Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
Why We Believe Vertical, Urban Farming Can Help Save The Planet!
Conventional industrial farming contributes significantly to issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss and the release of carbon emissions
Sophie | 2020
Our vertical, hydroponic farm based in Paddington, London.
Increasingly, we are all becoming aware of the negative impact of our food system on the environment. As individuals many of us are taking action to reduce the environmental impact of our diets, whether we’re reducing our meat and dairy consumption by trying out ‘meat-free Mondays’ or ‘veganuary’, buying zero waste foods, trying to buy more locally produced food or even growing our own.
Ultimately, we are looking for ways to minimize the negative environmental impacts of our food system. At Square Mile Farms, we believe that urban farming can play an important role in building a sustainable food system. Not only can we reduce food miles and prevent natural habitats from being converted for growing, we can also re-engage people to help them understand how food reaches their plates, which we believe is essential to enact real change going forward.
How does the current food system negatively impact the environment?
Conventional industrial farming contributes significantly to issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, and the release of carbon emissions. According to the Food Climate Research Network, the global food system is responsible for around 20-30% of greenhouse gas emissions. The WWF notes that food is responsible for 60% of global biodiversity loss and the UNFAO records that food production accounts for 70% of freshwater withdrawals.
The clearing of forests for livestock or growing crops is doubly concerning: not only do these practices have their own environmental impacts, e.g. methane emissions and issues related to fertilizer run-off, but they are also destroying forests which are important ‘carbon sinks’, absorbing approximately 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide yearly according to the UN.
Clearly, our current food system is flawed and this is only set to worsen as demands increase.
Infographic from: FCRN, ‘What is the food system’s contribution to the global GHG emissions total?’
Growing pressures on the food system
By 2050 the UN predicts the world population will grow to 9 billion: this is expected to require 60% more food and increase demand for water by 20% in the agriculture sector alone. So we need to find ways of making the food system more sustainable. We need to increase food production, while minimizing the environmental impact, or ideally making it negligible.
How can hydroponic farming in offices lessen the environmental impact of our food system?
We believe hydroponic, vertical farming is part of the solution to this issue. This method of growing food uses around 90% less water than conventional agricultural systems and can increase crop yields by up to 500%. So we can tackle two key problems in our current food system, the demand for water (by using considerably less) and the spatial impact (growing vertically allows a much more efficient use of space). By using existing urban spaces, such as workplaces, we can grow veg and herbs without converting more land for agricultural purposes.
Growing in offices also has the benefit of reducing food miles. By bringing food production to population centers, and further to that, by bringing it to people’s workplaces we are able to provide fresh produce where people are. If you’re taking home fresh produce once a week from work, there are virtually no food miles involved as you’d be traveling to and from work anyway!
Our office farm installations.
Another important way in which office farming can help improve our food system is by re-engaging consumers in cities. Writing for the World Economic Forum, Ellen MacArthur, a champion of Circular Economy, emphasized the important role cities will have in achieving a sustainable food system, especially because “80% of all food is expected to be consumed in cities by 2050”. She notes that cities should source food locally where possible and that they should avoid being “passive consumers” and instead, use their demand power to reward responsible farming practices. Office farming allows us to bring food production to the forefront of people’s minds, driving engagement, and encouraging conversation around our food system. We believe this is vital in order to educate and to inspire the change that we need to secure a sustainable future.
We believe that individual action is important when it comes to enacting change, but to achieve this we need innovative ideas that make it achievable for consumers to make such changes a reality. That’s why we bring urban farming to offices. We install farm walls and displays to improve employee wellbeing, drive engagement, and of course, provide fresh, nutritious produce. If you’d like to find out more about our offering click here.
You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive weekly tips and advice on sustainable living, as well as a round-up of relevant news.
Sources:
Bradley, P. and Marulanda, C., ‘Simplified Hydroponics to Reduce Global Hunger’, Acta Hortic. 554, 289-296.
Innovate UK, ‘Predictions - The Future of Food’.
