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How One Man Is Urban Farming For Manila’s Greener Future
In October 2016, a year after Becker moved to Manila from Silicon Valley, he founded Urban Greens, an agri-tech startup that aims “to provide cleaner, fresher, smarter greens entirely grown hydroponically,” perfectly catered to an increasingly urbanized world
BY APPLE MANDY
24 APRIL 2020
Luxembourg-born Ralph Becker saw the need for food security solutions, as well as a way to minimize carbon footprint and the farm-to-table distance. While the Philippines is blessed with lush and fertile lands, as well as a climate suited to growing a variety of crops, in recent years, agriculture in the country is struggling. Farmers lack support and training, rural farming practices are outdated, and exposure to typhoons and droughts are making traditional food production methods more and more difficult.
In October 2016, a year after Becker moved to Manila from Silicon Valley, he founded Urban Greens, an agri-tech startup that aims “to provide cleaner, fresher, smarter greens entirely grown hydroponically,” perfectly catered to an increasingly urbanized world.
Growing greens hydroponically is a method of growing plants without soil, meaning that there’s no need for the use of pesticides, fertilizers, or fungicides. Crops are non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) and only require minimal amounts of water for growth. Plants are cultivated using a carefully concocted nutrient solution and can be grown anywhere with oxygen. Another advantage is that the crops will not be subject to the whims of nature, or the devastation of natural disasters.
Becker’s passion for plants stems from his childhood when his Filipino mum would take him to Cebu during the holidays. “My mom loves to surround herself with plants and that’s how my affinity to plants grew,” shares Becker. Growing up, Becker had the opportunity to travel and live in different cities. He studied and pursued his masters in London and Singapore, and worked for Sony Corporation in various locations, including San Francisco and Tokyo. After almost an eight-year stint at Sony, he decided to leave the corporate world and start his own business.
“When I was working for Sony, I was tasked to work on a product and somehow I felt I was like a machine creating more garbage,” says Becker. “I asked myself: ‘How can I make an impact and what industry am I able to contribute my time and effort?’ In the corporate world, you are replaceable. I learned a lot while working at Sony. I learned how to be an entrepreneur and to be an observer, as well as accounting, social media, and human resources. There were certainly some skills I’ve learned that were transferable.”
After 10 years of studying and working abroad, Becker decided to get back in touch with his Filipino roots and move back to Manila. There, he noticed the imported vegetables on the shelves are expensive, but not necessarily of the best quality. With the help of YouTube tutorials, he created a window farm using a hydroponics system inside his apartment in Makati. The enthusiastic feedback prompted him to explore the idea further, which led him to set up his business.
Like any start-up owner, Becker encountered challenges. His first business model—creating custom-built hydroponic towers for individual customers—didn’t work as “it was very inefficient and requires higher maintenance”.
With the new model, Becker focuses more on bringing the right pH and nutrient levels for each plant. He employs the NFT (nutrient film technique) system, one of the most popular hydroponic growing styles, in which nutrients are delivered via a thin film of water to plants arranged on a slanted gutter. This system, Becker says, is easily scalable, with a very flexible and modular design.
“Plants are vulnerable to outside elements. By growing them indoors, you can protect them from too much rain or heat, and control the temperature and humidity easily,” says Becker. “That way each crop looks the same and they are of high quality. There are also no pesticides, so rest assured you are getting better quality.”
Currently, Becker and his team of biologists, engineers, agronomists, and marketing specialists grow around a dozen varieties of herbs and vegetables, including arugula, basil, and mint. His clients include five-star hotels, high-end bars, and local restaurants. Sensors are also incorporated into the system to facilitate remote monitoring and big data analytics and integrates blockchain technology in vertical farming so people can understand more about what goes into putting food on their plates.
“Knowing what nutrients are needed for each crop is important,” says Becker. “We want to create the best possible environment and make everything as transparent as possible. We also want to share when and how the harvests grow so it gives people an idea of what they are consuming.”
Currently, Becker is closing the seed funding round but is continuously seeking strategic partnerships with other SME companies. Internship positions are also available.
“I built Urban Greens because I want to use my knowledge and skills to contribute something for the community and be part of a solution,” says Becker. “I have always wanted to do something more impactful and help the community.”
The Philippines may lag behind neighbors in terms of agriculture output and land reform, but Becker is still positive that the younger generation and Filipino agronomists can still contribute to something bigger. He also believes that Manila is currently undergoing a dynamic shift: It is quickly developing into a hub for social enterprises and start-ups. Like Becker, a lot of people are moving back, a sort of “reverse diaspora,” and bringing back their ideas and expertise. For Becker, the demand for a cleaner and greener Philippines is growing, and the answer might just be hiding in your basement.
Apple Mandy
CONTRIBUTOR
Multilingual lifestyle writer and editor Apple Mandy loves exploring. After 10 years of living in Hong Kong and working for various media companies, including South China Morning Post, she went back to Manila to reconnect with the city she grew up in. There, she explored new places, revisited her childhood favorites, and delved into the creative side of things. She recently moved to New York; you may find her at a café blogging about her experiences while sipping a cup of tea.
Cities Are Turning To Vertical Farms To Keep Their Supply Chains Upright
According to Axios, demand is blossoming for vertical farm startups. Companies like Bowery Farming have seen 2x the business, and they’re racing to open up new facilities near big cities
April 23, 2020
If the last few weeks are any indication, an algorithm may soon be growing your green beans.
