are very excited about this.

Sciple: Yeah. I think, like we've said, for a lot of these companies, the prospects are great. I think when you look at the reduced water usage, better, environmentally friendly, all those sorts of things. I like that they are in Appalachia. As someone who is from the South, I like it when more rural areas get some people actually investing money there. But again, there's a lot of execution between now and really getting to a place where this is the future of farming and they're going to reach scale and all those sorts of things. But this is a company I'm definitely going to have my radar on and pay attention to as they continue to report earnings. Because you can tell yourself a story about how this type of vertical farming, indoor farming disrupts this traditional model, can be more efficient, cleaner, etc. Something to continue paying attention to as we have more information, because this company, like you said, Lou, isn't all the way public yet. We still got to have this SPAC deal finalized and then we get all our fun SEC filings and quarterly calls and all those sorts of things. Once we have that, I will be very much looking forward to seeing what the company has to say.

Whiteman: Right. Just to finish up along too, the interesting thing here is that it is a proven concept because it has worked elsewhere. The downside of that is that it needed to work there. Netherlands just doesn't have -- and this is an expensive proposition to get started, to get going. There's potential there, but in a country blessed with almost seemingly unlimited farmland for now, for long term it makes sense. But in the short term, it could be a hard thing to really get up and running. I think you're right, just one to watch.

Advice For New Vertical Farmers: Grower Spotlight on Andrew Worrall

Last week we spoke about running a farm at LettUs Grow. What excites you about vertical farming? 

It’s the future of the industry. Also, the amount of salad that these farms can produce for their local community. We want to be able to eat salad all year round and we import to make that happen. However, just a small farm can easily provide for its local community, very efficiently and all year round. The sustainability element is also exciting: with our salad there’s no food miles, it’s very minimalistic. You could use an electric van or bike to distribute this crop if you wanted to. It’s a step forward in terms of what we need to do to take care of our planet. 

What do you think are the biggest downsides to vertical farming?

It’s still a new technology and it can be expensive. The biggest roadblock facing the industry is that we need more people and companies to collaborate together to make sure we can build these farms at a sensible rate, so we can provide farms to anyone. We want to be able to provide farms to people, communities and countries that don’t have a lot of money, so that they can provide affordable fresh produce to local people. 

How has vertical farming impacted your life?

Massively!  I wanted to find my passion, a job that I loved - that was very important to me. It’s satisfying to be in a position now where I’m very happy to be doing what I do and I look forward to going into work. I was happy to make the move from London to Bristol. I would have moved even further if it meant being able to continue working within this industry.

Image from: LettUs Grow

How do you see vertical farming playing a part in the future? 

When indoor farming first came about, it had a reputation of being competition for outdoor farming, which just isn’t the case. There’s so much we can’t grow that outdoor farming can provide, such as cereal crops. I’m glad we’re at a stage where indoor and outdoor farms can start to work together to optimise both methods. With these new relationships, there should be a good increase in the amount of indoor farms you’ll be seeing. What LettUs Grow offers with DROP & GROW™ is an exciting project because that’s a 40ft shipping container which can be placed pretty much anywhere. It’s not that big - it could go in a car park or behind a restaurant, but actually provide quite a lot of salad to that area. 

How much of our food should be grown this way? 

Good question. If you had asked me a while back I would have just said salad, but now I’ve changed my mind. Indoor farming can have a massive impact on propagation, especially aeroponics, because of how we aerate and nourish our roots. We could start lettuce for greenhouse projects and we can also propagate tomatoes, strawberries and tree whips. Propagating trees in this way could potentially be hugely beneficial and it’s something we want to do more of. 

We can also quickly grow large amounts of microgreens, baby leafs, herbs and we can grow fruiting crops like strawberries. We are slowly chipping away and it’s really exciting. I’m waiting to see if I can ever say I’ve grown or propagated every crop that can be grown in these farms! 

What do you think are the biggest benefits of vertical farming? 

How fast these crops can grow! The turnover can be as short as 5 days from seed, depending on the crop. Also how clean it can be - I’m very dedicated to making sure these farms are built to ensure they are easy to be maintained and clean. The most exciting part is the crop growth rate though - it’s incredible how fast our crop grows from seed to plate. In a very well maintained growing calendar, which Ostara® is great for supporting, you can optimise your beds so that the day you harvest can also be the day you germinate onto that same bed. Your farms can be forever providing salad at very fast rates. 

Image from: LettUs Grow

What was the biggest change you encountered during your years indoor farming?

Moving from being a production grower to an R&D grower. It has been a great change! As a production grower I knew what I needed to know about growing the plant safely and getting it onto a plate so it was good for the consumer. Now I’m fully optimising, learning and understanding the plants completely, so that I can help the grower that I used to be. We spend a lot of time on crop recipes to make sure that whoever we sell our farms to can start up very quickly and they won’t have to spend months developing their crops. If they have the customers and clients behind them, they can buy DROP & GROW and start producing salad as soon as it's been commissioned. 

What was the biggest change you encountered in the industry?

More and more people are speaking about what’s going on in the industry and getting involved. I get so many messages on LinkedIn with people who want to get into this career. It’s exciting to see that indoor growing is a career people can access now. When I was developing my skills I didn’t know I would end up in indoor farming. There are more opportunities than ever before. For example, our Crop Technician is doing a placement here for 2 years. The aim is that they can gain the skill sets and knowledge they need to then go off and do the same practice in any farm they want. 

What advice do you have for people who are looking to start a career in growing? 

Reach out to companies who are already out there. You could start off part-time or as an assistant. If you are patient and dedicated then it’s a journey I promise you won’t regret. It takes a lot of work, but the outcome is amazing - you’ll be learning so much about this new technology. You’ll also build great relationships: there are so many amazing people in this industry who are so interesting, with different backgrounds, who are willing to share their knowledge. You can always learn more and other people are a great source of that. 

What about for those looking to start a vertical farming business?

Do your homework.  There are people out there who you can reach out to and it’s very easy to get information. It’s very easy to get excited about the idea and jump straight into it, because it is exciting and can be very rewarding, but it’s really important to do it step by step. Know how to scale properly, learning the differences between a small and larger farm. Understand how many people you’ll need and the logistics. I’d also advise people to get some practical work experience before you buy. You want to start the company knowing the tricks of the trade. 

Image from: LettUs Grow

LettUs Grow Blog: www.lettusgrow.com/blog/advice-for-vertical-farmers

ABU DHABI: US Educator Outlines Urban Farming Vision in ADIBF Virtual Session

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ABU DHABI, 2nd June 2020 (WAM)

American educator, urban farmer, and innovator Stephen Ritz revealed how his tower garden-growing technology is flourishing in the UAE during the latest Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, ADIBF, Virtual Session.

The talk, titled ‘Changing the World with the Power of a Plant’, on Thursday covered Ritz’s rise to fame through his innovative teaching methods in some of the USA’s poorest communities, his ongoing projects in the UAE, and the numerous books he has published.

