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Is Hydroponic Farming Actually Sustainable?
If you've ever wondered how sustainable hydroponic farming really is—or what exactly is involved in vertical farming—this article is for you.
September 4, 2020
According to the UN, the world is on the brink of its worst food crisis in 50 years.
The global food industry is searching for a more sustainable and accessible system for producing healthy food, particularly fresh fruit and vegetables. Techniques such as hydroponics and vertical farming may provide the solution by maximizing overall output and minimizing the use of space, soil, and other resources.
But what exactly is hydroponic farming? And is it actually sustainable?
Gotham Greens grows fresh produce such as leafy greens in urban greenhouses. | Image/Gotham Greens
What Is Hydroponic Farming?
There are a variety of different approaches to Hydroponic Farming. But they all involve growing plants and fresh produce minus the soil.
There are several main styles of hydroponic systems. One uses an absorbent wick to transfer nutrients from a water reservoir up to the roots of the crop. While others leave an air-gap, allowing part of the root system to absorb nutrients directly while the remainder is exposed to oxygen in the air.
Plants may also be positioned on a floating raft, or grown through a medium, into which water is regularly pumped. Top feeding also requires regular water circulation, while aeroponics involves leaving the roots completely exposed but frequently filling or misting the space with nutrient-enriched water.
Whatever the precise method used, hydroponics involves regular exposure to both air and nutrient-rich water. According to Vertical Roots, a South Carolina-based Indoor Hydroponic Container Farm, there are five core elements to hydroponic farming. These are freshwater, oxygen, root support, nutrients, and light.
By growing crops in water, vertically, and in climate-controlled greenhouses, Vertical Roots and other similar farms are able to produce nutrient-dense food anywhere in the world, at any time of year, and using fewer resources than traditional methods.
Hydroponic farming is more resource-efficient than traditional methods. | Image/Shawn Ang via Unsplash
Is Hydroponic Farming Sustainable?
Soil-less farming techniques, in general, are typically more resource-efficient long term than traditional methods. According to the National Parks Service (NPS), hydroponics can use up to 10 percent less water than field crop watering.
By operating a closed-loop system and recycling rainwater, high-tech greenhouse developer AppHarvest uses up to 90 percent less water than traditional methods.
Most hydroponic farms utilize closed-loop systems, like AppHarvest, that contain and preserve water. This control over the water system also allows for delicate adjustments to the environment. PH levels, amount and type of light, and quantity of nutrients can all be modified to enhance the growth of crops.
Emphasizing perennial agriculture—particularly in combination with vertical farming and hydroponics—can further maximize both production and nutritional content per-plant. Many perennials, which can be maintained all year round with no replanting, are extremely nutrient-dense.
Start-up costs for hydroponic systems are typically greater than for traditional farming. But overall, it produces far greater output with fewer resources. It also allows growers to produce food anywhere in the world. Thereby reducing the carbon emissions generated through transportation, and allowing for year-round production in even inhospitable environments or weather conditions.
In general, hydroponic systems can produce a greater yield of fruits and vegetables. This is in part due to the controlled environment, but also because plants can be housed much more densely than possible using traditional methods. This both increases the overall output and reduces the quantity of land required.
Vertical farming can decrease the amount of land used for fresh produce even further. | Image/Markus Spiske via Unsplash
What Is Vertical Farming?
Vertical farming involves the growing of vegetables in stacked layers, frequently in a controlled environment.
Vertical farming also requires much less land than traditional methods. Typically, it incorporates controlled-environment systems such as hydroponics to maximize output. The primary goal of vertical farming is to increase the crop yield while reducing the space required, much like hydroponics itself.
Vertical farming firm Infarm recently partnered with supermarket chain Marks & Spencer to grow fresh herbs in select stores. The company is also working with several retailers and chefs across Europe who aim to add small vertical farms to their restaurants and stores.
“Our vertical farms can be installed directly in any urban space,” said Emmanuel Evita, global communications director at Infarm. “Which is where the majority of the global population will live in the next few decades.”
It is particularly useful for growing produce in areas where there is a lack of arable land. In Abu Dhabi, where there are extremely high temperatures and increasing water scarcity, the government is investing $100 million in indoor farming.
Inner-city gardening, in general, also lends itself to vertical farming. While harder to create a controlled environment, guerilla gardening and other community-based projects have also made use of the vertical system. This enables greater access to fresh produce and reduced mileage overall, even with rudimentary systems in place.