MacArthur, Ellen, ‘Our food system is no longer fit for the 21st century’.
FCRN, ‘What is the food system’s contribution to the global GHG emissions total?'
UNFAO, ‘Water’.
UNFAO, ‘Water Use’.
UN News, ‘Climate Change’.
WWF, ‘Why we’re working on food’.
UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme, ‘The United Nations world water development report, 2016’.
Urban Farming: Four Reasons It Should Flourish Post-Pandemic
Since lockdown, public interest in growing fruit and vegetables at home has soared. Seed packets are flying off shelves and allotment waiting lists are swelling, with one council receiving a 300% increase in applications
Since lockdown, public interest in growing fruit and vegetables at home has soared. Seed packets are flying off shelves and allotment waiting lists are swelling, with one council receiving a 300% increase in applications. Fear of food shortages will have motivated some, but others with more time on their hands at home will have been tempted by the chance to relieve stress doing a wholesome family activity.
The seeds of enthusiasm for home-grown food may have been sown, but sustaining this is essential. Urban farming has much to offer in the wake of the pandemic. It could help communities boost the resilience of their fresh fruit and vegetable supplies, improve the health of residents and help them lead more sustainable lifestyles.
Here are four reasons why food growing should become a perennial feature in our gardens, towns and cities after COVID-19.
1. Growing greener towns and cities
More than half of the global population lives in urban areas, and this is expected to rise to 68% by 2050. For the UK, this is even higher – nine out of 10 people are expected to live in towns and cities by this time.
Weaving food growing into the fabric of urban life could bring greenery and wildlife closer to home. The COVID-19 lockdown helped reawaken interest in growing at home, but one in eight UK households have no access to a garden. Thankfully, the opportunities for urban farming extend beyond these: rooftops, walls – and even underground spaces, such as abandoned tunnels or air raid shelters, offer a range of options for expanding food production in cities while creatively redeveloping the urban environment.
Edible rooftops, walls, and verges can also help reduce flood risk, provide natural cooling for buildings and streets, and help reduce air pollution.
Paris hosts the largest urban rooftop farm in Europe. EPA-EFE/Mohammed Badra
2. Resilient food supplies
Diversifying where and how we grow our food helps spread the risk of disruption to food supplies.
The UK’s reliance on imports has been growing in recent decades. Currently, 84% of fruit and 46% of vegetables consumed in the UK are imported. Brexit and COVID-19 could threaten the steady supply, while the problems created by climate change, such as water scarcity, risk disrupting imports of food from abroad.
Growing fruit and vegetables in towns and cities would help resist these shocks. The harvest labour shortages seen during the pandemic might not have been felt as keenly if urban farms were growing food right where people live.
Vertical and underground crops are more resilient to extreme weather or pests, indoor growing environments are easier to control than those in the field, and temperature and humidity is more stable underground. The high start-up costs and energy bills for this type of farming has meant that indoor farms currently produce a small number of high-value crops, such as leafy greens and herbs. But as the technology matures, the diversity of produce grown indoors will expand.
À lire aussi : Vertical farms offer a bright future for hungry cities
3. Healthier lives
Getting out into nature and gardening can improve your mental health and physical fitness. Our research suggests that getting involved in urban food growing, or just being exposed to it in our daily lives, may also lead to healthier diets.
Urban growers may be driven to make healthier food choices for a whole range of reasons. They have greater access to fresh fruit and vegetables and getting outdoors and into nature can help reduce stress, making people less likely to make unhealthy food choices. Our study suggested that urban food growing can also help change attitudes towards food, so that people place more value in produce that’s sustainable, healthy, and ethically sourced.
4. Healthier ecosystems
While urbanization is regarded as one of the biggest threats to biodiversity, growing food in towns and cities has been shown to boost the abundance and diversity of wildlife, as well as protect their habitats.
A recent study found that community gardens and allotments act as hotspots for pollinating insects, because they tend to contain a diverse range of fruiting and native plants.