As the 30th edition of ADIBF has been postponed until next year, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, has instead organized the virtual sessions for scheduled guests to present their talks online, so viewers can watch safely in their homes.

Ritz, who has become known as ‘America’s Favourite Teacher’, has spawned a green movement through the changes he brought to the school where he taught in the South Bronx, New York. Utilizing hydroponics and aquaponics, he began to grow plants in the classroom, which in turn encouraged his students to follow sustainable and healthy lifestyles.

He first came to the UAE in 2015 as one of the ten finalists in the Global Teacher Prize. While he didn’t win, he used his runner-up prize money to create the Green Bronx Machine, a curriculum for a green classroom, which is now being taught around the world.

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His work caught the attention of Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, KHDA, in Dubai, who invited Ritz back to the UAE. Soon Ritz was visiting schools, universities, and businesses here to explain his methods. He also began working alongside Sheikh Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, the Environmental Advisor to the Government of Ajman, who is also known as the ‘Green Sheikh’ for his environmental work. The pair are currently authoring a book called Bringing the Farm to the Desert to be released in 2021.

Ritz also works with Esol Education, the international network of private schools that operates many schools across the UAE, and has been appointed as its Director of Health, Wellness and Innovation. He is now based at Fairgreen International School in The Sustainable City, Dubai, hence he says he now thinks of the UAE as his "second home".

Ritz said he enjoys nothing more than meeting children, inspiring teachers, inspiring healthy living, and inspiring healthy learning for everyone across the UAE through his passion, purpose, and hope.

With the 30th edition of the ADIBF postponed until next year, the DCT Abu Dhabi has launched a series of live virtual broadcasts to showcase artists and authors and open up new creative conversations with readers.

The virtual sessions will run until Monday, 15th June 2020, and feature ten speakers from around the world, to discuss a wide variety of themes – from history and education to entertainment and science – designed to appeal a wide audience of different age groups and tastes.

Other ADIBF Virtual Sessions have featured the Swedish behavioral expert Thomas Erikson, military survival specialist John Hudson; Lemn Sissay, the award-winning British-Ethiopian poet; and Annabel Karmel, the children’s cookbook author.

WAM/Tariq alfaham/Nour Salman

Indoor Farming Is Revolutionizing The Food Chain

Does eating salad really contribute to a healthy lifestyle? Not when 5.6 billion pounds of pesticides are used worldwide to produce fresh greens. According to the World Health Organization, residues from those pesticides are linked to cancer and other serious health problems. In an endeavor to ensure citizens’ health, the vertical farming company &ever is committed to sustainably grow pesticides-free green products.

Vertical farms – the future of agriculture

&ever (formerly Farmers Cut), is a Hamburg-based farming company, which cultivates high-quality plants indoors while saving on natural resources. The farms have a vertical structure and are easily scalable in form and size, which allows them to be run in any climate conditions in any location around the globe. 

For &ever, it is all about the freshness and nutritional value of the food. Mark Korzilius, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of &ever, says that green leaves can lose most of their nutritional value after being washed in chlorine, chilled, packed, stored in warehouses over longer periods of time and then sent on the road for transportation. &ever solves that problem and provides citizens with fresh products by using the so called ‘harvest on demand’ or ‘farm to fork’ model, which leaves the roots intact even when the produce reaches the customer.

The newly opened farm in Kuwait

The first commercial &ever farm is the newly opened vertical indoor farm in Kuwait City. The facility will soon produce fresh salad all-year-round in the middle of the Kuwaiti desert. The farm can grow up to 550 kilos of fresh greens and herbs a day and has faster growth cycles than traditional outdoor farms, which are dependent on the weather conditions.

&ever’s indoor farms are also fostering new cultivation technologies. “We have invented the system ‘dryponics’, which is a unique method of growing salad indoors,” said Dr. Henner Schwarz, Co-CEO of &ever. Did you know that even food labeled as ‘organic’ can contain a lot of different pesticides? &ever’s project engineer in Kuwait Rami Safareni says that their products are “better than organic,” because the company can produce over 250 different types of plants using:

• 90 percent less water

• 60 percent less fertilizer

• zero pesticides

Thanks to the controlled atmosphere in the farm, the fresh greens don’t require washing and are harvested immediately before they are eaten, ensuring high nutritional quality. To demonstrate the purity of the plants, Korzilius and his team, taste the salad directly from the growing trays. “

It is a common misconception that plants come from the field,” Korzilius explained, pointing out that nowadays plants are mostly grown in greenhouses. Using these growing techniques, &ever is transforming metropolises like Kuwait City into farms and allowing citizens to taste green salad as if they had just harvested it from their own garden.

Farm to Fork

Kuwait’s unique fusion of local flavors and international dishes make it one of the most interesting food scenes worldwide. The first restaurant chain in Kuwait to benefit from the fresh green products will be the local Japanese restaurant Ora, owned by NOX Management. Faisal AlMeshal, Managing Director at NOX, points out that for the first time the restaurants will be supplied locally.

“We used to import all our greens mainly from Europe, but now we have a local solution that is tastier and fresher,” said AlMeshal. “The local supply saves money on logistics, minimizes waste and makes better choices for the planet.”

The technology behind it

Advanced technology provides &ever’s vertical farms with fully digital control over the whole production process. “Our production planning is based entirely on SAP Business Technology Platform, which allows us to optimize production according to the needs and capacities of the farm,” said Dr. Jan-Gerd Frerichs, Chief Technology Officer at &ever.

IoT sensors and edge computing devices are collecting data at several hundred data points throughout the farmhouse – monitoring seeding and germination, as well as crucial parameters such as carbon dioxide levels, temperature, humidity and airflow. To support the project with software implementation and development, &ever chose IBsolution — a trusted SAP strategic partner.

“We have contributed to &ever's goals by delivering innovative solutions on the SAP cloud platform to make their farmhouses being manageable with few people at maximum utilization,” said Loren Heilig, managing director at IBsolution. “It is great to see the first results of our partnership here in Kuwait.”

Data collected from the IoT sensors is stored within SAP’s in-memory database SAP HANA and analyzed with the help of SAP Cloud Platform logistics and production applications.

Building on the success of the Kuwait project, &ever is planning to open more sustainable farms in cities with unfavorable climate conditions throughout Africa and Asia. Nutritional food for millions of people, zero waste and minimizing ecological footprint is what the agricultural company is striving for.

To learn more about &ever, listen to below podcast.

By Nona Kichukova, SAP | Forbes | May 6, 2020

One of The Decades 10 Best Climate Innovations - Indoor Farming Technology

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SOURCE: COURTESY OF PONIX

Alternative farming methods have been around for centuries — but over the past decade, the field has really grown thanks to technological innovation. Namely, new technology such as LED lights, temperature-controlled shipping container farms, and indoor vertical farms have allowed for so many advancements in improving the way we grow produce — namely, by making it more accessible and by lowering agriculture's environmental impact. 

Compared to conventional farming, indoor farming, and vertical farming take up less land, there is no risk of pests (or need for pesticides), they yield more crops, and they bring locally-grown produce to communities that cannot grow a variety of produce year-round (which is more nutritious and has less of an environmental impact, since it isn’t traveling across the world). 