Emphasizing perennial vegetables could also maximize nutrients, increase production, and reduce the consumption of resources.
Why Do We Need Alternative Farming Methods?
Studies indicate that the suburbanization of major supermarkets has led to food deserts within cities. This disproportionately impacts low-income people and those who live in urban areas. Traditional malnutrition affects around two billion people worldwide. But the Standard American Diet (SAD) and lack of access to fresh food is also responsible for chronic deficiencies.
Access to fresh fruit and vegetables is likely to become even more restrictive in the recession following the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. And even in countries with plenty of food, there will likely be further disruptions in the food supply chain.
In order to provide enough vegetables for the global population to maintain a healthy diet, food production would need to triple. Alternative methods such as vertical farming and hydroponics could provide a resource-efficient and accessible way of revolutionizing the global food industry.
Gotham Greens, a fresh food farming company, specifically choose to build sustainable greenhouses within cities. Local cultivation helps the company deliver products quickly and with minimal energy expenditure. This also allows those who live within urban areas access to fresh, nutrient-dense food, and to agricultural jobs.
AppHarvest is also creating jobs, minimizing its carbon footprint, and increasing its output with its choice of location. By opening a new facility in Morehead, Kentucky, the company is both tackling high local unemployment rates while placing itself less than one day’s drive from 70 percent of the U.S. population. This reduction in travel for delivery has dropped its overall diesel costs by 80 percent.
“It’s time for agriculture in America to change,” said Johnathan Webb, the founder, and CEO of AppHarvest. “The pandemic has demonstrated the need to establish more resilient food systems, and our work is on the forefront of that effort.”
STAFF WRITER | BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM | CONTACTABLE VIA: LIAM@LIVEKINDLY.COM
Liam writes about environmental and social sustainability, and the protection of animals. He has a BA Hons in English Literature and Film and also writes for Sustainable Business Magazine. Liam is interested in intersectional politics and DIY music.
Lead photo: How sustainable is hydroponic farming? | Image/Gotham Greens
What Are The Pros And Cons of Hydroponics?
Hydroponics is a type of aquaculture that uses nutrients and water to grow plants without soil. It is an increasingly popular growing method in urban areas and regions with extreme climates
AUGUST 28, 2020
Hydroponics is a type of aquaculture that uses nutrients and water to grow plants without soil. It is an increasingly popular growing method in urban areas and regions with extreme climates. There are many benefits to hydroponics as an alternative form of agriculture, including fewer chemicals, higher yields and greater water efficiency.
However, hydroponics is not a perfect solution. The initial setup is expensive, and the whole growing system is heavily dependent on access to electricity and a clean water source. Here are just a few pros and cons of hydroponics.
Pros
The benefits of hydroponics are myriad and include:
1. More Water Efficient
Growing plants can require a lot of water, and conventional agriculture is historically wasteful of this resource. For example, a single walnut requires almost 5 gallons of water, and an orange uses nearly 14 gallons. Globally, over 70% of freshwater is used for agriculture.
Compared to traditional growing methods, hydroponic systems are much more water-efficient. Growing in a climate-controlled environment allows cultivators to use the exact amount of water required for healthy plants, without any waste. Overall, hydroponics utilizes 10 times less water than conventional agriculture.
2. Higher Yields
Since crops are grown in a climate-controlled environment, hydroponic farmers are not limited by extreme weather or annual rainfall, resulting in higher crop yields. There’s more control over the setup of the system, and crops aren’t limited to a specific growing season.
Additionally, when comparing vegetables grown in soil, hydroponics can sometimes grow plants at up to 16 times higher density. Hydroponics allows growers to do this without using significantly more nutrients or other inputs.
3. Less Space
Some crops require a lot of space, and many conventional forms of agriculture are inefficient when it comes to using land. For example, row crops like soybeans and corn take up most of the arable land in the United States, but the harvest is used mostly for livestock and processed food, not human consumption.
In contrast, hydroponic systems focus on cultivating fruits and vegetables, providing nutrient-dense food for consumers without taking up significant amounts of space. Additionally, researchers at NASA are studying how to incorporate hydroponic systems for longer-duration space missions by providing the right balance of light, carbon dioxide, and water.