Vegetables, like this courgette, can produce flowers for pollinators to enjoy. Natakim/Shutterstock
If designed and implemented properly, allotments and community gardens can really benefit biodiversity. Not only should barren spaces be converted into green and productive plots, it’s also important that there are connections between these environments to help wildlife move between them.
Canals and cycle paths can act as these wildlife corridors. As we begin to diversify the spaces used to grow food, particularly those on our rooftops and underground, an exciting challenge will be finding novel ways of connecting them for wildlife. Green bridges have been shown to help wildlife cross busy roads – perhaps similar crossings could link rooftop gardens.
All these reasons and more should compel us to scale up food production in towns in cities. COVID-19 has given us cause to reevaluate how important local urban green spaces are to us, and what we want from our high streets, parks, and pavements. Judging by the garden center sales, allotment lists, and social media, many people have decided they want more fruit and veggies in those spaces. The opportunity is there for urban planners and developers to consider what bringing farming to urban landscapes could offer.
Lead photo: Joshua Resnick/Shutterstock
Déclaration d’intérêts
Senior Research Associate in Physical Geography, Lancaster University
Does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Chair Professor in Sustainability, Lancaster University
Receives funding from the UK Research and Innovation Council and the European Commission. The research described here was funded under the Global Food Security’s ‘Resilience of the UK Food System Programme’, with support from BBSRC, ESRC, NERC, and The Scottish Government (BB/S01425X/1).
Europe's Largest Rooftop Farm Gets Growing Again After Paris Lockdown
On the top of a major exhibition complex in the south of Paris is a farm with a difference. The Nature Urbaine project is the largest of its type in Europe. Extending over 14,000 square meters, the project is aiming to become a model for sustainable production
13-Jul-2020
Ross Cullen in Paris
On the top of a major exhibition complex in the south of Paris is a farm with a difference.
The Nature Urbaine project is the largest of its type in Europe.
Extending over 14,000 square meters, the project is aiming to become a model for sustainable production.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of daily life and Paris authorities are hoping to make a permanent shift to more fruit and vegetable production sites in the heart of the city.
The city-farm project on the rooftop provides a chance for people to rent spaces to produce their own fruit and vegetables.
Our project is based on the genuine willingness to put some sense back to the city
- Sophie Hardy, director of the Urbaine project, wants to bring nature back to Paris
The Paris authorities are trying to grow greener models of sustainability through projects like this.
"Our project is based on the genuine willingness to put some sense back to the city, to support its resilience," Sophie Hardy, the director of Nature Urbaine, told CGTN Europe.
"Also to imagine how it could be more virtuous and how we can bring nature back in a city that pushed nature away for so many years."
Read more: COVID-19 and the city: The future of pandemic-proofed buildings
But a farm in a city runs the risk of plant growth being affected by the toxic fumes of road traffic.
Emissions of nitrogen dioxide have more than doubled in the French capital since the end of lockdown in mid-May.
Camille Billiemaz, a vegetable production manager at Nature Urbaine, told CGTN Europe that "with some plants, where the root system is protected, the plant doesn't absorb the pollution."
The Nature Urbaine Project is the largest of its kind in Europe and aims to become a model for sustainable production. /CGTN
"As for the produce grown in the water system, we check that pollution stays low," she says.
"We still advise people to wash the vegetables before eating it, but we conform to pollution thresholds."
During lockdown, this urban farm had an agreement with the local authority to deliver vegetable baskets to online customers.
And while the rooftop may not yet be crowded with amateur farmers, there is an enthusiasm for local shopping at the heart of French cuisine.
The creators of the project want Parisians to change their consumer habits and grow their own fruit and vegetables on rented plots. /CGTN
Weekly markets are a tradition across France, with many people still preferring to shop there rather than at big chain stores.
The sense of community at Nature Urbaine is a positive aspect.
But there are economic and cultural challenges for projects like this, says Frederic Madre, a biodiversity researcher.
"Urban farms are quite expensive to build, so local communities are not really able to pay for it.