As urban grocery stores struggle to stock enough produce for their customers, they’re finding a seedling of hope in vertical farms — big, indoor facilities that cultivate plants using precision-controlled temperatures, lighting, and water supplies.
According to Axios, demand is blossoming for vertical farm startups. Companies like Bowery Farming have seen 2x the business, and they’re racing to open up new facilities near big cities.
The problem isn’t a cabbage shortage
There’s a disconnect here: Vertical farms are spreading their roots right as old-school farmers, facing lowered demand, are letting billions of dollars of produce rot on their land.
The produce is there — urban groceries just aren’t getting it. So what’s going on?
It’s a tale of rotten supply chains. The trucking industry is overwhelmed. Farmers typically split their crops between restaurants and grocery stores. With the restaurant side of the supply chain shut down, it’s difficult — and expensive — to pivot all the way into the other.
Vertical farms promise an answer: Crops grown in big cities, right near the stores that need them most.
But maybe you should hold your seed funding a little longer
Many believe that vertical farming is the future — especially in a health crisis. The few employees needed to maintain vertical farms mean fewer concerns about spreading disease.
But the industry needs stronger financial roots if it’s ever going to be ready for harvest. The upfront costs of vertical farms are immense.
You need to pay for LED lights, ventilation, temperature controls, and the 24/7 power costs are immense. Many vertical farms are opening, but very few are actually profitable.
Singapore Seeks To Increase Local Food Production With Rooftop Farming
Singapore has announced new measures designed to quickly increase local food production, including rooftop farming
Singapore has announced new measures designed to quickly increase local food production, including rooftop farming.
Officials in the city-state recently set a goal to meet 30 percent of Singapore’s nutritional needs with locally produced food by 2030.
The plan includes $21 million in government money to support local production of eggs, vegetables and fish “in the shortest possible time.”
The plans were announced as the worldwide spread of COVID-19 has caused shortages of many products, including food in some areas. Restrictions on population movements around the world have weakened supply chains and raised concerns about worsening shortages and price increases.
Currently, densely populated Singapore produces only about 10 percent of its own food needs. Only 1 percent of Singapore’s 724 square kilometers is currently used for agriculture. And production costs there are higher than the rest of Southeast Asia.
Singapore’s Food Agency says its goal is to raise local food production levels to make up for climate change and population growth that could threaten worldwide food supplies.
“The current COVID-19 situation underscores the importance of local food production, as part of Singapore’s strategies to ensure food security,” the Food Agency said in a statement.
Singapore officials have repeatedly told citizens that the city-state has enough food to get through the COVID-19 crisis. But they have decided to speed up the process of increasing local production to begin within the next six months.
This plan includes efforts to identify alternative farming spaces, such as industrial areas and empty building spaces. It also calls for adding new technologies to improve farming methods.
Officials said one part of the project aims to establish rooftop farms on public housing parking areas beginning in May.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English, with additional information from Singapore’s Food Agency. Hai Do was the editor.
April 18, 2020
Growing Up In The Garden State: Vertical Farms Prove To Be Bright Spot on N.J.'s Agricultural Horizon
New Jersey’s numerous vertical farms represent a bright spot on the Garden State’s agricultural horizon
In Newark, AeroFarms converted a 75-year-old, 70,000-square-foot steel mill into the world’s largest indoor vertical farm in 2015, which is soon to become the world’s second–largest when AeroFarms completes construction of its new 150,000-square-foot vertical farm in Danville, Va. Photo courtesy of AeroFarms
While New Jersey is famously known as the ‘Garden State’ based on its bountiful produce, numerous forces here and abroad indicate that the delicate balance between food growers and consumers is reaching a dangerous tipping point. Among key concerns, the world population is currently growing faster than the food supply, agriculture accounts for nearly 25% of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, and modern commercial farming practices have led to a rise in dangerous and costly food-borne and antibiotic-resistant illnesses. Closer to home, a recent report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed that between 1982 and 2007, New Jersey lost a greater share of its agricultural land to development than any other state in America, putting further strain on a local industry already under pressure.
Proving that necessity is the mother of invention, however, a new crop of innovators is tackling these challenges head-on. Based on the benefits of “vertical farming” – a process by which crops are grown indoors in vertically stacked layers within highly controlled environments – New Jersey’s numerous vertical farms represent a bright spot on the Garden State’s agricultural horizon.
A Strategic Solution
“Vertical farms lead back to the need to build a world in which the current food system must support the needs of an expanded population with a rapidly dwindling set of resources,” said Irving Fain, founder, and CEO of Bowery Farming, a 5-year-old, Kearny-based indoor farming company that’s addressing the impending climate and food crisis by using the power of technology to grow fresh, high-quality produce closer to the point of consumption. With two commercial indoor farms located in Kearny and a third recently launched in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, “Bowery’s model and proprietary technology, BoweryOS, enable the growth of high-quality crops year-round, regardless of whether or seasonality, using zero pesticides and over 95% less water,” Fain said.