4. Community Resilience
Many cities have significant food deserts, and access to quality and affordable items is significantly limited. Urban hydroponic systems enable communities to cultivate their own crops, increasing food security for vulnerable populations.
While hydroponics requires significant operational costs, there is also some proof that it may be a possible solution for countries that struggle with food insecurity or need back-up options during months of extreme drought.
For example, in the United States, many agricultural enterprises grow food in one region but ship it to another for consumption. Many rural communities struggle with access to healthy produce because of this. Hydroponics may help foster community resilience by setting up an accessible system.
5. Fewer Chemicals
Many advocates of hydroponic systems stress that hydroponics reduces the need for synthetic chemicals. Since plants are most often grown in greenhouses with strictly controlled environmental inputs, pest pressure is almost nonexistent. Considering the detrimental impact of pesticides on the environment, using fewer chemicals is a huge advantage for hydroponics compared to traditional growing systems.
However, there is an ongoing debate regarding how to qualify hydroponic crops, and whether they are eligible for organic certification. According to the USDA, this refers to the care and maintenance of soil without chemicals. Since hydroponics do not use earth, many traditional organic growers feel that they are not eligible. Regardless of how crops are labeled, the fact that hydroponics uses fewer chemicals is a definitive advantage compared to conventional agriculture.
Cons
Despite the many positives, hydroponics also has some challenges to overcome.
1. Technology Reliance
Hydroponics is a high-tech process. Most commercial operations utilize specialized equipment that regulates water temperature, as well as acidity and nutrient density. Because plants are cultivated in a completely climate-controlled environment, there is a significant reliance on technology. Hydroponics is considerably more high-tech than other growing methods, and there is an opportunity in agtech to improve yields and decrease inputs. However, the amount of tech also makes it cost-prohibitive for beginning growers.
2. Initial Investment
The hydroponics market is expected to grow from $9 billion to $16 billion in the next five years, so there is certainly an opportunity for investors to consider vertical farming as a viable operation. In traditional agriculture, is it hard for new and beginning farmers to get started, as many face difficulties with land access and infrastructure investments.
However, getting into hydroponics is not necessarily any easier or cheaper. Despite a growing market, the initial investment in hydroponic systems is steep, especially on a commercial scale. For this reason, many of the largest growers are established agriculture corporations that already have capital in place. The initial investment limits profitable hydroponic operations to a few large farms, making it tricky for smaller growers to enter the market.
3. Organic Debate
As mentioned above, there is an ongoing debate in the farming community about whether hydroponic produce can be labeled organic according to USDA standards. Without a clear definition of the nutrient profile of hydroponics, nor stringent guidelines on which fertilizers or chemicals are permissible, many consumers remain cautious about hydroponic produce. This affects the industry’s success, as many consumers don’t know how crops are grown or what’s added to the water.
Without a clear definition from the USDA, there remains some question over self-labeling of hydroponic crops as organic when synthetic chemicals may still be added.
4. Equipment Requirements
While a home gardener can easily utilize some plastic bottles and storage containers to build a small hydroponic system, commercial farmers have significant equipment requirements. In addition to the initial costs of setup for infrastructure, there are also necessary and costly machines to consider. Pumps, tanks, and other controls can be expensive, not to mention electricity and access to filtered water.
5. Waterborne Diseases
While hydroponic systems may reduce or eliminate pest pressure, certain waterborne diseases are more prevalent in hydroponically grown produce. The most common ones affect the plant’s root structure, such as Pythium, which includes several water mold species.
Proper hygiene and cleaning practices can reduce the risk of plant disease, but it is often impossible to avoid completely. Because of this likelihood, many hydroponic growers incorporate bio fungicides to prevent breakouts.
Soil-Free Growing
Hydroponic growing can increase crop yields while reducing water usage. The benefits of hydroponics are significant, and the industry is expected to grow astronomically in the next five years. However, there are also some disadvantages to growing hydroponically. Improving access to infrastructure and making technology more accessible will enable more beginning growers to enter the market.
VIDEO: Will This Y Combinator-Backed Startup’s Urban Home Farms Take Root In India?
UrbanKisaan leverages hydroponic technology for home growing kits, as well as a network of urban farms for online delivery and retail channels
Inc42 Staff
27 Aug'20
UrbanKisaan leverages hydroponic technology for home growing kits, as well as a network of urban farms for online delivery and retail channels
During the lockdown phase, the company claimed to have seen 10x growth in terms of demand for its fresh produce, compared to pre-Covid times.