"There are also problems linked to the fact that the majority of the population is disconnected from nature. And you can't respect what you don't know. But we hope people will change their consumer habits."
Shipping Container Farms Come to London as Growers Ditch Soil
In the era of climate change and Brexit, British farming is facing unprecedented challenges. How to supply environmentally friendly, locally sourced, and competitively priced food?
Vegetables Are Grown Vertically Supplied With Nutrient-Rich Water
20 June 2020
Racks of vegetables grown in a shipping container in London CREDIT: Fiona Hanson
In the era of climate change and Brexit, British farming is facing unprecedented challenges. How to supply environmentally friendly, locally sourced, and competitively priced food?
One part of the answer could lie in a shipping container in an east London car park, just moment’s away from the capital’s business district. Inside are racks of leafy green vegetables, grown vertically using hydroponic technology. Instead of being planted in soil, the vegetables are plugged into a system of nutrient-rich water and kept at the optimal temperature, under specially designed lighting.
The result is flavorsome lettuces, kale, basil, and other leaves, free of pesticides and using up to 95 percent less water than traditional agriculture over a fraction of the space. The shipping containers, which are custom made, mean the produce can be located virtually on the doorstep of its market, effectively eliminating food miles.“
Traditional organic farming is not sustainable if we're going to feed a population,” says Sebastian Sainsbury, the founder of Crate to Plate, which has just had its first harvest.
Not only does Crate to Plate use otherwise wasted space - these three shipping containers can grow the equivalent of an acre’s soil - but the proximity to customers keeps the produce fresh.“ When you harvest the lettuce from the soil, within 48 hours, you've lost 40 percent of the nutritional value. And it goes down every day,”
Indoor farming has boomed in recent years, particularly in the US, where Mr. Sainsbury lived until recently and where he developed his business.
But the UK is yet to fully capitalize on its opportunities, says Dr. Robert Hancock of the James Hutton Institute, which is supporting pioneering vertical farming techniques from its facility in Dundee.“
Even with current technologies and current efficiencies, there's probably a lot more that can be done. And I think that indoor farming can interface a lot more with the broader agricultural picture,” he said.
Lead Farmer of Crate to Plate, a hydroponic vertical farm producing leafy greens and herbs.
CREDIT: Fiona Hanson
Environment Secretary George Eustice this week said vertical farming would have a vital role to play in helping British farming meet the challenges of climate change and post-Brexit food security.
“There are a lot of pressures on land use,” he told the parliamentary environment committee, highlighting “the tricky issue” of repairing biodiversity and soil health in our intensely farmed landscapes.
Mr. Hancock highlighted the UK’s strawberry industry, which relies on imports of propagated plants from the Netherlands, as one example of where indoor farming could boost British production. Britain produces just 7 percent of its fruit and 53 percent of its vegetables. But ultimately, he says, vertical farming can only ever be part of the answer and will likely be limited to salads, berries, and niche crops.
“The replacement for calorie crops I don't think is ever going to happen,” he said.
Crate to Plate is the latest of several hydroponic farming ventures started by those outside of traditional agriculture (Mr. Sainsbury is an ex-banker), many of which haven’t translated to long-term success. The key to seeing vertical farming at scale will be getting more existing farmers on board, says Mr. Hancock.“
They understand the economics of growing.
And they also understand the routes to market,” he said.
The government is hoping that the end of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy could be a chance for new blood to enter the agricultural industry, and will offer older farmers a “golden handshake” if they retire early.
Mr. Sainsbury employs three recent agricultural graduates and says the younger generation are eager to explore new technologies. He has also had interest from farmers keen to locate his shipping containers on their land.
So far, Crate to Plate’s economies of scale and niche produce puts them out of reach of the average supermarket shopper (think £10+ salads marketed to City workers). But they have hopes of moving into residential areas, amid a growing trend for urban farming. The dream, says Mr. Sainsbury, would be a vegetable farm in every urban neighborhood, manned by a dedicated farmer and producing fresh produce for everyone to buy.“
The aim is to make it as local as possible,” he said.