“We’re re-appropriating industrial space to grow crops indoors at a rate that’s 100 times more productive per square foot of land than that of traditional agriculture,” noted Fain, who said that Bowery’s data-rich systems and ability to control the entire growing process enable it to trace every individual crop back to its original seed and deliver superior produce to restaurants and stores (including Whole Foods and Stop & Shop locations) within days of harvest.
Five miles away in Newark, AeroFarms converted a 75-year-old, 70,000-square-foot steel mill into the world’s largest indoor vertical farm in 2015 (soon to become the world’s second-largest when AeroFarms completes construction of its new 150,000-square-foot vertical farm in Danville, Va.). Growing a range of fruit, vegetables, and greens (under the “Dream Greens” label) without sun or soil in a fully controlled, indoor environment using a patented aeroponic growing system for faster harvest cycles, predictable results, superior food safety and less environmental impact, the company’s annual yields are reportedly 390-plus times higher per square foot than conventional farming. Harvesting up to two million pounds of highly nutritious, premium-quality produce per year, AeroFarms was recently named one of Time’s ‘Best Inventions of 2019.’
Farming 8,000 square feet of grow space within a historic greenhouse in Newark’s Branch Brook Park, Radicle Farm grows hydroponically using a nutrient film technique (NFT) and flooded tray system. Though not a vertical farm per se, “vertical growing makes sense within densely populated urban areas, and field farming and ground-level greenhouse growing will also continue to play a major role for quite some time,” said Radicle Farm Co-Founder Tony Gibbons.
Hackensack-based Greens Do Good is proving that vertical farms can not only be rooted in food delivery but in social responsibility as well. At the 3,600-square-foot facility, which opened in April 2019, all proceeds from the growth of its dozens of different microgreens, lettuce, and herbs – all grown without soil, pesticides or herbicides – go to REED Next, a nonprofit organization that provides continued education, life experience and work opportunities to adults with autism.
“We believe that growing healthy food with minimal impact to the environment is the future of farming, and Greens Do Good is transforming the way our local community sources healthy produce by providing the freshest ingredients in a sustainable and socially responsible way,” said Jennifer Faust, REED Foundation’s director of Communications. “In a state like New Jersey, where urban communities don’t have space, access or optimal year-round outdoor growing conditions to provide fresh produce, Greens Do Good is solving that problem by creating a sustainable social enterprise that not only helps individuals with autism but provides our community with produce that’s delivered hyper-locally on the same day it’s harvested, 365 days a year.” At its core, Faust said, “we’re a community partner providing sustainable produce to local businesses while supporting adults with autism, a greatly underserved population.”
With a similar desire to support its community, Bowery works closely with Table To Table, a food rescue program that delivers perishable food to organizations that serve the hungry in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties and also has developed lesson plans to aid local teachers and students in discussions about the modern agricultural landscape and its challenges.
Building A Better Future
Often located in urban settings in order to bring agriculture back to city centers, vertical farms incorporate the utmost in sustainable products and practices. At Bowery, for example, energy-efficient LED lighting mimics the spectrum of the sun for crops, while rooftop solar panels, a clean gas backup generator, and a battery energy storage system further reduce the company’s energy use and carbon emissions in New Jersey. “In addition, Bowery uses over 95% less water by recirculating it continuously and only replenishing the amount that’s used by the plants or lost during daily operations,” Fain said.
Part of a current network of 2,000 vertical farms in America within an industry that’s estimated to grow to over $3 billion by 2024, New Jersey’s vertical farms are proud of the contribution they’re making to meet the state’s food challenges while transforming agriculture around the world.
“Bowery was founded on the fundamental belief that technology applied at scale can solve difficult and important global problems, with agriculture sitting at the nexus of many of these issues, and our mission is to grow food for a better future,” said Fain, whose company was honored as one of Fast Company’s “2019 Most Innovative Companies in AI.” Based on its benefits and success, he said, “we see indoor farming becoming an even more meaningful and integral part of the farming and agriculture industries in the next 5 to 10 years and look forward to continuing to experience the positive impact of vertical farming on the environment.”
By Susan Bloom | For Jersey’s Best | April 21, 2020
Urban Farms Are Thriving Amid The Pandemic
"More people are thinking about where their food comes from, how easily it can be disrupted, and how to reduce disruptions," Kotchakorn Voraakhom, the architect who designed Asia's largest urban rooftop farm in Bangkok, tells Reuters
April 13, 2020
With much of the world locked down to prevent the spread of coronavirus, most of us are looking for any good news we can get.
Global air pollution has plummeted. Even wildlife seems to be bouncing back.
But let's face it, these developments likely won't last long once humans venture outside again.
We may, however, be able to take lasting comfort from one trend emerging from these viral times: The number of people growing their own food at home or forging a direct relationship with local farmers has surged in recent weeks.
"More people are thinking about where their food comes from, how easily it can be disrupted, and how to reduce disruptions," Kotchakorn Voraakhom, the architect who designed Asia's largest urban rooftop farm in Bangkok, tells Reuters.
"People, planners, and governments should all be rethinking how land is used in cities. Urban farming can improve food security and nutrition, reduce climate change impacts, and lower stress."
To be clear, the coronavirus isn't likely to have an impact on grocery shelves. Lockdowns in both Canada and the U.S. don't include food transportation. And while there may be concerns about some harvests falling short due to a lack of labor, there's still plenty to go around. If store shelves appear empty at a given moment, don't blame the supply chain. Blame the guy who loaded up three carts of produce because he figured the world was about to end. Indeed, in times like these, panic buyers are the real threat to food security.