Based in Hyderabad, UrbanKisaan has installed close to 30+ vertical farms and plans to expand to Bengaluru, Chennai among other cities
There’s a minor revolution underway in many of India’s biggest cities. We are talking about hydroponic farming and this soil-less method is fast becoming the answer to solving the problem of carbon footprint in food. Call it hydroponic farming, soilless farming, vertical farming or anything else — for many it is the long-awaited answer to responsible eating.
In this backdrop, agritech and hydroponics startups are quickly finding niches in various produce categories and cities. Despite their shared ethos for sustainable food production, the likes of UrbanKisaan, Barton Breeze, Hydrilla, Simply Fresh, Acqua Farms, Letcetra Agritech, BitMantis Innovations, Future Farms, Ela Sustainable Solutions, Agro2o, Junga FreshnGreen, Pindfresh are working in this field through different models and targeting different niches — from large-scale hydroponics farming in rural areas to small home farms for the cities.
Working on the philosophy of bringing farms closer to home is Hyderabad-based UrbanKisaan. With the vision of making hydroponic technology more affordable and accessible for the masses, UrbanKisaan offers home-grow kits or vertical hydroponic farms. And by creating mini-farms in cities and revitalizing farmlands with hydroponic technology, the startup also supplies fresh produce to customers through Swiggy, Zomato, Dunzo, and other retail channels as well as in the D2C model on subscription and on-demand basis.
“We are the only startup in the hydroponic landscape to have taken a hybrid approach, where we have 20,000 sq. ft. research and development facility, along with 15+ in-house scientists working on newer innovations and products,” claimed cofounder and CEO Vihari Kanukollu elaborating on how the company is looking to differentiate itself in the burgeoning hydroponic market.
However, UrbanKisaan is not alone in the game, Simply Fresh, another Hyderabad based agritech startup, also grows and supplies a line of medicinal plants and fresh produce from its greenhouses. Similarly, Chennai-based Future Farms works on hydroponic technology at a commercial level, where it designs integrated full-stack solutions for alternative farming in the country. The vibrancy of the hydroponic models and the large ground area that needs to be covered across cities and villages has made it possible for multiple startups to thrive in this space.
Needless to say, the market opportunity is huge, as ‘urban farming’ is catching up at a rapid pace globally. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global hydroponics market is expected to reach $16.6 Bn by 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 11.9% from $9.5 Bn in 2020. The growth of the sector is said to be driven by the increase in population and the need for food security through alternative high-yield farming techniques, given the depletion of water across the globe.
Plus, the rise in awareness and demand for a healthier lifestyle is said to have opened doors for a plethora of possibilities for hydroponic startups to reap the benefits in the long run.
UrbanKisaan earns revenue from its multiple channels which allow it to reach all kinds of consumers — from those who want a taste of the hydroponic produce to those who want to grow it themselves. Its urban farms are strategically located next to retail stores to facilitate hyperlocal deliveries and its DIY home kits are for the latter set. Additionally, it is also supplying its technology to local farmers to reutilise farmland.
The startup was founded in 2017 by Kanukollu, Srinivas Chaganti, Dr Hari, Shiva Prasad and Dr Sai Ram, a scientist who has been instrumental in developing the nutrient solution for their state-of-the-art vertical farming technique. In March 2020, the company also raised $1.5 Mn in seed funding from Y Combinator.
Home Farming In The Times Of Covid
During the lockdown phase, the company claimed to have witnessed 10x growth in terms of demand for its fresh produce, compared to pre-Covid levels. Further, cofounder Kanukollu said that the disruption in the supply chain and consumers leveraging on the hyperlocal delivery modes, along with the change in consumer lifestyle, for the consumption of fresh, organic produce has resulted in the surge in demand.
The Covid-19 pandemic temporarily halted the movement of produce across India and highlighted the gap in the food supply chain. This allowed agritech startups such as UrbanKisaan that specialise in hydroponic farming to tap a tremendous opportunity and bring efficiency in the supply chain.
With its hyperlocal urban farms model, Kanukollu claimed UrbanKisaan is not only bringing transparency to the vegetable supply chain but also lowering the carbon footprint, reducing food waste. Most importantly, their farming technique also claimed to save 95% water, and grow the produce 30x compared to traditional farms.
