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10 New Trends In CEA In 2021 And Beyond
The world of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is continuing to develop at an accelerated rate. In line with Agritecture’s mission “to accelerate climate-smart agriculture strategies,” we’ve decided to share our top predictions for the future of CEA for 2021 and beyond
22-04-2021 | Agritecture
The world of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is continuing to develop at an accelerated rate. In line with Agritecture’s mission “to accelerate climate-smart agriculture strategies,” we’ve decided to share our top predictions for the future of CEA for 2021 and beyond.
This post is a follow-up to Agritecture’s post on the “10 New Trends In Hydroponics: What To Expect In 2017 And Beyond”.
Here are our top 10 predictions:
#1: Strawberries
In a sea of vertical farmers producing leafy greens, we’ve noticed sights shifting to strawberry production. While strawberries were initially difficult to produce given on-the-ground concerns like pests, fungal diseases, and weeding, growing vertically has allowed for easier harvesting and limited damage to the fruit. According to Agritecture’s Founder & CEO, Henry Gordon-Smith, “Strawberries are the hot new product for indoor growers because they can charge a lot for the best ones, they’re desired year-round, and the freshness and flavor are very noticeable,” being made more achievable by vertical farming.
Image sourced from Oishii
As of late last year, Driscoll’s and Plenty announced a partnership to grow strawberries indoors. We’re seeing increasing interest in high-quality strawberries with Oishii Berry’s $50m Series A fundraising for bee-assisted, carbon-neutral strawberry cultivation. In response to this growing interest, Agritecture’s Director of Operations, Yara Nagi, comments that “there is an interesting opportunity for growing strawberries hydroponically, especially for countries that import a majority of their strawberries. In order for strawberries to be exported to another country, they typically have to be harvested early. So, being able to grow them locally and in a controlled environment translates to better quality strawberries with a longer shelf-life. Other than the fact that growing strawberries hydroponically has become more and more efficient, the price point for strawberries can be relatively high when compared to other products grown in an indoor environment.”
#2: Breeding Seeds For Vertical Farms
As of recently, we’ve noticed a growing interest in breeding seeds for vertical farms. In February 2021, Kalera acquired Vindara Inc., a company developing non-GMO seeds for vertical indoor farms. Kasveista’s story of producing high-quality seeds and seedlings of open-source varieties for vertical farming similarly showcases this change in the industry.
Agritecture’s Lead Agronomist, David Ceaser, comments that “to date, crops grown in vertical farms have been grown using plant genetics developed for outdoor or greenhouse production. Environmental conditions in vertical farms are quite different from those environments, and so, plants respond differently. As genetics for vertical farms are developed, yields of current crops will improve greatly, and new crops will be successfully introduced into the vertical farm platform.”
#3: Fully Automated Vertical Farms
If you know anything about vertical farming, you know that labor is expensive and that this form of intensive agriculture requires highly skilled labor. According to Gordon-Smith, “new fully automated vertical farms are emerging” to respond to this labor challenge. He questions whether they will actually work, given that costs are high and the technology is new. Does this development in vertical farming mean fewer jobs or a more skilled workforce? Fully automated vertical farms are inevitable but will they pay off?
In September 2020, Agritecture’s new equipment partner, Urban Crop Solutions, launched their Module-X Automated Vertical Farm.
#4: Floating Farms
It’s always a struggle to find open space for agriculture in built-up urban areas. In recent years, we’ve seen abandoned and unused spaces converted into urban farms. So, why not take farming to the waters too? While it may not seem like the most sensible place to run a farm, it severely reduces food miles and pollution caused by the transportation of food.
Image sourced from Oceanix
Aqua Ark is a company that has taken to the waters to create Amphibious Homes that integrate floating wetlands for food production. Oceanix is a similar company that creates modular and self-sustaining communities on the water for people who want to live sustainably across the nexus of energy, water, food, and waste. The Floating Farm in Rotterdam is a project designed “for a future where rising sea levels mean that farmland is increasingly out of action due to flooding”.
To learn more, check out Agritecture Studios, where ‘floating cities’ is a challenging area within our inaugural cohort of architects.
#5: New Financing Options For CEA Startups
Financing for CEA operations is incredibly challenging. These capital-intensive projects require a robust business plan, strong management team, and access to capital to ensure on-time delivery of construction. Within the last year, we’ve seen SPACs be the latest means for private companies to raise capital. For startups, SPACs aren’t exactly the best route. “A new wave of investment and crowdfunding platforms are providing startups with alternative access to capital,” says Agritecture’s Director of Business Development, Jeffrey Landau.
Through Agritecture Designer, we have a partnership with several of these financing vehicles whereby our software users can access unique discounts and other benefits with these platforms.
#6: Labor Bottlenecks
According to Agritecture’s Director of Business Development, Jeffrey Landau, “the number of greenhouses and vertical farms is growing rapidly. Yet, the number of trained professionals with CEA operating experience is not keeping up with this increasing demand. Agritecture has been working with Cornell University through a National Science Foundation and Agriculture and Food Research Initiative grant to study solutions to this challenge.”