The rise of urban farming
Urban farming is pretty much what it sounds like: a farm in an urban setting. That setting could be as modest as a window sill or even a rooftop. Some urban farmers even sell their wares to people in their community.
And backyards aren't off-limits either. Why waste all that sunlight on grass when you can have gourds and green peppers and golden potatoes?
In healthier times, community farms — urban spaces shared and tilled by neighbors — would also fit the bill. There's also an even bigger kind of urban farm that has long been building momentum. Community Supported Agriculture operations, known simply as CSAs, are flourishing amid the pandemic, Civil Eats reports.
The definition of a CSA can be broad, but essentially it's a network that connects a community more closely with farmers. That more direct relationship often results in boxes of in-season produce being delivered directly to your doorstep.
As Davida Lederle, a blogger and podcaster for the Healthy Maven describes it, "Each CSA looks a little bit different. Some don't deliver right to your door but you have to pick them up. Others feed 2 people, while some are built to feed a full family. Some pick all of the fruits and veggies for you, while others allow you to pick and choose options."
It should come as little surprise that the number of people relying on CSAs has tripled in parts of America in recent days, as The New York Times reports. After all, who wants to compete with the panic-shopping thongs, risking not-so-sanitary shopping carts and humans in the check-out line? Urban farms all but eliminate fear and loathing at the grocery store.
Even a few tomato-bearing plants can offset what you need to purchase at the store. (Photo: ChiccoDodiFC/Shutterstock)
The thing about urban farming, whether you grow your own food or have a local farmer on speed dial, is that it's always a good thing — even when we're not living in pandemic times.
"Having some extra food coming in this summer sounds like a pretty good idea, rather than having to worry about paying for our next meal," an urban farmer in Ontario, Canada tells Maclean's magazine.
It's the same steady refrain heard across this quarantined continent.
"I decided that I would grow a garden because we're finding in my work-related job that there's going to be some food shortages, so I wanted to prepare for my family," Michelle Casias of Fargo, North Dakota tells KVRR News.
Of course, this wouldn't be the first time a nation has turned to hyper-local farming in times of crisis. During the lean years of World War II, so-called "victory gardens" emerged in yards across the U.S. By the end of the war, America boasted nearly 20 million victory gardens, generating enough fruit and vegetables to feed 40 percent of the population.
If we had built on that homegrown momentum — rather than letting large-scale rural operations almost entirely take over food production — fewer neighborhoods would have become food deserts.
This victory garden was grown in a London bomb crater close to Westminster Cathedral during WWII. (Photo: Office of War Information [public domain]/U.S. Library of Congress)
Urban farms won't feed entire cities. Large-scale operations still do a pretty good job of that. Nor are they necessarily better for the environment. Urban growers probably don't use pesticides and fertilizer as carefully or as efficiently as their big-scale brethren.
In an essay for Gastronomica, Jason Mark sums up the real value of the urban farm:
"Spend a few months taking broccoli from seed to harvest, and you'll soon have a much deeper appreciation for the natural systems on which we depend. Our connection to the earth becomes gobsmackingly obvious when you watch the crops grow (or fail). The garden produces a harvest of teachable moments about what it means to live in an environment."
Lead Photo: Spanning about an acre, New York City's Battery Urban Farm gardening project is the largest educational farm in Manhattan. (Photo: littlenySTOCK/Shutterstock.com)
Abu Dhabi Invests $100 Million In A Plant-Based Indoor Farm
UAE capital Abu Dhabi has put $100 million into agtech companies looking to revolutionize the future of food with techniques like indoor vertical farming
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Due to a lack of arable land, high temperatures, and increasing water scarcity, the government of Abu Dhabi—the capital and second-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—is investing $100 million in indoor farming.
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office is backing four agtech companies.
Vertical farming startup Madar Farms will construct a tomato farm. New Jersey-based company Aerofarms will build an R&D center. Florida’s Responsive Drip Irrigation (RDI) is developing a new irrigation system for growing plants in sandy soil. Abu Dhabi-based startup RNZ is creating more potent fertilizers, reducing the need for resources in farming.
The investment is part of a larger $272 million program supporting the development of agtech projects, such as indoor farming. The government believes that vertical farming will help the UAE—which imports 80 percent of its food—become more self-sufficient.
Vertical farming can provide food in areas with few resources. | Oasis Biotech
The Future Of Farming?
“Agtech will be part of the solution to how we can better utilize water, how we can be more efficient, and how we can drive yield in farms,” Tariq Bin Hendi, the director-general of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, told Fast Company. “We’re embracing technology because we know it’s the future.”
Abdulaziz Al Mulla, CEO of Madar Farms, explained that traditional farming “draws far too much on our precious water reserves. At the rate we’re going, we might run out of water within the next 50 years.”
A team of more than 60 scientists will study plant science at Aerofarms’ RDI center. According to CEO David Rosenberg, the company will work to develop plants with better yield, flavor, and nutrition.
“We want to grow more plants, know how to grow better, know how to grow with lower capital cost and operating costs,” said Rosenberg “That all stems from an ability to understand plants.”