Its home kits are priced anywhere between INR 9,900 and INR 19,900 with about 50+ varieties of leafy vegetables and exotic vegetables supported by these kits, including spinach, coriander, mint, basil, bok choy, lettuce, parsley, fenugreek, capsicum, tomato and kale among others.
Further, the company claimed to have semi-automated the entire process and has designed the kits in such a way that it requires limited resources to manage it. “Once installed, it requires 15 min/week of effort to take care of the plants, thereby making it seamless for consumers to grow their own fresh produce,” said Kanukollu.
A Tech Upgrade For Rural Farmers
In addition to this, UrbanKisaan also works with local farmers who own greenhouses, where it helps them in setting up vertical farms from scratch to producing and supplying fresh fruits and vegetables.
Cost-wise, the poly house or greenhouse setup would typically cost farmers anywhere between INR 35 to INR 50 Lakhs per acre, of which, the government may subsidise up to 80%. Once this is installed, which is a fixed cost, for setting up of hydroponic setup, it would cost the farmer additionally INR 50 Lakhs. But, UrbanKisaan told Inc42 that it looks to reduce this cost at INR 15 to INR 20 Lakhs.
UrbanKisaan claims to have installed close to 30+ hydroponics farms in the state, across its various offerings. In the coming days, it plans to expand into other cities, including Bengaluru, Chennai among others, along with growing its team, adding newer varieties of hydroponic seeds, fruits and vegetables, and enhancing its technology capabilities.
Kanukollu is looking at creating a centralised monitoring system through UrbanKisaan for these various hubs and farms. “We are heavily investing in artificial and machine learning tools, where once the network of the urban farm increases, we will be able to monitor and control their farms remotely and provide a real-time update to customers.”
Disease-Causing Bacteria Can Grow on Hydroponic Microgreen Mats
Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes are two bacteria that can make you sick when eating contaminated produce. It turns out, some microgreen grow mats might be a breeding ground for these bacteria
Posted on July 2, 2020, by Gina Misra
Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes are two bacteria that can make you sick when eating contaminated produce. It turns out, some microgreen grow mats might be a breeding ground for these bacteria.
You may be like a lot of people and associate foodborne illness with eating improperly cooked meat. Did you know that raw vegetables can also carry foodborne illness? Bacteria and viruses get on produce in a variety of ways: by food handlers, contaminated water, or soil fertilized with untreated manure. Romaine lettuce grown in Arizona made the news in 2018 because of widespread E. coli contamination. Sprouts, another popular health food, have been involved in 74 outbreaks of (mostly) Salmonella since 1973. Turns out these nasty pathogens are not just reserved for chicken and beef! There is no cooking step to kill the bacteria or virus on produce before it goes into your salad. Sometimes washing doesn’t even help, so prevention is key.
Microgreens are a hot new leafy green on the market. A microgreen is the first 2 to 3-inch (5 to 7-cm) tall shoot from a germinating vegetable seed. They are grown indoors in trays or hydroponics systems in soil, soil-substitutes, or without any rooting medium at all. Scientists understand a lot about how bacteria get to leafy greens from soil, but little about contamination in indoor farms. Are indoor farms safer if they don’t use dirt? We wanted to find out.
This is what a typical microgreen hydroponic system looks like. Source: Wikimedia Commons, by Kchittock0511 / CC BY-SA
Microgreen growers do use soil. However, they also use materials such as coco coir (made from coconut husks), Biostrate(TM) mats, plastic, perlite, rice hulls, and hemp in soil-free indoor systems. Our hypothesis was that if soil can transfer bacteria to lettuce, other growing materials can too.
E.coli and Salmonella survived better in hydroponic nutrient solution compared to soil, so we wondered if there would also be differences among soil-free materials. Within the last few years, there have been close to 10 microgreen recalls over diarrhea-causing Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes found during routine testing. So, we decided to compare the survival of these two pathogens among popular soil-free growing materials to see if the bacteria lived longer on any of them.