Farms of The Future: The Paris Rooftops At The Heart of an Urban Revolution
A bumblebee zig-zags through rows of lettuce, over a healthy patch of red peppers and lingers next to a juicy strawberry, before buzzing away and off the rooftop of a six-story building in central Paris. Based on the top floor of a municipal swimming pool in the busy Marais district, this thriving city farm is at the heart of an urban food revolution in the French capital
Words by Peter Yeung
June 3, 2020
The world's largest urban farm is opening in the French capital and will soon produce around 1,000kg of organic produce every day
A bumblebee zig-zags through rows of lettuce, over a healthy patch of red peppers and lingers next to a juicy strawberry, before buzzing away and off the rooftop of a six-story building in central Paris.
Based on the top floor of a municipal swimming pool in the busy Marais district, this thriving city farm is at the heart of an urban food revolution in the French capital.
Opened in 2017 by Agripolis, it is part of a series of City Hall-led projects, called Parisculteurs, which will see 100 hectares of vegetation planted across Paris by the end of the year. Agripolis alone has 10 farms running or in planning around the city.
The farm’s vertical system is closed-loop, doesn’t waste any water, and doesn’t use pesticides. In season, it produces some 20-30,000 portions of fruit, salad, and vegetables. It has come to be a blueprint for changing how the city eats.
“We don’t throw anything away,” says Pascal Hardy, an agronomist and the founder of Agripolis, who only entered the world of urban farming in 2015 by growing vegetables on the roof of his Parisian apartment.
“My principal motivation has always been environmental. Our farms are great for biodiversity and efficiency, and they have a very low carbon footprint.”
Agripolis is also set to unveil a 14,000sq m farm atop the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, an exhibition center in the south-west of the city. The project was due to open in April but this had to be delayed because of the lockdown in France in response to the pandemic. When it opens at the end of June, it will be the largest urban rooftop farm in the world – and the largest urban farm of any kind in Europe. With more than 30 different plant species, the Porte de Versailles site will produce around 1,000kg of goods every day in high season. The first harvest of greens is expected after a month.
Visitors will be able to eat at a 300-cover on-site restaurant, attend educational tours and even lease small vegetable plots of their own. The all-organic produce, cultivated by around 20 gardeners, will be grown using aeroponic vertical farming methods.
We don’t throw anything away
“Our produce will be available across the whole of the city in a variety of shops, restaurants, and schemes,” adds Hardy.
There’s evidence that Hardy’s urban farms will be a success. “We’ve had a huge demand for their products, with customers asking specifically for Agripolis produce,” says Jeremy, an assistant at a nearby shop that has been stocking food from the Marais farm for six months. “We just need to cross the road to get the products.”
For now, Hardy’s main challenge is reducing the relatively premium cost of city-grown food, although advances in technology mean it continues to become cheaper. Coupled with low emissions and almost no “food miles”, the few extra cents could be a small price to pay.
Main image: Agripolis
Indoor Soilless Agriculture Could Supplement US Food Supply While Decreasing Environmental Impact of Food Production
WWF Report Examines the Environmental and Economic Viability of Scaling Indoor Agriculture Systems
WWF Report Examines the Environmental and Economic Viability of Scaling Indoor Agriculture Systems
WASHINGTON, DC – WEBWIRE
May 18, 2020
The Markets Institute at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released an Innovation Analysis examining the environmental impact of various systems of indoor soilless farming. These systems include hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics in greenhouse and vertical settings. At scale, this method of farming could have positive effects on the environment by decreasing pressures on land, biodiversity, natural habitat, and climate. However, the industry also faces hurdles that prevent it from moving beyond its current specialization in high-end leafy greens.
“Indoor soilless farming could have a significant impact on how we grow food in the future, in certain categories. Right now we are looking at whether or not it can be viable—both economically and environmentally—to grow more fruits and vegetables in these systems at a large scale,” said Julia Kurnik, director of innovation start-ups at WWF’s Markets Institute. “If we can address the challenges and make this happen, it could be a real game-changer for communities that do not have access to fresh fruits and vegetables for much of the year, or places that are food insecure.”