Hydroponic farms use significantly less land and water than traditional farming techniques. Madar Farms’ system can recycle up to 95 percent of the water it uses. Growing Underground—a company growing greens in an old World War II bunker beneath London—uses 75 percent less water than traditional farming.
Elsewhere in the UAE, Crop One is building a 130,000 square foot facility in Dubai. It will use 320 gallons of water and 100 square feet of land in its hydroponic farm to grow the same amount of leafy greens that 827,640 square feet of land and 250,000 gallons of water would produce on a traditional farm.
The Scalability of Urban Farming
Harvester City: Interview with David Proenza, Founder of Urban Farms Global. David is the founder of Urban Farms Global a company dedicated to developing indoor farms around the world. He is also the president of the “Foundation for the Development of Controlled Environment Agriculture.”
Harvester City: Interview with David Proenza, Founder of Urban Farms Global.
When I first got into Urban Farming, I dreamt of meeting people like David Proenza. David is the founder of Urban Farms Global a company dedicated to developing indoor farms around the world. He is also the president of the “Foundation for the Development of Controlled Environment Agriculture.” A non-profit dedicated to promoting knowledge of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) based on science and research. David has spent over 35 years in the food industry; he is indeed someone who has embraced the future of food while still understanding the importance of a human-centered approach. Technology has continued to redefine all aspects of our everyday life. I wonder what does the role of technology mean for the future of food? Will traditional farmers be a thing of the past? I had the pleasure of asking David all these questions and more in our interview below.
What sparked your interest in the food space?
“I got into this industry by accident; it wasn’t planned. I’ve been in the food business now for over 33 years. It started when a friend of mine asked for some help with a new company that he started that involved marketing for the food business. The job then began to take a life of its own, and it ended up becoming a full-time thing. At the time I was also working at AT&T.
In 3 decades, I have done pretty much everything in food. I have a packaging company and a processing company and a production company. I always wanted to have a restaurant, but I haven’t gotten there just yet.
Around five years ago my company started to experience a lot of different issues due to climate change.
We started having water problems, labor issues and this need to add more pesticides to our food continually. We weren’t happy about this, and it didn’t feel right. Over time the problem just kept getting worse.
I read an article by Dr.Toyoki Kozai in the newspaper. towoki kozi is one of the founding fathers of urban farming. After reading this article, a few of us jumped onto a plane and visited Chiba University to gather some ideas and knowledge. The first thing we did when we got back was to establish our research center and buy some LED lights. We were like little kids in a candy shop when we saw the first batch of lettuce growing.
Urban Farms Global — Growing Facility
We had spent years in the business growing food the traditional way and were amazed that food could grow just from LED lights alone.
We were very systematic from there on and started going step by step. We grew strawberries, watermelons, cucumbers you name it.
We started testing different nutrition and LED lights and other elements. We then thought how are we going to package this food and distribute it, so we started getting involved in those processes. We then thought about how we could compete with traditional farms and greenhouse farms. We didn’t need to worry about competing with urban farms since there were so few. So then we started developing our business model, and all of this came out of research and development. Now we have a pipeline of 10 different food products that we are trying out. Not all of them will be available for the market, but we are getting them ready for a few years down the road.”
What are your views on climate change and sustainability?
“When I grew up food, and social consciousness wasn’t there. That has been introduced through my kids. They were doing projects at school, and this green movement started. So I realized yes I do need to improve on this and we do need to change. Even my 9-year-old and most people here in Panama are becoming super conscious about recycling and saving the planet.
We need to make sure that young people have a healthy world to live on.
The thing about being in farming is that we live through all kinds of change. We see all the chemical runoff that is going into the lakes. It is so much more than just talking points for us. As farmers, we live through all these changes, and we have to be more conscious. I think people do not give enough credit to farmers. However, I ask the question about what happens if we don’t farm? The answer is that nobody eats. Most farmers try to do the best they can.
Soon we will start packaging our food in a material that is made from cassava. So going forward we will be a lot more sustainable. Our packaging will be biodegradable, and therefore it will be a bit more expensive. We will fit this into the production cost and will not raise the price for consumers.
If we are going to develop a better food system, we need to do it in every aspect.
If you are producing healthy produce why would you want to then put it in plastic that harms the planet?”
You don’t see a lot of traditional farmers getting into urban farming. How did you make the switch successfully?
“At that point in the first year, we did nothing in hydroponics. We needed to train people and send them off to be trained over at The University of Arizona. We needed to send people off to learn about controlled environment agriculture. We sent our people out to all different parts of the world to get trained.
We had to go through a learning curve ourselves despite having had this vast experience in the food business.
Growing food indoors and using this type of technology is very different. There are a couple of other things that differentiate us from other indoor farms. One we don’t go public. The second would focus on our work and not the work of others.
There is this quote that I love by Chris Higgens — “When a farmer buys a new tractor he doesn’t go out and post it on social media.”
This can be good or bad because we are not as well known as other indoor farms. However, it is also the attitude we have when we look at indoor farming. Some people think its all about technology. We on the other hand focus on being a food company that uses technology to produce food. You have to grow food, you have to know how to grow food, and you have to have that first-hand experience. If you set a culture in the company, you need to decide what that culture will look like if we are focused on producing high-quality food that is where the focus is.
The other thing is that we are continually training our people because there is always something new to learn.