FarmBox Foods

December 27, 2019

How 16 Initiatives Are Changing Urban Agriculture Through Tech And Innovation

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Andrea Oyuela

Thursday, January 2, 2020

The United Nations estimates (PDF) that nearly 10 billion people will live in cities by 2050. According to a recent publication by the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition, urban eaters consume most of the food produced globally and maintain more resource-intensive diets including increased animal-source and processed foods — rich in salt, sugar and fats. At the same time, many urban populations — particularly in low-income areas and informal communities — endure acute hunger and malnutrition as well as limited access to affordable, healthy food.

But there are countless ways that cities can feed themselves and create better linkages between rural and urban food systems. In Mexico City, the organization CultiCiudad built the Huerto Tlatelolco, an edible forest with 45 tree varieties, a seed bank and plots for biointensive gardening. In the United States, City Growers uses New York City’s urban farms as a learning laboratory for children to reconnect with nature. And in the Kalobeyei Settlement in northern Kenya, urban agriculture represents a tool for empowerment by improving food security, nutrition, and self-sufficiency among refugees.

"Agriculture and forestry in the city… answer to a variety of urban development goals beyond the provision of green infrastructure and food, such as social inclusion, adaptation to climate change, poverty alleviation, urban water management and opportunities for the productive reuse of urban waste," says Henk de Zeeuw, senior adviser at the RUAF Foundation.

And thankfully, hundreds of entrepreneurs and organizations are using this opportunity to improve urban agriculture and satisfy the demands of an increasingly urban population. From high-tech indoor farms in France and Singapore to mobile apps connecting urban growers and eaters in India and the United States, Food Tank highlights 16 initiatives using tech, entrepreneurship and social innovation to change urban agriculture.

There are countless ways that cities can feed themselves and create better linkages between rural and urban food systems.

1. AeroFarms, Newark (United States)

AeroFarms builds and operates vertical indoor farms to enable local production at scale and increase the availability of safe and nutritious food. The company uses aeroponics to grow leafy greens without sun or soil in a fully controlled environment. The technology enables year-round production while, they say, using 95 percent less water than field farming, resulting in yields 400 times higher per square foot annually. Since its foundation in 2004, AeroFarms aims to disrupt conventional food supply chains by building farms along major distribution routes and in urban areas. The company also won multiple awards, including the 2018 Global SDG Award, for its environmentally responsible practices and leadership in agriculture.

2. Agricool, Paris (France)

Agricool is a start-up that grows strawberries in containers spread throughout urban areas. The company retrofits old, unused containers to accommodate both an LED-lights and aeroponics system making it possible to grow strawberries year-round. The Cooltainers are powered by clean energy and use 90 percent less water than conventional farming. Agricool also works on building a network of urban farmers through the Cooltivators training program, aiming to open up job opportunities for city residents to work in the agricultural sector. The start-up works on expanding operations to other cities, an effort made possible by the replicability of the container’s design.

3. BIGH Farms, Brussels (Belgium)

BIGH (Building Integrated Greenhouses) Farms, a start-up based in Brussels, works on building a network of urban farms in Europe to promote the role urban agriculture can play in the circular economy. BIGH’s designs integrate aquaponics with existing buildings to reduce a site’s environmental impact. The first pilot — above the historic Abattoir in Brussel’s city center — includes a fish farm, a greenhouse and over 2,000 square meters of outdoor vegetable gardens. It started in 2018 producing microgreens, herbs, tomatoes and striped bass. BIGH Farms also partners with local businesses and growers to make sure the farm’s production is complementary to the existing food community.

4. Bites, Phoenix (United States)

Bites is a mobile platform working to help connect urban farmers, chefs and eaters in Phoenix through farm-to-table dining experiences. Eaters and chefs sign up and meet through the app to organize an in-home dining event. Chefs gather the ingredients from urban growers registered on the platform in an effort to promote local, small businesses. Bites was launched in 2017 by Roza Derfowsmakan, founder of Warehouse Apps, to improve accessibility to farm-to-table experiences and support urban farmers. By using technology to build culinary communities, Bites aims to change consumer choices from shipped-in, trucked-in produce to locally sourced food — involving people in the solution itself.

5. BitGrange, Multiple Locations (North America)

BitGrange is an urban farming tool and learning platform working to help educate children on food and agriculture. The BitGrange device, a hydroponics and internet of things-based system, produces edible plants with little water and energy. BitGrange’s software evaluates environmental variables in real-time and notifies growers through a smartphone app to take necessary actions, such as adding more water or plant food. Founded in 2015 according to its philosophy, Plant-Connect-Sync-Play, BitGrange aims to inspire youth to engage in farming by gamifying agriculture. The nano-farm’s design is available for download at BitGrange’s website for potential growers to 3D print the device in their own location.

Chefs gather the ingredients from urban growers registered on the platform in an effort to promote local, small businesses.

6. Bowery Farming, New York Metro Area (United States)

Bowery Farming, an indoor farming start-up, uses software and robotics to grow produce inside warehouses in and around cities. By controlling every aspect of the growing process, the start-up is able to produce leafy greens and herbs using a minimal amount of water and energy per square foot. The technology also makes it possible to grow customized products for chefs and restaurants, such as softer kale and more peppery arugula. Since its establishment in 2017, Bowery Farming is expanding operations beyond its New Jersey warehouse to build vertical farms in other cities and, ultimately, bring efficient food production closer to consumers.

7. Farmizen, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Surat (India)

Farmizen is a mobile-based platform renting farmland to city residents to grow locally grown, organic produce. The app allocates its users a 600 square foot mini-farm in a community nearby. Users can visit the farm anytime to grow and harvest chemical-free produce. Farmworkers look after the plots when the users return to the city, making a fixed and stable income — up to three times more than that of conventional farming. The app is live in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Surat with 1,500 subscribers and 40 acres of land under cultivation. Farmizen was founded in 2017 by entrepreneur Gitanjali Rajamani, driven by the need to create stable livelihoods for farmers and reconnect city-dwellers to agriculture and nature.

8. Fresh Direct, Abuja (Nigeria)

Fresh Direct is an impact-driven start-up using vertical farming and hydroponics to promote locally grown produce and the involvement of youth in agriculture. When young entrepreneur Angel Adelaja started engaging in eco-friendly farming, she faced multiple challenges with conventional farming practices, including access to land, water and technology. As a response, Adelaja founded Fresh Direct in 2014 to make urban agriculture more accessible to everyone, especially youth. Fresh Direct installs stackable container farms in the city, growing organic produce closer to the market. In the future, Adelaja aims to eradicate the notion among young professionals that agriculture is a line of work for the older generations.

9. Gotham Greens, multiple locations (United States)

Gotham Greens builds and operates data-driven, climate-controlled greenhouses in cities across the United States. The greenhouses, powered by wind and solar energy, use hydroponics to grow salad greens and herbs year-round using fewer resources than conventional farming. In addition to its goal of sustainable food production, Gotham Greens also partners with local organizations, schools, community gardens and businesses to support urban renewal and community development projects. Gotham Greens is also the company behind the country’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse, a partnership with Whole Foods Market to operate the greenhouse above its flagship store in Brooklyn, New York.