While these systems make efficient use of land and water, the energy footprint from lighting and cooling can depending on the local energy source, increase the overall environmental footprint. Indoor soilless farming is also considerably more expensive than traditional agriculture. However, there are several innovations under development that could significantly change the cost and environmental footprint to drastically alter the mid-to-long-term viability of the industry. These include progress in lighting, fiber optics, AI and machine learning, gene editing, renewable energy, co-location and co-generation, and waste and recycling.
The report details the next phase of the project, which aims to help solve the challenges identified in phase I. WWF will explore using stranded assets—large infrastructure investments such as power plants and postal hubs that have depreciated in value but will continue to be used in a limited capacity for 10-50 years—and build a robust coalition of local partners, including The Yield Lab Institute, to launch a pilot farming system in St. Louis.
“The Yield Lab Institute, working with World Wildlife Fund and the McDonnell Foundation, is proud to be a part of a distinguished, local team of community volunteers who are working to bring local, indoor and sustainable food production to the St. Louis area,” said Thad Simons, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Yield Lab Institute. “It will also spark innovation among our ag-tech entrepreneurs and is intended to provide access to nutritious food to the underserved areas of our community.”
How Vertical Farming Startup Bowery Approaches Biodiversity
06 feb 2019
From January 7 – February 16, Food+Tech Connect and The Future Market are hosting Biodiversity: The Intersection of Taste & Sustainability, an editorial series featuring interviews with over 45 leading food industry CEOs, executives, farmers, investors and researchers on the role of biodiversity in the food industry. Read all of the interviews here.
Bowery is an indoor agriculture company growing leafy greens and herbs in a high-tech warehouses. Utilizing robotics, hydroponics, sensors, machine learning and predictive analytics, the company aims to grow food more efficiently and sustainably than traditional agriculture.
Below, I speak with Susan MacIsaac, head of agricultural sciences at Bowery, about how the vertical farming company is expanding on the traditional definition of biodiversity by utilizing previously unusable industrial space to grow over 100 crop varieties. MacIsaac also explains how Bowery’s farming practices allow it to grow a variety of crops on a smaller footprint of land, and how the company is cultivating crops specifically suited for indoor farming.
_________________________________
Danielle Gould: Is biodiversity a priority for Bowery? If so, how and why?
Susan McIsaac: Yes, at Bowery we believe that indoor farming practices expand on the traditional definition of biodiversity. Right now, there’s not enough arable land in the world to feed a population of this size using today’s conventional practices, and we have already lost more than 30 percent of our arable land in the U.S. as a result of traditional methods. While we believe it’s crucial for outdoor growing to reflect biodiversity, at Bowery we understand there’s a clear need to improve upon the industry at large and think beyond the field. Just like efforts around biodiversity improve longevity and health of an ecosystem, we’re growing food in a more sustainable way. We’re reappropriating previously unusable industrial space to grow over 100 types of crop varieties, and are able to grow reliably, year-round using more than 95 percent less water, regardless of weather or seasonality. Bowery’s farming method is a scalable, sustainable way to grow more kinds of food for a healthier environment, and a better future.
DG: How does Bowery define and think about biodiversity? What role might indoor ag play in promoting biodiversity?
SM: Biodiversity is an essential agricultural practice in order to produce food for the long term, since monocultures strip the land of essential nutrients and create more vulnerabilities for pests and contaminants. Bowery is a more evolved growing approach in line with this thinking. Of course, we don’t use soil, aren’t impacted by seasonality and our closed system dramatically reduces the risk of pests and contaminants. But, Bowery’s impact on resources and support in plant diversity is similar. Our system and proprietary technology allows us to grow a dynamic portfolio of different crops on a smaller footprint of land to feed a growing population in years to come.
DG: What is the business case for biodiverse indoor agriculture?