In production systems, workloads often arrive too quickly for the production process and labor to manage. Although seemingly a small problem, the inefficiencies brought about can create delays and result in higher production costs. As a result, we need a highly trained workforce and more workforce development programs for CEA growers.
#7: Singapore, The New Hub For Urban Agriculture
As a country that imports over 90% of its fresh produce and has severe land scarcity limiting its agricultural options, Singapore was in serious need of CEA. This changed when the Government launched the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. The objective is to develop 200ha of high-rise greenery by 2050, incentivize developers to include urban farms in their developments, integrate farming in mixed-use districts, and encourage the adoption of technologically advanced infrastructure and smart systems. Today, they have the best funding and planning in the sector.
Image sourced from Citiponics
Citiponics is one of Singapore’s first hydroponic rooftop farms, located on top of a carpark, a structure that services almost every neighborhood in Singapore. Sustenir Agriculture is another company farming in Singapore, creating indoor vertical farms that can retrofit into existing buildings. Natsuki’s Garden is another example of successful CEA operations in Singapore. It’s a greenhouse in the center of the city, occupying reused space in a former schoolyard.
Learn more about Singapore’s efforts here. Additionally, Agritecture recently wrote about several other cities that are paving the way for urban agriculture to thrive here.
#8: Architecture
The global pandemic continues to reshape our relationship with food. Challenged by a lack of food access and the declining retail real estate market, individuals have taken a new interest in growing their own food, in the comfort of their own homes. This interest in bringing food production closer to people’s homes is empowering architects to transcend the boundaries of traditional food production to integrate urban agriculture and AgTech into cities. This innovative step will help solve food supply and food access quandaries globally.
Agritecture Studios is working to empower architects to continue on this mission and be key stakeholders in shaping our food-secure futures.
#9: “Alternative Products” x CEA
Image sourced from Smallhold
CEA has a rap for only growing leafy greens. However, several commercial growers have scaled up recently to produce a variety of other specialty crops, including Smallhold (mushrooms), We Are The New Farmers (spirulina), Ynsect (insects), and Pure Salmon (aquaculture).
AgFunderNews groups all of these producers under the category of “novel farming” in their annual funding reports. Per their most recent report, novel farming startups raised more than $1.3B in private investment in 2020, a 16x increase from 2015.
#10: Rise Of Energy Producing Commercial Greenhouses
The high energy use in controlled environment agricultural operations has been a cause for concern from the beginning. Commercial greenhouses, in particular, are reshaping how we think of energy by producing it themselves. ClearVue Technologies installed their energy-generating photovoltaic glazing panels on the world-first clear solar glass greenhouse. TSO Greenhouses is another AgriTech company with the primary objective of maximizing greenhouse light management. There is a lot more research happening here at the university level to investigate some of the tradeoffs between upfront cost, maintenance, energy production, and crop yields. Wide-spread commercial adoption will be multiple years away - but is it 3 years or 10+ years?
There’s no doubt that there’s more to come for the CEA industry. Here at Agritecture, we are constantly combing through the latest research papers, new technology releases, and industry trends to ensure that our clients and software users are able to get creative, build a competitive advantage, but still have realistic goals. Build your first urban farm model today, or get in touch with us to see how we help organizations around the world plan smarter through custom services.
Source and Photo Courtesy of Agritecture
Hydroponics In The GCC - History And Emerging Trends
During World War II the shipping of fresh vegetables to overseas remote islands was not possible; and also feeding the soldiers, where troops were stationed. They couldn’t be grown in the soil. Then, Hydroponic technology was tested as a viable source for fresh vegetables during this time
K.V.Bhaskar Rao
Grower - Hydroponics Specialist,
Consultant, Mentor, Faculty,
Trend Setter And Speaker
During World War II the shipping of fresh vegetables to overseas remote islands was not possible; and also feeding the soldiers, where troops were stationed. They couldn’t be grown in the soil. Then, Hydroponic technology was tested as a viable source for fresh vegetables during this time. US Air Force built one of the first large hydroponic farms on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, followed by additional hydroponic farms on the islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in the Pacific, using crushed volcanic rock as the growing medium and, on Wake Island west of Hawaii, using gravel as the growing medium. These hydroponic farms helped fill the need for a supply of fresh vegetables for troops stationed in these areas.
The American Army and Royal Air Force built hydroponic units at various military bases to help feed troops. In 1952, the US Army's special hydroponics branch grew over 8,000,000 lbs. of fresh produce for military demand. Also established at this time was one of the world's largest hydroponic farms in Chofu, Japan, consisting of 22 hectares. History says that in 1945 during the II world war, the US Air Force built large hydroponic facilities in Habbaniya in Iraq, Bharain and the Persian Gulf, to support troops stationed near large oil reserves. So, we know that hydroponic cultivation of vegetables was prevalent during that time in the Middle East and GCC.
Climate change, water stress & environmental degradation are affecting large populations around the world & represent a major threat to international hunger, human security & wellbeing. Technology development, implementation, indigenization to suit local conditions (labour and capital) along with skill development for personnel is the key to the success of agriculture in a rapidly urbanizing world. Based on predicted population growth and urbanization, food and water demand will create greater challenges by 2050. The world will be required to produce more food, with less water and a declining rural workforce.