Four years ago we worked out an agreement between The University of Panama and The University of Chiba and The Technology University of Panama. We negotiated to send three students and one professor from each of the two Panamanian university to train at Chiba University for 30 days or more. Then Chiba sends a group of 8 –10 of their students to Panama. The Japanese students spend some time at our R&D and get to visit several other farms in Panama. While the Panamanian students that return from Chiba continue their development with us at our R&D.
Urban Farms Global — Growing Facility
We need to start training more people in this field because the number of people who are knowledgable in this industry is very few.
We are now negotiating with other universities in The United States and Europe to do the same with us. These initiatives help us to grow a larger pool of people to come and work as we expand the industry. It may be a lot of costs, but it is well worth it.”
What role do you think technology should play in the future of food?
“I believe it should always be a bit human-centric. Many people today think that the algorithms and devices will be the solution to tell you how much nutrients a plant needs. I cannot entirely agree with this; a person needs to be able to understand plants as living things. The plants can tell you more than any algorithm. It is essential to know how to grow food. I believe that human reaction is so important when it comes to growing food. Even if a sensor tells you this is wrong, you have to understand how to correct it.
Although we apply a lot of technology, we will always need a farmer.
It is going back to this statement of companies worrying about indoor farms taking over. A few years ago this was going around peoples minds. This idea is impossible the demands for food are so significant. Indoor farms will not be able to grow apples, mangos, avocados and more. It is just not economically feasible.
One day I was doing a talk, and someone said to me “you are going to be putting farmers out of business.” I said “no way” this is a compliment to traditional farming just like how greenhouses compliment traditional farming. It is not going to take over. Our population is going to grow to over 10 billion in the next few years, and there is no more land to grow food. Wouldnt it be better if we have another system like indoor farming that would be a lot more healthier to help? I think people are begining to wiser up and realize that some farms are going out of business. However, when I hear of new indoor farms, I wish them complete and utter success. Because when an indoor farm goes out of business, it gives all of us a black eye.”
Urban Farms Global — Growing Facility
What would you say to those who doubt the profitability of indoor farming?
“We believe indoor farming is profitable if you do it right. A lot of the doubt has to come from problems with management and the fact that you have to look long term at these business models. Everything for us is about our consumers and intending to create consumer loyalty. It is no different from any other business.
You see a lot of indoor farming companies generating millions of dollars in funds. I know what it cost to start an urban/indoor farm. I know what the cost is and what they are not. I then have to ask “Where exactly are these companies putting these funds?”
What are the three things you advise an urban farming business to watch out for?
“You need to keep your cost low.
You have to keep your yields high.
It would be best if you remembered this is not a dollar business; it’s a penny business.”
What is your favorite food at the moment?
“I am eating a lot of salad, but then again I am eating my product, so that helps.”
Call to Action?
“The world is enormous, and the food industry is massive. I encourage young people to look into the food industry seriously.
Someone very wise once said “you may need a doctor once a year and an attorney once a year, but you need a farmer three times a day”
I encourage all young people to get in and learn.”
If you or someone you know would be interested in connecting, collaborating or supporting David and his mission, please share this article or reach out using the information below:
david@urban.farm
If you enjoyed this piece, you might also like…”The Truth About Packaging When It Comes to Sustainability.”
For more information on Harvester City click here.
WRITTEN BY Alex Welch
Startup Enthusiast: Passionate about all things Plants + Tech + Social Impact related 🌱www.harvestercity.com
UK: Vertical Farm Construction Accelerated To Help Feed Bristol During COVID-19 Crisis
LettUs Grow, an indoor farming technology provider, is fast-tracking the building of two vertical farm modules in the city of Bristol to help feed vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 outbreak
LettUs Grow, an indoor farming technology provider, is fast-tracking the building of two vertical farm modules in the city of Bristol to help feed vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 outbreak. The company is teaming up with the food redistribution charity FareShare South West to ensure the produce gets to those who need it most.
LettUs Grow expects the first of the new aeroponic farm modules to be ready to start producing fresh produce from mid-April, with the first harvests ready to be delivered to FareShare just ten days after the farm’s commissioning. A second, larger module will be following in June.
Because most of the farm’s operations are automated, they can be run with only one person on site at any given time to allow social distancing of key workers and minimizing strain on an already stretched farm labor force. The food is also produced in a high care environment with few people coming into contact with it. Once up and running, the farms will be able to provide a consistent, predictable and climate-resilient food supply to the local community all year round.
The coronavirus outbreak has shone a spotlight on the fragility of the UK’s just-in-time food supply chain. The UK only produces 50% of the food it consumes, which leaves it vulnerable to shocks in the global supply chain. The closures and lockdowns enforced due to the pandemic, have created logistical bottlenecks that ripple across these lengthy chains.
Jack Farmer, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of LettUs Grow said: “When we founded LettUs Grow, we wanted to enable anyone, anywhere in the world, to grow fresh produce near its point of consumption. That mission has hardly ever felt as urgent as it does today. We knew we had to get involved and help in any way we could.
“Because our farm modules can be deployed anywhere with an electricity and water supply, they are uniquely positioned to increase regions’ food supply chain resilience by diversifying local food production.”