10. GrowUp Urban Farms, London (United Kingdom)

GrowUp Urban Farms works on developing commercial scale, Controlled Environment Production (CEP) solutions to grow fresh food in communities across London. The CEP farms use aquaponics to farm fish and grow leafy greens in a soil-less system, turning previously unused brownfield sites into productive areas. The GrowUp Box — a community farm developed together with sister organization GrowUp Community Farms — produces over 400kg of salads and 150kg of fish each year. Over the long run, the company aims to replicate the aquaponics system to build urban farms in other cities, opening employment opportunities for youth and using agriculture as a means to make communities more self-sustaining.

11. InFarm, multiple locations (Europe)

InFarm, a Berlin-based start-up, develops modular indoor farming systems to bring agriculture into cities. Designed to combat the long distances food travels, the InFarms produce leafy greens and herbs using 95 percent less water than traditional farms and no pesticides. The technology, the company claims, can reduce food transportation up to 90 percent. In 2013, the company pioneered the modular system in restaurants, schools, hospitals and shopping centers. Operations have expanded to distribute portable farms in neighborhoods and supermarkets across Germany, Denmark, France and Switzerland. The expansion, AgFunder reports, can be attributed to InFarm’s decentralized, data-driven model.

The farm’s closed-loop system works with used coffee grounds — collected from local businesses — to turn residual flows into food.

12. Liv Up, São Paulo (Brazil)

Liv Up works to deliver healthy meals and snack kits prepared with locally grown food to residents of the Greater São Paulo region. The start-up sources organic ingredients from family farmers in peri-urban areas, in an effort to shorten value chains and better connect small producers to the urban market. A team of chefs and nutritionists prepares the meals, which are later deep frozen to maintain the food’s integrity and extend its shelf life. Liv Up was founded in 2016 by a trio of young entrepreneurs driven by the lack of access to healthy foods in São Paulo. The start-up operates in seven municipalities of the metropolitan area, rotating its menu every two weeks.

13. Pasona Urban Ranch, Tokyo (Japan)

Pasona Urban Ranch, an initiative of the Pasona Group, is a mix of office space and animal farm in the heart of Tokyo’s busy Ōtemachi district. The initiative aims to raise interest in agriculture and dairy farming among city residents by bringing them in close contact with farm animals. The ranch houses eight animal species, including cattle, goats and an alpaca, which are cared for by specialized staff. Visitors and employees of the building can attend seminars on dietary education and dairy farming. Previously, the Pasona Group gained worldwide acknowledgment for Pasona O2 — an underground office farm built by Kono Designs in 2010 growing 100 regional crops in downtown Tokyo.

14. RotterZwam, Rotterdam (The Netherlands)

RotterZwam, an urban mushroom farm, raises awareness on the potential of the circular economy for addressing environmental issues. The farm’s closed-loop system works with used coffee grounds — collected from local businesses — to turn residual flows into food. The mushroom nursery, built out of old containers, uses solar paneling to power the farm’s operations and the e-vehicles used for product delivery. The farm’s team offers tours to educate citizens on circular systems and trains entrepreneurs wishing to start a mushroom farm. RotterZwam’s second location in the Schiehaven area opened in mid-2019 thanks to a crowdfunding campaign to bring back the farm after a devastating fire in 2017.

15. Sustenir Agriculture (Singapore)

Sustenir Agriculture is a vertical farm working to promote high quality, locally grown and safe food with the lowest possible footprint. The farm — in the heart of Singapore — uses the latest technology in hydroponics and smart indoor farming to produce leafy greens, tomatoes, strawberries and fresh herbs. Starting as a basement project in 2012, Sustenir produces 1 ton of kale and 3.2 tons of lettuce per month in an area of 54 square meters.

16. Urban Bees, London (United Kingdom)

Urban Bees is a social enterprise working with communities and businesses in London to help bees thrive in the city. Through education and training, the initiative raises awareness on how to create bee-friendly communities and on how to become responsible beekeepers. The first training apiary was established together with the Co-op Plan Bee in Battersea, South London. The enterprise also advises urban gardening initiatives, including Lush’s rooftop garden, to ensure that green areas install the right forage and create healthy bee habitats. Co-founder Alison Benjamin says that city residents often suffer from nature-deficit disorder and urban beekeeping is one path to reconnect with nature in the city.

This story first appeared on:  Food Tank

Lead Photo: Shutterstock Jose L VilchezView of an urban garden in the Panyu District in Guangzhou, China

Tags:  Food & Agriculture urban agriculture Technology Innovation

Agritech Business IGS Wins Innovating Scotland Award At Environment Business Awards

IGS wins Innovating Scotland award at Environment Business Awards

Agritech business shows sustainability commitment through vertical farming innovation

Edinburgh, Scotland – 20 November 2019 - Intelligent Growth Solutions Ltd (IGS), the Scottish-based indoor AgriTech and Commercial Lighting business, was one of 12 companies rewarded for a commitment to sustainability at the 20th VIBES Scottish Environment Business Awards, held in Glasgow on 14th November 2019.

Intelligent Growth Solutions was named winner in the Innovating Scotland Award category, sponsored by ScottishPower, for the way the business has combined and patented technologies to deliver total controlled environment agriculture and address challenges facing food sustainability and supply.

Innovating Scotland Award sponsor Barry Carruthers from ScottishPower with VIBES winner David Farquhar from Intelligent Growth Solutions.

David Farquhar, Chief Executive of IGS, commented: “We are so pleased to be recognized with the Innovating Scotland Award. Our commitment to delivering a sustainable future is at the heart of everything we do at IGS and has been integral to our development. We need solutions that are sustainable, economically viable and provide food security. Our systems will play a part in providing these solutions to a truly worldwide market.

“Our success is testament to the hard work and dedication of our team who work tirelessly to deliver solutions to the challenges facing global food security in an efficient and environmentally friendly way.”

At the event over 400 business figures came together to celebrate the achievements of innovative Scottish businesses which are demonstrating vision in implementing environmental best practice.

Twelve awards were presented on the day recognising the focus and efforts of a range of companies including Intelligent Growth Solutions, Diageo, and Findra in helping to meet Scotland’s ambition to be a world leader on tackling climate change and inspiring others to follow their lead.

The 2019 event marked twenty years of VIBES, which over the years has recognized 220 businesses for their commitment to sustainability within their sector. The announcement of the winners follows a rigorous judging process which included a written application, three rounds of judging panels and a site visit for each of the 36 shortlisted businesses, to assess their environmental processes.

Commenting, Bob Downes, chair of SEPA and head of the VIBES judging panel, said: “The scale of the environmental challenge facing humanity, from climate change to plastics in our oceans, is enormous, with a real urgency to act. The most successful businesses in the future will be those that are not just compliant, but which are also low carbon, low material use, low water use, and low waste, and which see environmental excellence as an opportunity. This is at the core of SEPA’s One Planet Prosperity regulatory strategy.