Urban agriculture (CEA which includes hydroponics/ rooftop/ aquaponics/ aeroponics) is the new culture that is catching up everywhere and more in the GCC. We do have far too many participants in this industry who have too little actual crop production knowledge and / or experience. This challenge can be met with training/skill development to generate employment and food security with rational use of resources and thus producing safe, healthy & nutritious food. Educate individuals and companies to the new farming technology as innovation and capacity building is the only accelerators to this new endeavour.
Increasing awareness regarding the risks of consumption of contaminated food is a driving demand for crops and vegetables that are cultivated in a safe and controlled environment. Hydroponic plants are an ideal choice in this scenario as hydroponic systems eliminate the need for soil, which is where pathogens incubate. Moreover, the increasing rate of urbanization in developed regions is expected to cause a major shift towards a preference for hydroponic vegetables. Consumers with changing tastes are willing to pay a premium for an assortment of produce offering freshness, quality, flavour, safety, and convenience. Young and affluent Western food-loving consumers are driving the growth and demand for imported foods in the Middle East.
Locally grown vegetables, indigenous/ native herbs, microgreens, wheatgrass, salad greens, and the concept of “farm to fork” are becoming increasingly common in the marketplaces of GCC. Thanks to alternative agricultural practices such as hydroponic farming. Most GCC countries are now taking definite steps towards being self-sustainable with certain food items that often are served at the dinner table. RTE salad mix or even the snacking section like cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, and the likes are hitting the hypermarket shelves.
Many Arab countries rely heavily on groundwater to meet their water requirements for economic and social development, such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, and Libya, with more than 80% groundwater dependence. Even in countries with the relative abundance of surface water such as Syria, Egypt, and Iraq, which have flowing rivers, reliance on groundwater is increasing due to growing demand for water – sometimes due to up streams’ control of flow. Groundwater is facing depletion in many GCC countries, which threatens its sustainability and the existence of the sectors that depend on it.
Hydroponics in the GCC has the following “cut above the rest” pointers to establish long-term investment benefits in all ways. It is a “win-win” situation for all the stakeholders.
* Huge potential in areas with poor arable land like the Middle East. You do not have to use "New Technology" it is Proven.
* Offers the chance to Grow food 12 months of the year even in warm climates. Increased Yields - more product is grown and harvested per M2.
* A huge reduction in the quantity of water currently used in the food chain, reduction in the use of fertilizers and energy currently used to produce food.
* Opens immediate employment opportunities in harvesting, retailing, and distribution, thus, stimulates new markets locally and nationally.
* Satisfy local demand = less imports = greener solution thus zero carbon footprint. Increased turnover of produce - crops grow faster and more often.
* Harvesting takes place at a more comfortable height - no bending over and better ergonomics. Promote more favorable working conditions.
* A healthier crop using fewer pesticides provides health benefits to the consumer. Improved Quality of Yields - more nutritionally sound and therefore tastes superior.
* Complete control over nutrient balance - controlled growing creates a healthier crop.
* Closed recirculation irrigation system conserves water. Nutrient solutions may be re-used in other areas.
Few parameters that would enhance and enable the growth potential in this sector can be achieved by the following. 1. Single window clearances, without stringent regulations on the import of soil conditioners, hydroponic grow media (cocopeat), Plant Protection Chemicals (PPC), Seeds, grafted cuttings, rooted plants, tissue-cultured saplings, and all planting materials to enhance diversity and try incorporating new species for cultivation to feed the local population.
2. Create “Local” or locally grown stamp to help leverage local farmers for direct entry into co-operatives, supermarkets etc. First preference to locally grown produce.
3. Create “ugly produce” sections for local growers only (as unflavorable local weather conditions or other reasons lead to visual imperfections but with the same taste and nutritional values).
4. All local farms mandatory to adopt Global GAP methods of cultivation to ensure safe & hygienic food, instead of so-called “organic”. Training and educating farmers and cultivation labour to ensure food safety.
5. Source all farm-related services for infrastructure development like greenhouses, irrigation systems, cooling systems, indoor vertical farms, LED/grow lights etc from locally approved vendors – economy
gets stronger and remains within the country. According to a report, food consumption in the GCC is expected to grow at 4.2% CAGR, with cereals leading the regional numbers. A quick rundown of the fastest-growing categories, per country:
* Kuwait’s fastest-growing market is Fruits, at a 7.9% CAGR.
* Oman’s fastest-growing market is Dairy, at a 6.1% CAGR.
* Saudi Arabia’s fastest-growing market is Dairy, at a 5.7% CAGR.
* UAE’s fastest-growing market is Fruits, at a 5.3% CAGR.
* Qatar’s fastest-growing market is Meat, at a 3.7% CAGR.
* Bahrain’s fastest-growing market is Cereal, at a 3.5% CAGR.
With a booming population growth, expected to increase 6.5 million by 2021, and shifting demographics, some key trends are unlocking new opportunities in the market:
* Youth heavily exposed to western diets drive a growing demand for international foods.