An example of a Biostrate mat. Source: The author | Creative Commons Share Alike 4.0
We watered multiple samples of coco coir, Biostrate(TM) mats, hemp mats, and peat-based potting mix and contaminated them with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. To imitate microgreen growing conditions, we left them on the lab bench for 10 days. We took samples from the mats on the first day, and then at 24 hours, 3 days, 6 days, and 10 days to measure the growth of bacteria. Each sample was spread onto Petri dishes containing a gel called agar, enriched with nutrients preferred by each species. The idea behind this classic microbiology technique is that if any cells from the samples were viable, they would multiply on the Petri dishes and form colonies. The colonies are easy to see with the naked eye, and each represents one cell from the original sample.
We found out that Biostrate(TM) mats and hemp mats supported the growth of these two pathogens, while coco coir and peat potting mix did not. In fact, on Biostrate(TM) and hemp, Salmonella and Listeria levels increased after 24 hours and then maintained their original levels for 10 days. On peat and coco coir, Listeria began to die off after the third day and was undetectable on coco coir by the 10th day. Salmonella survived better on all the materials, but on the 10th day, there were 10 times fewer colonies on peat and coco coir compared to the two mats.
Both pathogens showed poorer survival on peat and coco coir compared to no media at all. That means there may be some feature of the peat and coco coir that suppresses the growth of these bacteria. Understanding if that is true, and if so, what exactly that feature is will require more experiments.
It is necessary to point out that because this experiment did not involve microgreens, we still don’t know if microgreens grown in Biostrate(TM) and hemp actually do take up greater amounts of bacteria. These tests are underway! However, this preliminary information may be useful to indoor growers. Until we know more, microgreen growers may want to avoid using fibrous mats, perform additional sanitation steps, or do more testing to keep their customers safe.
Posted in Agriculture, Biology, By Science Writers, By Scientists, Food Science, Microbiology, Science NewsTagged agriculture, Biostrate, coco coir, contamination, food safety, food science, growing media, hemp, hydroponics, indoor farming, leafy greens, Listeria, Microgreens, peat, Salmonella
Study Information
Study published on: May 12, 2020
Study author(s): Gina Misra and Kristen E. Gibson
The study was done at: University of Arkansas
The study was funded by: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA NIFA) and University of Arkansas
Raw data availability: Available from the author upon request by email.
Featured image credit: Jenny Nichols WallpaperFlare.com
Swegreen Vertical Farm Goes In-Store in Gothenburg, Sweden
Swegreen's first automated farming unit takes place at ICA Focus in Gothenburg
Swegreen's first automated farming unit takes place at ICA Focus in Gothenburg
Swegreen inks contract with ICA Focus in Gothenburg, to become the exclusive producer of hyper-locally grown vegetables via an automated cultivation system inside the store itself. The agreement is based on Swegreen's subscription-based Farming-as-a-Service, which gives food retailers and restaurants the opportunity to offer their customers fresh crops all year round – harvested directly on-site or in-store.
From left: Andreas Dahlin, CEO at Swegreen. Elsa Adlersson, ICA Focus' responsible for the In-Store greenhouse. Marcus Petersson, chairman at Swegreen.
The contract between Swegreen and ICA Focus concludes that the Gothenburg-based store will be the first in Sweden to offer its customers hyper-locally produced greens grown from seed to fully-grown size inside a store itself. The cultivation facility, which is provided by the Swedish startup company Swegreen, is based on so-called hydroponic cultivation technology that is both resource-efficient and climate-smart. The technical solution also includes the company's special lighting and nutrient recipe, air conditioning system for control of heat, humidity, and CO2 content plus a complete digital monitoring – as well as a data-driven intelligent system for optimization of all cultivation processes.
Through Swegreen's subscription-based business model, Farming-as-a-Service (FaaS), the cooperation between the parties is based on a long-term commitment where Swegreen ensures efficient production at agreed volumes and quality.
- Our FaaS model means that every store and restaurant owner can offer hyper-local, fresh and high-quality crops that are fantastically nutritious and tasty – at very competitive prices, says Swegreen's CEO, Andreas Dahlin.
- We are very proud and happy to start this collaboration with ICA Focus. It is a store that has the will to be at the forefront, and we think there are going to be many who desire to follow their footsteps.
ICA Focus is located in the Gårda district in central Gothenburg, just a stone’s throw away from the famous amusement park, Liseberg, and the Swedish Exhibition and WTC. A flagship store that always has a large assortment of environmental-friendly products.
- Our customers have demanded more locally produced and sustainable greens in our assortment – and it will not be more local and greener than this! Says Daniel Åkerhage, Store Manager at ICA Focus.