The FareShare group provides close to 1 million meals a week to frontline charities and community groups working with vulnerable people, such as those experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, domestic violence, loneliness and families who require free school meals. As the Coronavirus situation develops, Fareshare has seen demand for their service rising, particularly in the event of closures of schools, workplaces, and public spaces and people self-isolating.
Phoebe Ruxton, Fundraising Manager at FareShare South West said: “We are absolutely determined not only to stay open but to level up our organization as far as we possibly can to stop the very worst happening.
“While supermarkets seem empty, there are thousands of tonnes of surplus food in the system. There is no other organization in the region with the capacity to redistribute this food, and FareShare South West is well placed to deliver it straight to those most in need.”
You can help FareShare South West get food to people in need during this crisis by making a financial donation here: faresharesouthwest.org.uk/coronavirus-emergency-fund/. If you’re outside the South West, you can donate here fareshare.org.uk/help-us/.
For more information:
LettUs Grow
lettusgrow.com
Publication date: Thu 9 Apr 2020
SINGAPORE: Coronavirus Prompts Urban Farming Interest
Millions of people across the globe have been confined to their houses because of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and some have turned to urban farming to source their fresh produce, the start of a possible trend
BY LIAM O’CALLAGH
8th April 2020, Hong Kong
With movement in many countries restricted, some consumers are turning to urban farming for their fresh produce
Millions of people across the globe have been confined to their houses because of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and some have turned to urban farming to source their fresh produce, the start of a possible trend.
According to a report from Reuters, more urban residents are resorting to growing their own fruits and vegetables as panic buying has left supermarket shelves empty.
Landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom designed Asia’s largest urban rooftop farm in Bangkok, she told Reuters the current situation has the potential to drive an urban farming trend.
“More people are thinking about where their food comes from, how easily it can be disrupted, and how to reduce disruptions,” said Voraakhom.
“People, planners, and governments should all be rethinking about how land is used in cities. Urban farming can improve food security and nutrition, reduce climate change impacts, and lower stress.”
Singapore is one country that has already signaled its interest in urban farming. It imports more than 90 percent of its food but in 2019 the government set a goal to produce 30 percent of its food needs by 2030, a plan that will embrace techniques such as urban farming.
On 6 April, Singapore lawmaker Ang Wei Neng urged the country to consider its food supply, “it would be wise for us to think of how to invest in homegrown food”.
Speaking to Reuters, Allan Lim, chief executive of ComCrop, said the coronavirus had amplified the fragility of the supply chain.
“It has definitely sparked more interest in local produce. Urban farms can be a shock absorber during disruptions such as this,” Lim said.
Millions of people across the globe have been confined to their houses because of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and some have turned to urban farming to source their fresh produce, the start of a possible trend.
According to a report from Reuters, more urban residents are resorting to growing their own fruits and vegetables as panic buying has left supermarket shelves empty.
Landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom designed Asia’s largest urban rooftop farm in Bangkok, she told Reuters the current situation has the potential to drive an urban farming trend.
“More people are thinking about where their food comes from, how easily it can be disrupted, and how to reduce disruptions,” said Voraakhom.
“People, planners, and governments should all be rethinking about how land is used in cities. Urban farming can improve food security and nutrition, reduce climate change impacts, and lower stress.”
Singapore is one country that has already signaled its interest in urban farming. It imports more than 90 percent of its food but in 2019 the government set a goal to produce 30 percent of its food needs by 2030, a plan that will embrace techniques such as urban farming.
On 6 April, Singapore lawmaker Ang Wei Neng urged the country to consider its food supply, “it would be wise for us to think of how to invest in homegrown food”.
Speaking to Reuters, Allan Lim, chief executive of ComCrop, said the coronavirus had amplified the fragility of the supply chain.
“It has definitely sparked more interest in local produce. Urban farms can be a shock absorber during disruptions such as this,” Lim said.
Professional Chefs Bring Out The Best of Madar Farms' Microgreens At Emirates Salon Culinaire
As part of the Expo Culinaire event, in collaboration with Emirates Culinary Guild, the chefs put their creative, gastronomic and artistic skills to the test in front of a judging panel
Abu Dhabi, 16 March 2020: Hundreds of professional chefs from the UAE and abroad prepared dishes using a variety of microgreens grown by Madar Farms at this year’s Emirates Salon Culinaire competition in Sharjah.
As part of the Expo Culinaire event, in collaboration with Emirates Culinary Guild, the chefs put their creative, gastronomic and artistic skills to the test in front of a judging panel.
Among the ingredients used were different ranges of microgreens that were grown in the UAE by AgTech company Madar Farms. Their local fresh produce included pea shoots, arugula, tendril peas, daikon radish, and amaranth.
Abdulaziz AlMulla, co-founder and CEO of Madar Farms, said: “As a partner, we are delighted to have been involved in this year’s Emirates Salon Culinaire. For any chef, fresh ingredients are key for preparing any type of dishes. With Madar Farms using cutting-edge farming techniques and advanced methods to grow quality produce every day, our supply of microgreens for the competition meant they were not only full of flavour but were grown here in the UAE.”
Chef Uwe Micheel, President of the Guild and Director of Kitchens Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, said: “We were privileged to have Madar Farms as one of our new partners for this year’s event. Madar Farms was our sole supplier for the microgreens and the freshness and quality of the products were very well received by the competing chefs.”