*The rise of working women led to growth in ready and packaged meals.
* A more tech-savvy population open new opportunities in retail, with advancements in e-commerce and new outlet concepts such as hypermarkets and food trucks.
* With some of the highest overweight population rates in the world, all GCC countries are looking at healthier products. n
Email: kazabhaskar@gmail.com
April 2021 Floriculture Today
A Number of Pain Points Drive Middle East (Growth) Intensification
An international consulting company says New Zealand has a real opportunity to be a partner of choice with the Middle East in providing agritech solutions to a growing agriculture sector
And NZ Suppliers Are Ready To Help Them
An international consulting company says New Zealand has a real opportunity to be a partner of choice with the Middle East in providing agritech solutions to a growing agriculture sector. Alpha Kennedy, from Prime Consulting International, told delegates at the MobileTECH Ag event in Rotorua that the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Countries are just about to begin major expansion, especially in horticulture.
"Whether it's precision agriculture, remote sensors, irrigation systems, soil regeneration and fertility, farm management, software training, robotic harvesting, pricing information or market access applications," Mr. Kennedy said. "If you have a product that fits into those focus areas there is a place for you to (partner) a customer who is willing to listen, and willing to pay. The UAE and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) areas have a very distinct set of challenges, such as the higher cost of food imports, the high cost of production, environmental barriers, skilled workers - they all require technological solutions to overcome them. But this opportunity will not be around forever. New Zealand has a very good name as an agriculture innovator, so they will give NZ companies the time and listen, but ultimately they are moving forward quickly and will go with those who are there. There are Dutch, Irish or Israeli companies, for example, that are also keenly aware of opportunities."
Photo: some of the agritech projects underway in UAE, including vertical farming and vegetable production. Source: Alpha Kennedy's presentation at MobileTECH Ag.
New Zealand's Trade Commissioner and Consul-General to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kevin McKenna says the UAE is New Zealand's 10th largest trading partner.
"It is a crucial gateway for New Zealand goods and services to Africa, the rest of the Middle East and parts of Europe," he said. "The UAE and its neighbor Saudi Arabia are two of our fastest-growing export markets. The paradox in the UAE is that just two kilometres away (from Dubai's busy city centre) lies desert land that flows into rocky mountains and then more desert beyond. So, while the people will need more of our fruits and other food, they hunger for smarts to sustainably feed themselves and the populations around them. That's the challenge, but it also provides an enormous opportunity for New Zealand - we are highly respected for our agritech."
Mr. Kennedy adds that the United Arab Emirates' agriculture industry is worth more than US$3billion annually and growing by 4 percent overall, and the horticulture sector is growing by 6 percent. In 2019, horticulture produced 1.25million tonnes of field crops, fruit, and vegetables, mostly in the country's north, while vertical farms are being created in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
"There are a number of 'pain-points driving the (growth) intensification; firstly, it is hard to grow food in the UAE," he said. "It's not impossibly hard, but very hard. Summer can be above 50 degrees Celsius, and winter can be balmy in the 20s. There is also very little rainfall and the country is dependent on desalinization, which is expensive to produce and of the water that is produced, 66 percent is used for agriculture purposes. The cost of water is also subsidized and the government is looking to end those subsidies in coming years. This means that they are constantly on the lookout for tech and emerging technologies that can address these challenges."
As a result, the UAE currently imports around 90 percent of its food. Mr. Kennedy says this figure has been increasing, as has the dollar cost of importing, and with the country's population set to increase to 15 million over the next 20 years, it is imperative to increase domestic production for food security and quality of life.
"They have set some very ambitious targets and they are aiming to be the most food-secure nation by 2050," he said. "That will require a mix of domestic production, trade agreements, and the like. But these pain points are not just being experienced in the UAE but are widely experienced across the Gulf states and they all have transformation plans in place to improve food security. So, the opportunities are not just in the UAE but much broader and agriculture in the GCC is already valued at $20billion. For (NZ) companies with products, solutions, and developments, I encourage you to take advantage of these technology incubators, accelerators, and financing programs. There is a range of financial support available."
He says the future of agritech is already taking place with vertical farms coming into production in the past 18 months, and in 2020 Abu Dhabi invested US$200million in vertical farms.
Mr. McKenna is encouraging interested companies and agencies to attend and make connections at the World Expo in Dubai, which was postponed from last year, and will run for six months from October 2021.
"We have designed a discover agritech program for exporters working across all aspects of the sector," he said. "The program is going to include online learning, webinars, advisor meetings in New Zealand. Followed by a week here to look at what is going on. We are going to have project visits, we are going to meet with government departments, advisors, and partners, we will look at some of the accelerators and a specialized visit to the Agra Middle East trade show."
For more information
Alpha Kennedy
Prime Consulting International
Phone: +971 56 362 8956
mena@primeconsultants.net
www.primeconsultants.net
Publication date: Tue 6 Apr 2021
Author: Matt Russell
© HortiDaily.com
Cultivatd Launches As A New Vertical Farming Technology Brokerage
Co-founded by two former executives at ZipGrow Inc, Cultivatd will represent over 30 different vertical farming and greenhouse growing technologies to better help people select which tools and tech are best suited for their project needs
JANUARY 1st, 2021: Cultivatd Inc, a startup based in Canada, is announcing it has begun operations and launched an indoor farming technology brokerage.