- Now we look forward to our first on-site harvest, which we expect to take place later this month.
At full capacity, it is possible to deliver and harvest around 300 units of fresh salad heads and herbs per day in the cultivation facility in the ICA Focus store.
With hydroponic cultivation technology, where the crops grow without soil with lighting from special LED lamps, it is possible to grow vegetables in an urban environment – and thus produce food very close to the consumer. It also removes unnecessary, expensive, and climate-damaging transportations. In addition, the crops do not need to be sprayed by pesticides or herbicides – they are ready to be eaten directly off the growing system. Up to 95% of the irrigation water is reused via the recycling system. Nutrients are also recycled, while the plants receive carbon dioxide through a filtered air intake from the store itself.
Swegreen has developed the cultivation module to be able to create integrated plant environments together with partners in the food and restaurant sector. Therefore, Swegreen has developed a cloud-based control- and monitoring system to make production easy to manage. Through data collection of current factors in the cultivation environment, the system can continuously refine and further optimize the cultivation processes by the use of artificial intelligence.
For more information contact:
Andreas Dahlin, CEO of Swegreen, +46 70-924 00 32, andreas.dahlin@swegreen.se
Daniel Åkerhage, store manager ICA Focus, +46 76-117 16 20, daniel@icafocus.se
Swegreen is a Swedish FoodTech company that combines advanced technology, data science, and agricultural knowledge to be able to efficiently produce high-quality and climate-smart crops in an urban environment. The company offers a subscription-based cultivation service called Farming-as-a-Service (FaaS). It gives food retailers and restaurants the opportunity to offer their customers hyper-locally produced, fresh, nutritious, and tasty greens all year round. www.swegreen.com
ICA Focus is a unique grocery store that has been a rendezvous place for food-loving Gothenburgers for over 25 years. With an assortment of over 35,000 items, you have about twice as much to choose from as in an ordinary ICA store. ICA Focus also has its own bakery, charcuterie and restaurant. The store also has one of Gothenburg's best fish delicate retailers, Fisk i Focus. ICA Focus is located in Focushuset, Gårda, in central Gothenburg.
Hydroponics – The Pros And Cons of Growing In Soilless Medium
Hydroponics is the practice of growing food with no soil involved. Hydroponic operations may bring food to places where it would be difficult to obtain. It may also assist in the flaws of our current food system
Posted by: Alejandro Gutierrez
Hydroponics is the practice of growing food with no soil involved. Hydroponic operations may bring food to places where it would be difficult to obtain. It may also assist in the flaws of our current food system.
In 2018, the CDC and the FDA issued two safety alerts for Romaine Lettuce in seven months. Consumers across the United States were urged to avoid Romaine lettuce because of E. coli infection concerns. It took weeks for the FDA to announce that the agency found the source of the contamination. The advisory prompted many food stores, including Whole Foods to remove all Romaine lettuce from their shelves.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay;
Situations like these are scary for consumers. And not surprisingly, they’re also angry. People are frustrated about how little they know about the source of fresh produce they buy at grocery stores. Urban farming ventures are taking advantage of concerns about the safety of fresh food. Food miles also become relevant. Consumers desire to avoid fresh food that may have been grown with unfavorable conditions. In some cases, pesticide drift from near farms also poses a threat.
Hydroponics offers an answer and a solution to all these concerns. And it presents an opportunity for healthy and eco-conscious people to gain control over the source of their fresh food.
Photo by Harits Mustya Pratama on Unsplash
Let’s look at the pros and cons of hydroponics. We’ll look at the advantages and disadvantages that apply to urban farming companies catering to local consumers. Followed by those to home gardeners who are involved in hydroponics on a vastly smaller scale.
The Pros and Cons of Hydroponics for Urban Farms
Advantages
In many cities, urban farms bring business to abandoned buildings and decaying neighborhoods. Their presence benefits the area and encourages the restoration of unused and abandoned buildings.
Urban farms create jobs in areas with limited or non-existent job opportunities.
Hydroponic growing offers training opportunities for young people in the community, providing skills they can be used in later life.
Community growing brings fresh food to “food deserts,” eliminating the excuse that area residents had for not eating healthier foods.
Growing hydroponically within the city gives people access to locally grown food that doesn’t have to travel so far.
Food grown on urban farms is picked at the peak of freshness, so it’s higher in nutrition.