“It is very encouraging to see the diverse range of businesses, small and large, which are taking important steps to reduce their impact on the environment and which understand how environmental excellence can also benefit their bottom line. I would like to congratulate each of this year’s winning businesses and organizations, and hope that others will be inspired to follow in their footsteps.”

The variety of businesses awarded show that operating sustainably is an option for all, regardless of size, scale or sector. There are many benefits to be enjoyed from embracing the economic opportunity of sustainability, with winners enjoying a range of associated positives including increased resource efficiency, resilience, competitiveness as well as a stronger working culture and implemented best practice in their daily activities.

Each of the 2019 VIBES - Scottish Environment Business Awards winners is now eligible to enter the next European Business Awards for the Environment (EBAE) which is open to winners and runners up of RSA Accredited award schemes. VIBES is the only Scottish based RSA Accredited award scheme.

For more information on VIBES - Scottish Environment Business Awards please visit www.vibes.org.uk

- Ends -

About IGS: IGS was formed in 2013. Its purpose was to bring indoor horticulture to commercial reality by combining efficient internet-enabled smart lighting with automation and power management. The founders’ experience combined extensive knowledge of horticulture, industrial automation and big data. 

IGS launched its first vertical demonstration facility in August 2018 and is now selling a revolutionary controlled-environment growth system. The location of IGS’ facility at the James Hutton Institute, a world-leading crop research facility, was deliberately chosen to enhance collaboration opportunities for the benefit of customers. Scientists and researchers at the Institute are working with the team at IGS to better understand how growing indoors can impact different varieties of crop growth, as well as driving increased productivity.

For more information visit www.intelligentgrowthsolutions.com or connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

VIBES - Scottish Environment Business Awards is a strategic partnership between Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Government, Scottish Water, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Zero Waste Scotland, and Energy Saving Trust.

The Awards are further supported by CBI Scotland, the Institute of Directors, the Federation of Small Businesses, Bright Green Business, Quality Scotland and Scottish Council for Development and Industry.

The Awards are accredited by the RSA Environment Awards Accreditation Scheme (www.rsaaccreditation.org).

The full list of winners: 

• Adapting Scotland Award, sponsored by Adaptation Scotland:

• Biomatrix Water Solutions Ltd

• Circular Scotland Award, sponsored by Scottish Leather Group:

Renewable Parts Ltd– Refurbishment Centre

• Engaging Scotland Award, sponsored by Wave Utilities:

Aberdeen Performing Arts

• Hydro Nation Scotland Award, sponsored by Scottish Government:

Diageo- Leven

• Innovating Scotland Award, sponsored by Scottish Power:

Intelligent Growth Solutions

• Leadership Scotland Award, sponsored by SEPA:

ACS Clothing Ltd

• Moving Scotland Award, sponsored by TravelKnowHow

TechnipFMC

• Partnership Scotland Award, sponsored by The Glenmorangie Group

Outer Hebrides Local Energy Hub (OHLEH)

• Product Scotland Award, sponsored by Devro:

• IES

• Service Scotland Award, sponsored by Bright Green Business

Vegware

• Small Business Scotland Award, sponsored by University of Stirling Management School:

FINDRA

Scottish Innovation Provides Vision of Future Farming

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Fred Searle

BY FRED SEARLE

31st July 2019, London

AHDB PhD students visit range of fresh produce firms in Scotland to inspire research projects

The students visited Angus Soft Fruits' East Seaton Farm in Arbroath

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Students from AHDB’s £1.4 million PhD programme witnessed how the farming sector is tackling challenges such as labour and pest management on a recent visit to Scotland.

The young researchers were exposed to innovation from research facilities and growers using a range of crop systems.

There were six stops on the trip, including Scotland’s first vertical indoor farm at the James Hutton Institute; major vegetable producer Kettle Produce; one of Scotland’s leading soft fruit growers, East Seaton Farm; and Britain’s largest potato breeder, Cygnet PB.

PhD student Aaron Hoyle said: “The visit was like stepping into the future. The science in Scotland has massive economic potential for British farming and agriculture, with the added benefits of energy, water, and nutrient use efficiency; it’s going to be a very exciting time for the industry.

“The trip has motivated me to continue pursuing my passion for the industry and contribute to a revolution in crop science.”

AHDB senior crop scientist Joe Martin, who manages the studentship programme, added: “Industry depends on innovation by the best and brightest minds advancing crop science and its applications

“This annual event, taking place in different regions of the UK each year, allows students to see the impact scientific innovation has on advancing the industry, and inspire and motivate them to continue their valued research”

To continue to develop expertise, AHDB has committed £750,000 funding for academic institutions to support up to 10 new PhD studentships. Starting in 2020 these studentships will deliver new experts and science with practical benefits across agriculture and horticulture.

Click here for more information on AHDB’s PhD studentships.

NatureFresh™ Farms Reveals New Unveiled Mini Cucumbers

Leamington, ON (July 12, 2019) - NatureFresh™ Farms takes their Cucumber lineup to the next level with the launch of the new Unveiled Mini Cucumbers.

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The Unveiled Mini Cucumber is unique to its category, offering a new look with an extra crunch. A Cucumber highlighted by its pale complexion and the refreshing flavor expected from its class. These mid-sized beauties are ideal for snacks or appetizers adding a flash of color with a satisfying crunch in every bite.

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NatureFresh™ Farms has always been focused on searching for new products that stand out in flavor, quality and appearance. By trialing unique varieties in our greenhouses, they continue to discover different levels of innovation within the industry. Dedicated to research and development, NatureFresh™ Farms is excited for their future with the continuous expansion of their team, their advancements in technology and product innovation allowing them to provide fresh produce all year round.

As a company that seeks to develop new products in produce categories, NatureFresh™ Farms believes there continues to be tremendous growth potential for retailers in North America on the entire Cucumber segment. “Retailers are always looking for exciting innovations and new ways to drive categories, sales and enhance the flavor offering for their consumers. Until now, most of the seed variety innovation has revolved around the Tomato category. Our new Unveiled Mini Cucumber will help deliver some excitement for consumers and retailers alike!” explained Executive Retail Sales Account Manager; Matt Quiring. “When our discovery team first saw the Unveiled Mini Cucumber, we were attracted to the unique complexion of the product, however after tasting it, we knew instantly that there was something more to it than just looks and wanted to take this variety to the next level and go to market.”

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“This is the crunchiest Cucumber you'll ever taste!” shared Registered Dietitian Taylor Bailey. “Cucumbers are high in water, and a source of fibre and antioxidants, which makes them ideal for healthy snacking while standing out with its seemingly invisible skin and delicious crunch. The Unveiled Cucumbers are definitely a dietitian approved snack!”