Co-founded by two former executives at ZipGrow Inc, Cultivatd will represent over 30 different vertical farming and greenhouse growing technologies to better help people select which tools and tech are best suited for their project needs.
“We were seeing a lot of people come to us in the past, asking for solutions that required more than one technology, so we decided to launch Cultivatd to fill that gap in the marketplace,” says Eric Bergeron, a serial entrepreneur who is now on his fourth AgTech startup. “We use our expertise as growers, manufacturers, and consultants to make recommendations on the proper setup and agtech solutions.”
Added co-founder Eric Levesque, the former VP of Business Development at ZipGrow, “We work with manufacturers and technology providers to help sell their products to customers that are best suited to their needs. Our brokerage services are free to the end-user as we work on behalf of our partners”.
At current, Cultivatd works with several known AgTech partners including long-time industry companies such as ZipGrow, Cubic Farms, Moleaer, AutoGrow, Ceres Greenhouses, Nelson & Pade Aquaponics, Modular Farms Australia, Growfilm, Iluminar, Hydrogreen, and Intravision Group as well as new technology providers such as GroStack, AmplifiedAg, GROV, Canobi Technologies, Auto Greenhouse, Just Vertical, Grobo and ATOM Controllers,.
Cultivated is also announcing two new service offerings;
Farming As A Service and Cultivatd Consultants.
Farming As A Service (FAAS) is a program where Cultivatd will send a farm manager to operate your indoor farm, removing the difficulties in getting a farm up-and-running and eliminating the barrier-to-entry for most new farmers. The service is contract-based and meant to get your farm to full operational efficiency with an experienced grower by your side. Once the team is trained and using the SOPs put in place, the farmer will move on or remain on as a consultant.
The Cultivatd Consultants service will be a brokerage of experienced master growers looking to share knowledge with indoor farm operators. Cultivatd currently has 6 consultants with expertise in cannabis, vertical farming, greenhouse production, operations, and sales & marketing for vertical farming. “We are always looking to expand our network of consultants as demand for this service is already outweighing our ability to connect experts to projects in need of support..” added Levesque.
“We continue to add new partnerships every day and want to work with the world’s best agtech technology solutions so we can offer our clients a true, unbiased, assessment of the right solution to solve their need”. added Bergeron.
Visit cultivatd.com for more details and to see the growing list of partnerships.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Eric Levesque
Managing Partner, Cultivatd Inc.
+1 (613) 360-5195
"The Push For Urban Farming Solutions Has Only Intensified"
Agritecture offers answers regarding urban farming solutions
With significant population growth and urbanization both underway and projected across the globe, the push for urban farming solutions has only intensified. The search for innovative solutions has generated many questions surrounding best agricultural practices and how to build a sustainable urban farm.
Agricultural consulting company Agritecture was developed to address exactly those questions. Agritecture was founded in 2011 when its CEO Henry Gordon-Smith began blogging about urban agriculture and subsequently received numerous inquiries from entrepreneurs looking to start urban farms. Within a few years, Agritecture began to officially offer consulting services and quickly built a portfolio.
Sustainable urban farming solutions
“With a mission to empower impact-driven organizations to develop sustainable urban farming solutions, Agritecture focuses on turning business ideas into practical realities,” says Agritecture’s media strategist, Briana Zagami. The breadth of services offered by Agritecture allows the company to meet the needs of entrepreneurs at various project stages.
Ask Agritecture is the company’s entry-level service through which entrepreneurs can schedule a 30-minute phone call with a consultant to discuss economic and technological aspects of the project and recommend future steps. The company also offers premium consulting services, which are “backed by several years of operational data and a team of experienced growers, agricultural engineers, sustainability managers, and marketing experts”, according to Briana. Furthermore, Agritecture uses its feasibility tools to help urban farmers and entrepreneurs obtain real-world financial estimates for a greenhouse or vertical farm project in any location.
Education
Agricultural education is another cornerstone of Agritecture’s mission, which the company achieves through its Commercial Urban Farming course, which presents best practices in six comprehensive lessons complete with short video modules and additional resources. Agritecture also provides free educational content in the form of its blog, podcast and videos.
The most recent addition to Agritecture’s service offerings is the Agritecture Designer, which was launched in April 2020 and is the world’s first digital platform for the planning of urban farms. According to Briana, “the goal was to take our years of experience as leading industry consultants and translate this into a digital platform to help expedite the planning stage and avoid common pitfalls.”
Future
In 2020, Agritecture’s digital audience is now comprised of 100,000 + users around the world. The team has consulted on over 120 projects spanning more than 26 companies. When asked how Agritecture has responded in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Briana explained that “Agritecture reinvented itself in the wake of COVID-19 and offered insights from its learnings to other small businesses and advisory firms that are struggling to find new business. We launched several new online initiatives in April and May to better connect with our audience and saw a nearly 3x increase in inbound consulting requests.”