SM: Agriculture sits at the epicenter of many global issues today. Over 70 percent of our global water supply goes to agriculture, we use over 700 million pounds of pesticides each year in the U.S. alone, contaminating our water and causing serious health risks, and industrial farming practices have caused a loss of over 30 percent of the arable farmland in the last 40 years. Additionally, seasonality and varying weather patterns leave farmers with unpredictable yields; traditional farming methods can also lead to topsoil erosion and create unnecessary monocultures. At Bowery, our farms grow crops twice as fast as traditional farms, year-round. We use more than 95 percent less water than traditional farming methods and completely eliminate the need for pesticides. Bowery farms are 100 times more productive than traditional footprint of land because we grow in vertical stacks, harvest many more crop cycles per year, and achieve a higher yield per crop cycle than the field. We’re also able maintain a high level of genetic diversity and offer a wide range of climates for plants to thrive.
DG: What investments need to be made to create a more biodiverse food system?
SM: We need to think beyond what’s grown in the field and also invest in more advanced growing methods. Right now, we’re looking into cultivating crops that are best suited for indoor agriculture, which will be a huge milestone for the industry. There are certain types of crops that don’t thrive in current climate conditions, and by optimizing their growth indoors, we can maintain a high level of diversity.
DG: How might we get more indoor agriculture farms to invest in biodiverse agriculture?
SM: As a nation, we currently depend on cheap, mass-produced food, sacrificing quality for quantity at the expense of our health and environment. Our global population will grow to 9-10 billion people by 2050, and we need 70 percent more food in order to feed a population of that size. The result is a world in which the current food system must support the needs of an expanded population with a rapidly dwindling set of resources. Biodiversity is crucial in maintaining the quality and quantity of food produced and ecosystem at large, but we also need to invest in alternate methods that support traditional agriculture. It’s the “high tides lift all boats” mentality – indoor farming companies need to keep an open dialogue with traditional growers. By working together to rethink the current agricultural system and address the needs of an ever-increasing population, we all win.
DG: What are some of the most important things food manufacturers, retailers, chefs and other key actors across the food supply chain can do to support biodiverse agriculture?
SM: At a high level, our current food system must support the needs of an expanded population with a rapidly dwindling set of resources. We’re seeing a shift towards more sustainable practices in the food industry as a way to address these issues, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. When it comes to indoor farming, Bowery’s goal is to educate more retailers, chefs and stakeholders in the industry on the crucial benefits of our growing method and offer indoor-grown produce on menus and shelves. We have incredible support from key food industry leaders and retailers like Tom Colicchio, José Andrés, Carla Hall, David Barber, Whole Foods, sweetgreen and Dig Inn, who understand the unique freshness and diversity of Bowery’s crops and the technology that allows us to promote this level of quality.
DG: What is your vision for what a more biodiverse food system looks like in 10-15 years?
SM: Biodiversity is one important part of a larger mission to create a more sustainable food system, and Bowery’s ability to grow a wide array of crops in a more efficient way is a testament to how we can continue to innovate in the next 10-15 years. We’ve intentionally designed our technology and systems to maximize our ability to scale Bowery quickly, profitably, and effectively. Plus, our R&D efforts will allow us promote even more genetic diversity in cities around the world.
Read all of the interviews here and learn more about Biodiversity at The Future Market.
_______________________________
Susan MacIsaac, Head of Agricultural Science at Bowery
Susan MacIsaac is the Head of Agricultural Science at Bowery, overseeing a team that focuses on new growing methods and develops the next generation of products beyond leafy greens. Before joining Bowery, she worked at the Climate Corporation, a leading company in digital agriculture. There, she led a diverse team of scientists and agronomists in the development of new digital tools that help farmers make decisions about how to manage their crops. Prior to Climate Corporation, Susan led a team at Monsanto focused on developing and deploying advanced analytical tools for the development of enhanced flavor and yield in crops. She is a plant scientist by training, and enjoys working on the cutting edge of science and technology.