Learn more here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/Bz0mbjBFvYq/

New Raft For Hydroponic Crops Such As Basil

Rosa Plast has introduced a new raft to grow basil hydroponically. Developed in collaboration with Cammelli, the companies claim that the productivity increases by 25%. "They are designed to optimize processes, logistics, maintenance, cleaning operations and, most of all, to increase productivity per square meter." 

Using the panel leads to a 25% increase in productivity, 10% less time used for harvesting, a 15% drop in transplant time and a 30% drop in cleaning time. Its long-lastingness was assessed at +400%." 

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"Thanks to our lengthy experience and our collaboration with Cammelli, we developed a panel for the cultivation of basil. The great performances were confirmed by both agronomists and producers," explains plant manager Attilio Cattaruzza. 

"In addition, no sanitation is required and the material used is entirely recyclable. The panel was designed to be used with an automated system and can be stacked."

Rosa Plast was set up in the 1960s and specializes in the construction of plastic component molds and equipment for the processing of plastic materials. A few years ago, it also started focusing on the indoor forming sector, with particular attention to designing rafts for soil-less hydroponic crops.

"Our recent experiences and the collaboration with expert producers of highly-automated systems meant we could develop a few products for hydroponic crops. We registered two patents for salad and basil rafts." 

Contacts:
Rosa Plast Srl
Z.I. Nord- Via Valcellina 1, 
33097 Spilimbergo (PN) Italy
Tel.: (+39) 0427 595311
E-mail: attilio.cattaruzza@rosagroup.com
Website: www.rosagroup.com

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Publication date: 7/1/2019 
© HortiDaily.com

AgraME Launches AgraTech To Showcase Tech Innovations In Agribusiness

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21 May 2019, Dubai, UAE:

The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionised the world we live in, pervading into our daily lives through our homes and businesses. Revolutionising agriculture, IoT has provided the industry with invaluable data that may have not been accessible previously.

AgraME has recently introduced ‘AgraTech’ – A platform for the display of technological advancements to the regional market and to promote knowledge sharing between global and local industry leaders.

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With a variety of innovative products and services now available, including cloud solutions, farm automation, UAVs, soil sensors, farm management platforms, climate control, robotics and more, AgraTech will open a wealth of opportunity in the agricultural industry in the Middle East and Africa.

Governments in the region are also backing the move to modern farming techniques through various projects as well as investment in to the sector.

In the UAE, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi has approved a series of incentive packages totalling up to AED1 billion ($272 million) for local and international AgTech firms.

The UAE  has also seen a pilot project that used UAVs, commonly known as drones, to create a highly accurate agricultural database that supports decision-making and forward planning by enabling the best use of resources and determining the optimum areas for crop growth.

In Saudi Arabia, Red Sea Farms, another AgTech company, will utilise engineering and plant science to grow saltwater-tolerant crops with plans to produce 50 tons of tomatoes annually by 2020.

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Commenting on the addition to the show, Sheetij Taneja, Exhibition Manager, AgraME said, ‘AgraTech is an overarching sector that covers all our present sectors – Animal Farming and Health, Aquaculture and Crop farming.’

‘By providing the industry with access to products, solutions and technical know-how to implement AgTech, we hope to help farmers in the Middle East and Africa automate processes, improve efficiency, increase monitoring, and capture meaningful, actionable data.’

In addition to the exhibition, the AgraME Conference will bring together local and international experts to discuss the AgTech landscape in the Middle East and Africa, best practises to improve the technical know-how of farmers within the region.

Key AgTech exhibitors at AgraME 2019 included Sage, Aritmos, Apisa, Certhon, Deep Trekker, Delta T Devices, Intravision Group, Roam Technology, Veggitech and more.

Focusing on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, AgraME will continue to focus on goal 2, zero hunger through AgraTech. ‘By increasing analytics within farms, we can ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, help maintain ecosystems and strengthen capacity’ noted Taneja

Taking place from the 3 – 5 March 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE, AgraME welcomes global leaders in Animal farming and health, Aquaculture and Crop farming to the UAE, providing the Middle East and Africa with valuable information and knowledge.

For More Information,

Please contact Sheetij Taneja at +971 4 336 5161

or info@agramiddleeast.com

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DE/EN): Six Candidates Nominated For The Innovation Award “Hemp Product of The Year 2019”

27.05.2019

For the second time, the innovation award “Hemp Product of the Year” will be granted to the young, innovative hemp industry for finding suitable applications and markets for industrial hemp-based products. 

Focus of the award is on new developments within these business areas. The winners will be elected at the “16th EIHA Hemp Conference”, 5 - 6 June 2019 in Cologne, Germany (http://www.eiha-conference.org). The conference is the oldest and largest conference on industrial hemp worldwide. Six new materials and products out of 30 applications have been nominated by a jury. After a short presentation of the six candidates, the three winners will be elected by the participants of the conference and honoured with the innovation award, sponsored by HempFlax from The Netherlands.

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What to expect – the “Top 6” candidates in detail:

Academy of Design and Crafts Münster (DE): Light Sculptures Monas

The innovative design light sculptures are made of hemp cellulose. For the production of the handmade paper, the artists used hemp cellulose (Cannabis sativa) and potato flour. The round and damp handmade paper sheets dry directly on the wire frame where it is attached. As the damp fibres links together in a natural way, usage of additional glue is not necessary. To improve the stability, certain functional characteristics and for paper finishing, paper pulp is mixed with environmentally friendly wall paper paste. Later the mixture and strips of paper are applied in layers. After the drying process, the wire frame is pressed together and is removed. http://www.akademie-gestaltung.de

BAFA Neu GmbH (DE): Absolute HempProtein 

The innovative hemp protein powder contains over 70% complete protein. It has a nutty taste and white colour. It has a creamy texture, is mixable with liquids and it doesn’t contain insoluble fibre fractions. The hemp protein powder is naturally white which ensures great bright colours in shakes when mixed with fresh fruit such as strawberries, raspberries or mango. This product is 100% natural and is also available in a certified organic version. Hemp protein powder is an ideal protein supplement for athletic vegetarians and vegans. It is allergen free and a complete protein. http://www.bafa-gmbh.de

hanfwerk Feinkostmanufaktur UG / haftungsbeschränkt (DE): Hanfling – Hanfling Bombay – Hanfling Chorizo 

The Hanfling is an organic, vegan friendly product in three different tastes: Hanfling Nature, Hanfling Bombay and Hanfling Chorizo. These can be eaten raw, but also fried, grilled or toasted, used as a patty for a burger or in a caper sauce (“Königsberger Hanfling”). This product needs to be refrigerated with an expiry date of 6 months. hanfwerk uses hemp seeds as the main ingredient as well as self-made hemp-tofu. The product is available in around 100 organic supermarkets in Germany. http://www.hanfwerk.de

Hempster HB (SE): Raw Vegan Shake

Raw Vegan Shake is a fresh, yummy, organic hemp drink designed to optimize the nutritional benefit of hemp seeds. It is locally produced and comes in four flavours: Chocolate, Chai Latte, Cocos and Vanilla Malt. This shake is ideal for breakfast, as a nourishing snack or as an energy drink and it contains high-quality and valuable essential nutrients. Through a unique production method, Hempster has created a product which ticks all the boxes and gives the customer a pleasant, satisfying drinking experience. http://www.hempster.se