So how does Agritecture envision the development of urban agriculture? According to Briana, “urban agriculture will continue to grow around the world due to the innovative spirit of farmers and the rising demand for fresh, sustainably-grown products.” With the development of supportive policies and standards in key cities, Agritecture expects that urban agriculture will only continue to grow and push past its niche status.
For more information:
Agritecture
www.agritecture.com
Publication date: Wed 6 Jan 2021
SmartHectar And AgTech Insight Announce Corporate Innovation and Implementation Services With The Launch Of Enable Latin America
SmartHectar and Enpact work with corporates to help identify and prioritize technology needs, bring potential solutions from startups, facilitate “innovation challenge” programs, and refine products
November 5, 2020
SmartHectar And AgTech Insight Announce Corporate Innovation and Implementation Services With The Launch Of Enable Latin America
Driving innovation throughout the Ag and food ecosystems can be a challenge which is why SmartHectar, AgTech Insight, and Enpact are working together to lead Latin American corporates through industry modernization challenges. With the launch of Enable Latin America, AgTech Insight is bringing their innovation implementation services to the table to further the success of these programs and provide corporates with the technical and tactical support required when integrating technology.
SmartHectar and Enpact work with corporates to help identify and prioritize technology needs, bring potential solutions from startups, facilitate “innovation challenge” programs, and refine products. AgTech Insight will further support stakeholders by providing additional services to fully commercialize and integrate the solution. As the corporate innovation program wraps up, AgTech Insight works with the AgriFood organization to understand user needs and company culture to develop and implement an action plan. They can manage field trials, and once proven, provide localization, go to market support, and training to scale those solutions throughout the operations to achieve full impact.
“It is exciting to be collaborating with the incredible work SmartHectar and Enpact do! By offering another level of support to their programs, we are able to complete the idea-to-commercialization loop and help both corporates and innovators see measurable success in their efforts” Says Aaron Magenheim, CEO of AgTech Insight.
As the new project kicked off, Matthias Schmidt, CEO of SmartHectar and Marcelino Turati Gomez talked with Aaron Magenheim, and Gonzalo Perez, MD at Arpegio Ventures to share with us some of their perspectives and insights. Read it here.
SmartHectar and Enpact have been successfully running Enable Southeast Asia and Enable West Africa programs which foster collaboration between corporates and startups in the region to drive innovation in AgriFood and water technology. Agriculture has always been at the core of the Latin American economy and especially in the last few years, we have seen an increase in digital trends and technological innovation taking hold in the sector. The new approach which Enables Latin America brings to the region will speed up adoption and return on investment to corporates, startups, and the ecosystem as a whole.
Contact
AgTech Insight - Aaron Magenheim, CEO
+1-855-410-2030
Matthias Schmidt-Rex (CEO SmartHectar Innovation)
+49 151 42414237
"We Want To Raise Awareness On Vertical Farming In Italy"
“As we’re located in Italy, a country with great farming traditions, some people would think that we don’t need indoor farming. But, especially today, this is wrong
“As we’re located in Italy, a country with great farming traditions, some people would think that we don’t need indoor farming. But, especially today, this is wrong. In fact, we import a great part of our food, and while adverse climate events are always more frequent, the fertility of the soil is decreasing rapidly and water scarcity is becoming a real problem in more and more areas”. Guido Medici says. “So, indoor and vertical farming can be a great solution to produce high-quality food close to the market. These are the cases of our friends of Agricola Moderna and Planet Farms, both vertical farms which are located outside of Milan”, Guido states.
Lorenzo Franchini adds, “There is a generational shift taking place in the agricultural sector, as more people are open to innovation. The challenge is to find the right set up to get started. Hopefully, more European governments are going to direct public investments in the sustainable farming sector, so this will definitely become easier-going in the future. Speaking of crops, although they are quite unknown in Italy, microgreens are the most interesting to grow here. We think that people will be immediately convinced by their delicious taste and high nutritional power.”
Sananbio's growing system
Scalable farms
Guido and Lorenzo have worked together as intermediaries, since 2017. They founded the project Vertical Farming Consulting to help customers finding the right set up to start their own farm. “We’re cooperating with SananBio (vertical farming racks), Monti & C (climate rooms), and with Ferriplastic (irrigation and installation). Through these partnerships, we are able to stand by the customer through all the project phases, from the initial idea to the active production.
Together with our partners, we have designed a layout that is easily scalable. Clients seem to like that idea as it allows for expansion. They can start with a small part of the farm, like 60 sq. m., and then increase production once the demand will grow. The aim of VFC is to offer a turnkey vertical farm…”, Franchini adds,“…while our future goal is to create an association for vertical farming in Italy, to bring all indoor farmers together in the country, to obtain a more powerful voice”, Medici states.
The fixed layout of a VFC’s farm
How it all started
“We originally started with a vertical farming blog, visiting farms, and attending important events in the sector. More and more people were requesting information on vertical farming, so we started our own consultancy project” says Franchini. “Together with our partners, we are currently finalizing a vertical farm in Southern Italy for the production of microgreens.”, adds excitedly Guido, “The new facility will be opening its doors at the end of this summer.”