Urban farms lower the carbon footprint of food production. Because they use so water efficiently, hydroponic systems are far eco-friendlier. And the food doesn’t have to travel as far. The use of LED lights increases the energy-efficiency of hydroponic systems.
Government officials have instant access to information about hydroponic produce and its path from the controlled environment to the consumer.
Consumers have the assurance that there won’t be any problems with bacterial contamination. They can trust the source of the produce they buy.
Access to high-quality fresh, locally grown produce means that they don’t have to buy more than they can use. This ensures they’re not wasting food or throwing money away.
Hydroponics eliminates the need to use chemical pesticides and insecticides
Photo by Nolan Issac on Unsplash
Photo by Fitleaf
Empty/Abandoned warehouse has the potential for Hydroponic Growing
Disadvantages
Urban agriculture doesn’t solve the problems of gang violence and crime in low-income neighborhoods but it’s a great start.
Businesses that want to establish urban farms in big cities have to go through lengthy applications. From the business license to the zoning permit, it may be a tedious process.
An urban agriculture venture isn’t likely to bring lots of jobs to the community in the short run. It is not until it establishes itself that results come in the long-run.
It will take time for the company to create the conditions for growing conditions. Assembling a hydroponic system that can handle large scale food production will also require some effort.
The company will need to consider transportation and parking needs for the employees. There may be concerns regarding parking for workers; having an impact on the parking situation for people who live in the neighborhood. However, a good solution with be biking
There may be a high cost of installing a backup power system (like generators). This is necessary because the damage of potential power failures would inflict significant losses.
Pros and Cons of Hydroponics for Home Growers
Positive Benefits of Hydroponic Gardening at Home
Hydroponics brings plants into the home, and the presence of plants improves air quality and overall health.
Hydroponics encourages people to take an interest in the origin of their food. It also gives them insight on what it takes to bring it to their tables.
Individuals who have hydroponics systems in their homes have access to better quality, fresher, and more nutritious food.
When you have a hydroponic system at home, you’re able to pick fresh produce just before using it. There is then less chance that fresh vegetables will sit in your refrigerator because you forget about them.
Because you can pick fresh food when you need it, you’ll cut the cost of your weekly grocery bills. The money you save from buying fewer groceries can go towards clearing debts or in savings.
You’ll get a tremendous and invaluable sense of satisfaction from being able to be more self-sufficient.
Since you’re buying the seeds for your hydroponics system, you can be certain of their origin.
You can plant and harvest fruits and vegetables grown at your own standard. You are free of paying the premium that is standard for food products that bear the “certified organic” label. This label usually carries the charge to the consumer.
Negatives of Hydroponic Gardening at Home
The cost of purchasing equipment. Regardless of whether you buy kits like the Tower Garden, or buy the components to build your own. While building a system isn’t cheap, the process is educational and fun.
Unless you buy a kit that provides instructions, you’ll have a harder time assembling your system and getting it started.
If you buy a kit, you’ll eventually need to purchase replacement parts, additional accessories, and supplemental nutrients. You should factor these things into the total cost of buying and operating a hydroponics system at home.
No matter how energy-efficient your system manufacturer claims it is, there will be an extra load on your electrical system. A hydroponic system will increase your utility bill throughout the year. With this issue, eco-friendly alternatives arise, such as solar panels which should be implemented if possible.
Unless you buy a system that is fully automated, you’ll have to constantly monitor nutrient and water levels. You may also have to turn the lights on or off. Don’t expect to have a productive hydroponic garden unless you’re willing to put the effort in. Checking your plants every day is a must. Observing them will ensure that their growing conditions are acceptable.
Failing to add water when the reservoir needs it, may burn your motor out, and you may weaken or kill the plants. That would be a significant financial setback.
A power failure will alter the growing conditions in your hydroponic unit. An extended power failure will deprive your plants of light, water, and oxygen. That’s a recipe for their death.
Hydroponics is no different from traditional gardening in that you get what you put into it. Some of the most significant advantages include being able to grow what you want and when you want to grow it, not being tied to traditional gardening seasons, and not having to do as much maintenance as you would if you tried to grow your food in the ground. A well-maintained hydroponic garden will give you access to healthy and nutritious food at any time. You’ll never have to rush to the grocery store for something because you don’t have it on hand.
Photo by Fitleaf
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.”