Hemptouch d.o.o. (SI): Hemptouch Balancing Face Cream

Hemptouch Balancing Face Cream is a first ever skin care product formulated with a unique trilogy of industrial hemp extracts such as hemp hydrolate, Cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp seed oil. This innovative face cream combats blemished and acne-prone skin, one of the biggest segments in skin care industry. It brings a brand-new approach to the fight against acne and oily skin, proving that hemp is a powerful alternative to over the counter medicine. Hemp hydrolate has antimicrobial properties, visibly tightens pores and smooths skin texture. CBD extract helps to control excess oil production which prevents blemishes and purifies acne-prone skin. Hemp seed oil with its nurturing omega acids restores healthy-looking radiance. This cream is dermatologically tested, proven to reduce the secretion of sebum. http://www.hemptouch.com

Trifilon AB (SE): Trifilon BioLite – Trolley Case made of PP Hemp Fibre

Trifilon offers with BioLite a green alternative to plastics. BioLite is a polypropylene that is reinforced with 30% hemp fibres. Hemp makes for some of the world’s strongest natural fibres, the products made with BioLite are strong, light and durable. BioLite’s hemp fibres enhance and improve material properties for many applications – the high quality trolley case is just one example. This technology gives manufacturers a way to meaningfully begin working with renewable feedstocks and an excellent one is hemp. http://www.trifilon.com

More than 350 participants from 40 countries are expected to attend the “16th EIHA Hemp Conference”, 5 - 6 June 2019 in Cologne, Germany, the oldest and largest conference on industrial hemp worldwide. The exhibition taking place during the conference includes 27 exhibition stands and is already fully booked. 

All information, registration and the conference programme are available at http://www.eiha-conference.org  

The nova-Institute would like to acknowledge HempFlax (NL) for sponsoring the renowned innovation award “Hemp Product of the Year”. Agropro (LT), GenCanna Global (US), MH medical hemp (DE) and Hempro (DE) are supporting the conference as Gold Sponsors, Fundación CANNA (ES) and Gilson International B.V. Germany (DE) as Silver Sponsors and Canah International (RO) as Bronze Sponsor. BaFa Neu (DE) is sponsor of the hemp beer. 

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Seeds&Chips Global Food Innovation Summit 2019: Sparking Change

The fifth edition of the Seeds&Chips Global Food Innovation Summit May 6-9, 2019 will gather a community of entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, leaders, and activists that push for a sustainable future in food and agriculture. Food Tank President Danielle Nierenberg will participate in the summit, held in Milan, Italy, to inspire solutions for feeding the future.

The summit will gather speakers tasked with inspiring attendees to do more for a sustainable food future. Award-winning actor and activist Alec Baldwin will talk about feeding the world and reducing environmental impacts in a keynote presentation. Innovators like Fabrice DeClerck, Science Director at EAT & Bioversity International, and Thomas King, founder and CEO of Food Frontier, will discuss optimizing foodtech sector. Amongst many special guests, HRH Princess Viktória de Bourbon de Parme and Olusegum Obasanjo, Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will highlight opportunities for sustainable development and agriculture around the world.

On May 6, Danielle will participate in the Opening Ceremony and the session “Hand Made Tale: The Innovative Women Solving Our Global Food Challenges” with women like Susan Rockefeller, Board Member of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture and Angeline Achariya, CEO of Monash Food Innovation Centre. Danielle will discuss collaborations in the foodtech sector at “Common Ground: Synergy and Solutions for the Next Food System” on May 7, alongside innovative business executives. In the May 8 session “The Food Fight: podcast debates on the food system’s biggest challenges,” hosted by EIT Food, Danielle will explore whether producers or consumers should be responsible for ensuring people eat healthy food with nutritionists and CEOs alike.

Food Tank’s Francesca Tabor will judge the Sustainable Snacking Pitch Competition, co-hosted by Mondelēz International and Seeds&Chips, on May 6. The pitch competition will gather start-ups and entrepreneurs to share their innovative solutions in not only alternative snacks and ingredients, but also food waste reduction, sustainable packaging, sustainable sourcing, responsible supply chain practices, and more. Competition winners, selected by SnackFutures, Seeds&Chips, and Food Tank, will gain access to Mondelēz’s innovation acceleration workshops which will allow Mondelēz teams to help refine the solution’s concepts.

On May 7, Food Tank, Mondelēz International, and Seeds&Chips will co-host an evening panel event at Carlo e Camilla, in Segheria, a renowned restaurant reinventing conviviality around the dinner table. On the backdrop of hors d’oeuvres specially designed by chefs Carlo Cracco and Luca Pedata, Danielle will discuss Mondelēz’s new innovation hub for creating a sustainable food system—SnackFutures—with Brigette Wolf, Head of SnackFutures. Then, Danielle will invite Danielle Gould, founder of Food + Tech Connect and co-CEO of Alpha Food Labs, and Pashon Murray, founder of Detroit Dirt, on stage to talk about the contributions companies play in food and sustainability.

Seeds&Chips will debut a new discussion series “It’s Time for Africa,” focusing on Africa’s potential in growing a sustainable and inclusive economy—and a model for development across the world. Danielle will participate in the inaugural series on May 7 at the session “Bridging the Gap between Surplus and Scarcity: Opportunities of Food Innovation,” offering insight on the opportunities food innovation offers for social and economic development in Africa.

As part of its mission to create a better food system for future generations, the summit will feature food innovators as young as 13 years old on each of the over 30 sessions. With the pressure of the rising population, increasing number of hungry people, and arriving climate change impacts, the young innovators will offer new directions and innovative solutions to sustainably feed everyone.

Over 300 speakers throughout the event will contribute their solutions to improve precision agriculture, traceability, artificial intelligence, investment, open innovation, and more. Exhibitors will include companies and innovations from every part of the food system, ranging from Agtools, data services to help farmers maximize their farms and buyers understand product availability, to Redefine Meat, a 3-D printing plant-based beef company.

Tickets are still available here. Access a 50 percent discount by using the code FOODTANKSAC19.

OUR FANTASTIC SPEAKERS 2019

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ALEC BALDWIN

SUSAN ROCKEFELLER

RAJIV SHAH

RADEK SALI

PASCAL CAGNI

OLUSEGUN OBASANJO

NICOLAS DUFOURCQ

MARIA HELENA SEMEDO

LIAM CONDON

KERRY KENNEDY

KAMEL CHIDA

HRH PRINCESS VIKTÓRIA DE BOURBON DE PARME

HOWARD-YANA SHAPIRO

HEATHER MILLS

DANIELLE NIERENBERG

EREL N. MARGALIT

DAVID BARBER

CRAIG COGUT

BERNARDO HERNANDEZ

ANDY ZYNGA

THE SUMMIT

What we grow from the Earth, and from our minds, can shape the future of food

Seeds&Chips S.r.l. a socio unico - Via F. Ferrucci, 2, 20145 Milano

P.IVA 08798680966

T: +39 02 49796724

MAY 6 - 9, 2019 
MILANO

SEPT. 3 - 5 2019 
AUSTRALIA

JUNE 23 - 25 2019 
USA

Use of Coco Coir To Grow Substantially Over The Next Decades

With a history of only 25 years, coco is a relatively new product in the horticultural industry. Its popularity has been on a continuous rise and is expected to keep on growing over the next couple of years. “The European growing industry was very peat minded, but this has changed. Nowadays peat and coco are fully compliant raw materials being used in the production of potting soil”, Geerten van Eldik with Fibredust tells us. That’s why the company recently joined Growing Media Europe – the first coco producer to do so.