The Vertical Farming Education’s team: (F.l.t.r.) Guido Medici, Alessandro Russo Montecchio, and Lorenzo Franchini
Educating kids through hydroponics Vertical Farming Education (VFE) is an environmental education laboratory. The laboratory was designed in 2019 by Guido and Lorenzo, in collaboration with Alessandro, a psychologist who is extremely passionate about nature and plants. “The goal of VFE is to increase awareness of the water footprint of food among young students. We’ll start with primary and secondary schools, and eventually, we will scale up the project for older students,” Lorenzo states. “We developed a four-week workshop, divided into five lessons. The practical part is carried out by the installation of a small in-class vertical farm rack. This allows students to grow small salad portions by themselves.
The in-class vertical rack
The theoretical part is carried out by providing schools all supporting teaching material, such as exercises, theory, and questionnaires”, Guido adds. The VFE’s Team is now working on the realization of 20 workshops in 10 different schools which will be held at the beginning of 2021.
For more information:
Vertical Farming Consulting
Guido Medici, Co-founder
Lorenzo Franchini, Co-founder
info@vfitaly.com
www.verticalfarmingconsulting.com
Vertical Farming Education
Alessandro Russo Montecchio, Co-founder
Guido Medici, Co-founder
Lorenzo Franchini, Co-founder
info@vfeducation.com
Publication date: Tue 21 Jul 2020
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© HortiDaily.com
CEA Advisors – Farminova Plant Factories To Exhibit At Fruit Logistica 2020
Glenn Behrman, President, and founder of CEA Advisors, together with Farminova Plant Factories is pleased to invite you to visit us at Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Hall 9, Booth D-25 from February 5-7, 2020
Glenn Behrman, President, and founder of CEA Advisors, together with Farminova Plant Factories is pleased to invite you to visit us at Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Hall 9, Booth D-25 from February 5-7, 2020.
Farminova Plant Factories are competitively priced automated, labor-saving, energy-efficient
high-volume systems designed and developed for the optimized production of a wide variety of food and non-food crops.
Our focus is always on a higher yield in a shorter time. The Farminova research center staff is constantly experimenting with different varieties and different environments and our R & D Department is laser-focused on automation, water quality, fertilizers, and fertigation, LED lighting and Control Systems.
Our team includes world-class plant physiologists, plant scientists, experienced growers, seed specialists, engineers and experts in HVAC systems. Our Business Development team and senior advisors are experts in Controlled Environment Agriculture with years of global experience.
Farminova is a division of the Cantek Group, with almost 30 years of experience in food processing, meat processing, cold storage and the design and manufacture of state-of-the-art HVAC systems. The Cantek Group team of over 300 employees has successfully completed over 13,000 projects in 55 countries. For more information, visit us online at www.cantekgroup.com
CEA Advisors is a global consultant to the vertical farming industry. Our senior management has been in the Horticulture Industry since 1971 and CEA has designed and developed successful projects for commercial clients in the US, England, Spain, Germany including growers, grocery retailers, food manufacturers,
pharmaceutical manufacturers, universities and more. For more information, visit us online at www.cea-advisors.com
VIDEO: Talking Fresh Summit And Indoor Farming Companies
Carlson, a 30-year veteran of PMA expos, said one thing that caught his eye was the growth of indoor farming companies at the show
by Tom Karst
October 28, 2019
The Packer’s Tom Karst visits with Craig Carlson of Carlson Produce Consulting Oct. 25 about the just-concluded 2019 Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit.
Carlson, a 30-year veteran of PMA expos, said one thing that caught his eye was the growth of indoor farming companies at the show. Those firms are capitalizing on the appeal of local produce relative to metropolitan regions, and emphasizing the operations use less water, less land and less fuel than traditional farming operations. What does the future hold for indoor farming companies?
“They are really checking a lot of boxes that I think is exciting,” Carlson said. “My concern about this is that most everybody is throwing money at the same idea,” he said, noting that indoor companies may need to expand their range beyond leafy greens.
Packer Interview - Craig Carlson Oct 25
AgTech Insight, Agritecture Announce Strategic Partnership
AgTech Insight will advise and provide services to Agritecture clients in the large scale outdoor agriculture industry while Agritecture will advise and provide services to AgTech Insight clients in the urban agriculture space
September 6, 2019
The Deal Will Allow Both Companies To Offer
Clients A Broader Collection of Services
AgTech Insight, based in Salinas, California, and Agritecture, based in Brooklyn, New York, have announced the formation of a strategic alliance between the two firms. AgTech Insight will advise and provide services to Agritecture clients in the large scale outdoor agriculture industry while Agritecture will advise and provide services to AgTech Insight clients in the urban agriculture space. The focus of the mutually beneficial effort is aimed at improving both firms capabilities across a broader array of services for clients in the ag sector globally.
"The urban and indoor agriculture space is rapidly growing around the world and collaborating with Agritecture, given their leadership in their industry sector and global vision using innovation and best practices to help a growing population is a natural fit," Aaron Magenheim, founder of AgTech Insight, said, per a press release. “Over the past year, it has been great to work with David Ceaser and the Agritecture team sharing our expertise and working on projects together. There is a unique resource we have been developing together which we will be sharing with the world soon and are excited to be working together to bridge the urban and large scale agriculture sectors.”
"Agritecture is very excited about our collaboration with AgTech Insight," David Ceaser, Agritecture's horticultural specialist said, per the release. “ Urban and peri-urban farming is generally smaller scale agriculture and focuses on smaller more niche consumer markets. But, as far as the farming goes, there is no reason to re-invent the wheel. There is a ton that we can learn from large scale outdoor ag. The vast amount of experience and knowledge that Aaron and his team bring to the table is invaluable for us.”
The Projected Growth in Indoor and Vertical Farming Is Great
CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE CONSULTATION NOW
or better yet, just give me a call and let’s talk 323.645.0137
CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE CONSULTATION NOW
or better yet, just give me a call and let’s talk 323.645.0137
CEA Advisors Announces International Collaborations
March 20, 2019
CEA Advisors, Fospan Worldwide and Canna Pro, global players in Horticulture are pleased to announce that they have finalized their agreement to collaborate on cannabis related business opportunities. These industry heavyweights are joining forces to provide marketing, sales, consulting and technical support to the global Cannabis industry.
CEA Advisors is a major player in the global indoor farming industry. For the past 10 years, they have designed and built state of the art custom container farms for commercial clients such as growers, food manufacturers, pharma manufacturers, universities, government agencies, schools and non-profits worldwide. They are also the designer and manufacturer of Growracks®, an industry standard plug and play vertical production system in use worldwide. www.growtainers.com
Fospan Worldwide SL, headquartered in Barcelona, Spain is an experienced solution provider of Horticultural services to the medicinal and recreational cannabis industry. The registered Dutch- Spanish company also acts as a distributor for many of Europe’s top Horticultural products including their proprietary LED product, Magnus Lights by Parus. Fospan Worldwide’s management boasts of many years of industry experience and the successful completion of high-profile Cannabis projects in Denmark, Switzerland and throughout Europe. www.fospan.com
Canna Pro, a division of Pro Horticulture Inc has spent years designing and building premium indoor cannabis facilities & light deprivation greenhouses for growing high yielding healthy crops. They are a global cannabis entity with strategic partnerships in Canada, USA and Europe. Canna Pro has assembled a team of all-stars bringing tried and true cultivation methods mixed with the perfect dose of cutting-edge technology. They’ve built greenhouses and growrooms all over the globe and work closely with their team of HVAC engineers to provide the optimum indoor environments for rapid growth of healthy plants. www.cannapro.co
Building A Greenhouse On An Island Far, Far Away
Building A Greenhouse On An Island Far, Far Away
The island of Réunion is located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. The island is 63 kilometers long and 45 kilometers wide, covering a total of 2,512 square kilometers and housing over 860,000 inhabitants. Réunion is formed completely of volcanic rocks and combined with its tropical climate, vegetable production isn't that easy. "Greenhouse production answers the agricultural challenges on this island", Aurore Hoarau of JM Horti Consulting states.
Greenhouse production
Jean-Marc and Aurore were born on the island of Réunion. They both gained experience and an extensive background in horticulture, working as growers and advisors at several greenhouse companies and cooperatives in France, Réunion, Morocco and the UK. A couple of years ago they returned home, and with their company JM Horti Consulting, they are now helping Réunion farmers and growers optimize their operations and guide them on the way to produce more sustainably and responsibly, including the adaption of modern techniques and use of biological crop control.
Small greenhouses
The first greenhouses appeared on the island of Réunion in the late 1990s. Due to the hilly nature, many small nurseries have been established on the island, mainly in the southern part. "The challenge is to produce in a healthy and profitable way on a small agricultural surface", Aurore explains.
The average size of the operations is 5 ha with the vegetable greenhouse being 0.3 ha on average. The climate on the island is tropical. Combined with the demand from the local market for fruit, vegetables, and lettuce, JM Horti Consulting has decided to represent Asthor greenhouses on the island. "We want to work with the product that can be adapted best to the expectations and needs for the farmers, both in terms of quality and professionalism."
Greenhouse project
An example of the developments of horticulture on Réunion is shown in the recently erected greenhouse. "We've accompanied the grower from training in soilless cultivation techniques to realization of the greenhouse project: advising on the choice of the greenhouse, the irrigation system and the utilities to recycle drainage water."
With the application of all these techniques, the completed greenhouse is perfectly compatible with the agricultural development on Réunion: a grower starting a new experience by working in a greenhouse. "We will accompany him in running the greenhouse and growing the crops, knowing he can't wait to start the first harvest from the new greenhouse. Protected cultivation answers the challenges on the island."
For more information:
JmHorti-Consulting
Jean Marc Hoarau & Aurore HOARAU-Ferrante
jmhorticonsulting@gmail.com
Publication date: 5/2/2018
Author: Arlette Sijmonsma
Copyright: www.hortidaily.com