The global substrate market is always on the move. Since its introduction, over 20 years ago, coir has gained ground rapidly in North, Central and South America, as well as Asia. Making it possible for growers to start hydroponic cultivation in an affordable way, and therefore offering higher yield levels and the possibility to avoid diseases while still mono cropping, the use of coco grew alongside the use of hydroponics. In Europe, the rise of coir hasn’t been as mad, as many growers were already familiar with substrate growing when coco entered the industry.

“Currently about 12.5% of global growing media being used is coir, as researched by Wageningen UR and RHP”, Geerten continues. This percentage is expected to grow further. Wageningen UR researcher Chris Blok estimates the amount of coco being used, currently 5 million m3, might even multiply by seven over the next couple of years. With both the production and the use of peat being limited more and more, an alternative is needed. And coco could be it.” Nowadays soft fruit is changing the industry. “In America, the market for coco slabs is growing thanks to the popularity of the product in crops such as soft fruit and cannabis. In Europe, bulk is key and since peat is a complete raw material, it's of good use in this industry. The use of slabs could grow in the next couple of years, but nowadays we see coir is being used as an alternative to peat in the mix of potting soils”, Geerten explains."

FibreDust India production location Anar Coir. About 40 hectare drying and processing facilities.

Team Fibre Dust India - Anar Coir - visited by Geerten

The USA sales team

Challenges
Being a reusable product, a product of nature and an easy to use substrate, coco is favored by more and more growers. However, coco is facing challenges as well. As a product of nature, the residual product from the coconut growing industry, coir had to deal with supplying issues due to climate circumstances in production regions in India and Sri Lanka. 

By spreading their production over various Indian and Sri Lankan facilities and investing in the production chain, Fibredust has been able to solve the issues and secure their supply for the future. “Drying the raw material is an important topic. We’re testing this thoroughly and are nearly there, but it’s a complicated matter: you do not want to adjust the internal quality of the material. We’re looking for the perfect way to ensure our buffering quality whilst maximizing the output and keeping an eye out on the energy costs.” In the production chain, water and transport are also of concern. “With a special system we collect a lot of rainwater, which can be used in the process. By using a reverse osmosis system, we are able to re-use the water and since the buffering process is optimised, we can buffer large amounts of peat in a short time. With investments like these we want to keep investing in the sustainability of the industry. We expect this will result in an RHP certificate in 2019 as well.”

The USA sales team

Geerten with Satheesh Rao

Coco is bought based on trust
“Coco is bought based on trust”, Geerten continues. “On the outside, you cannot see if a product is good or bad, and since the delivery time is four weeks, the problems are big when there’s something wrong with the product. That’s why to us, trust in the company is valued highly.” Certificates like SA8000 and ISO14000, ISO9001 and OMRO are examples of this – but there’s more. This year Fibredust joined Growing Media Europe, the body representing the growing media industry and known for being a rockwool-peat organization.

“The European growing industry was very peat-minded, and peat and coco were even competing, but this has changed. Peat and coco are fully compliant as raw materials being used in the production of potting soil, and the choice is for the grower to make.” With the importance of coco growing, the interests of the coco industry have grown as well. “The industry needs to be represented”, says Geerten.

For example, the import of coco material into Europe has attracted interest from the European Commission. “With coco being officially a plant waste, it was said every consignment had to be tested separately before it could be imported. With thousands of containers being imported, that would be an immense setback. Thanks to the effort made by the coco industry and the network and support of Growing Media Europe, this plan was torpedoed. We’re proud to be a part of this. Of course we’re Fibredust and are a commercial company, but the major issues of the industry concern us as well. If the industry flourishes, we flourish as well.”

For more information

FibreDust LLC

T: 860-613-0077 

customer.support@fiberdust.com 

www.fibredust.com

Stop & Shop Sending Produce In Self-Driving Grocery Vehicles

JANUARY 16, 2019

Stop & Shop will launch driverless grocery vehicles in the greater Boston area beginning this spring. The vehicles will bring a selection of Stop & Shop produce as well as meal kits and convenience items directly to customers so they can shop right at their doorsteps.

Part of an engagement with San Francisco-based startup Robomart, the vehicles will address consumers’ growing interest in selecting their own fresh produce when shopping via online or mobile and will deliver an even more convenient grocery shopping experience for Stop & Shop customers in the Boston area. The new service will also offer the potential for the brand to expand beyond its existing brick-and-mortar stores.

“This is one way in which we’re leveraging new technology to make shopping easier for our customers – by essentially bringing the store to them,” said Mark McGowan, Stop & Shop president. “We also recognize that many of our customers want the opportunity to make their own choices when it comes to fresh produce, and we're proud to be the first retailer to engage with Robomart to address our customers’ needs with their cutting-edge solution.”

Stop & Shop customers in the Boston area can summon a Robomart vehicle with a smartphone app. Upon the vehicle’s arrival, they head outside, unlock the vehicle’s doors and then personally select the fruits, vegetables and other products they would like to purchase. When finished shopping, they simply close the doors and send the vehicle on its way. The vehicles’ RFID and computer vision technology automatically records what customers select to provide for a checkout-free experience, with receipts emailed within seconds.

“For decades, consumers had the convenience of their local greengrocer and milkman coming door to door, and we believe that by leveraging driverless technology we can recreate that level of convenience and accessibility,” said Robomart founder and CEO Ali Ahmed. “We’re extremely excited to bring our vision to life with Stop & Shop, one of the most pioneering and forward-thinking grocery chains in the world.”

All Robomart vehicles are autonomous, electric and remotely piloted from a Robomart facility. Throughout their delivery journey, these refrigerated vehicles will be restocked with fresh Stop & Shop goods to ensure customers are provided with the best selection.

The collaboration with Robomart is the latest example of Stop & Shop’s efforts to tap technology to enhance the grocery shopping experience and increase efficiencies. The brand recently opened a mechanized micro-fulfillment center in the Hartford, CT, area in partnership with Takeoff Technologies and, along with Giant/Martin’s, is introducing hundreds of robots in its stores.

Other Ahold Delhaize brands are investing in innovation as well, including Albert Heijn with the upcoming launch of the first fully automated distribution center in the Netherlands. Further, Ahold Delhaize is partnering with universities through its Artificial Intelligence for Retail Lab to accelerate research in AI and robotics.