"With Our Concept, Everyone Can Be A City Farmer"
As Sweden is not on a lock-down yet, the virus is nevertheless having a great impact on jobs and the country’s economy
As Sweden is not on a lock-down yet, the virus is nevertheless having a great impact on jobs and the country’s economy. Crisis packages for jobs and transition are now being presented by the government. So far SweGreen has not noticed a great impact on business despite the COVID-19, rather the opposite. The absolute major part of SweGreen produce, based in Stockholm, is the distribution of their ‘Stadsbondens’ branded leafy greens and herbs to supermarkets. A particular increase in sales is visible, even though the company doesn’t do anything extra in-store to meet customers, besides deliveries.
Free greens
“We have some restaurants on our client list, and we see that they are suffering a lot now. We are actually delivering to them according to the agreement, but for free. We have chosen to not charge our restaurant partners anything during this crisis, just to show our compassion and goodwill,” Andreas Dahlin, CEO of SweGreen says.
The SweGreen salad mix
Stadsbondens
Stadsbondens, which means ‘The City Farmers’ in Swedish, is the leafy greens brand, that SweGreen uses for marketing their produce to supermarkets. As for now, the produce is sold at around ten supermarkets, located in Stockholm. SweGreen has recently set up service together with an online distributor which enables them to sell their fresh produce online and home-delivery of the greens. Dahlin notes: “It gives us the possibility to reach more people. Next to that customers don’t have to get out of the house, and our brand lovers can order the fresh produce no matter where they are located in Stockholm.”
Farming as a Service
SweGreen has developed its own farming service, which is a closed environment and automated in-store solution that gives customers within grocery and restaurants the possibility to be their own providers of fresh, nutritional, locally-produced greens harvested directly off the shelf.
A vertical basil wall
“Farming as a Service, as we like to call it, is the service we offer. We provide a whole system, containing both software and hardware, such as monitoring and steering. So basically with our concept, everyone can be a City Farmer as it automates the whole growing process”, Andreas Dahlin says. In Stockholm, the SweGreen city farm has been fully developed for automation. “We control everything that goes in and comes out. With a fully closed system, we also can digitally control every unit or crop that we provide to our client. One of the most important keys for Urban Farming is absolutely being able to get valid data from growing processes and having the ability to convert the data to value-shaping intelligence. We focus a lot on this now. In this way, we can improve the systems constantly together with our clients.”
A vertical fresh produce wall
Future aspect“
Our objective now is to further develop the Farming Service. Our customers really appreciate this service model and I think the circumstances right now prove the importance of factors such as sustainability, resilience and hyper-local production for the food industry."
Andreas Dahlin, CEO at SweGreen
"We have just closed our second seeding round with investors and we are planning on expanding internationally. Not only with the focus on supermarkets, because we also get a lot of interest from restaurants too. Restaurants and chefs are early adopters when it comes to the sustainable production of food”, Dahlin adds.
For more information:
SweGreenAndreas Dahlin, CEO, and partner
andreas.dahlin@swegreen.se
www.swegreen.com
Publication date: Fri 3 Apr 2020
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© HortiDaily.com
4 Malaysian Engineers Believe Vertical Farming Offers Answer to Food Sustainability
CityFarm Malaysia was established in 2016. Within six months, they reported impressive sales. In 2017, they were invited to join a United Nations program held in Kuala Lumpur, where they gained a bigger perspective on urban farming, and specifically, vertical farming
06 Mar 2020
By WONG LI ZA
The CityFarm Malaysia team: (from left) Niew Ley Koon, Looi Choon Beng, Koay, Low Cheng Yang and (centre) Chew Jo Han. Photos: CityFarm Malaysia
When Chew Jo Han decided to set up a small hydroponic system in his office because his fashion start-up was not doing well, his friends Jayden Koay, Looi Choon Beng and Low Cheng Yang joked that, if nothing else, he could survive on the vegetables grown!
But, jokes aside, Koay, Looi, and Low were struck by how the plants were grown using artificial light.
With his interest piqued, Koay soon started filling his own balcony at home with hydroponic plants and even converted his bathtub into a germination area for seedlings.
“I started my own system, and my (now business) partners also started to do the same, at home or in their offices, ” said Koay, 32.
They then discovered a common problem – the industry was still in its infancy and materials, equipment like hydroponic fertilizers had to be bought from countries like Japan, Singapore, China, and Taiwan. And, they were expensive.
“We realized that if we needed these materials, more urban farmers in the country would also need them. So, over a mamak session one day, we decided to start up a company to address this issue, ” he said.
CityFarm Malaysia was established in 2016. Within six months, they reported impressive sales. In 2017, they were invited to join a United Nations program held in Kuala Lumpur, where they gained a bigger perspective on urban farming, and specifically, vertical farming.
Vertical farming refers to a large scale, mostly indoor, type of farming where produce is grown vertically in layers of racks.
“We realized we should have a bigger vision of not only solving industry problems but food security (the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food) issues as well.”
“We wanted to play a bigger role and that’s when we decided to start a consultancy services to plant factories in Malaysia, to get the required technology in and to prepare ourselves for the next 30 years, ” said Koay.
In vertical farming, plants like vegetables, herbs, and fruits are grown in a highly-controlled environment.
Vertical farming refers to large scale, mostly indoor, a system where crops are grown vertically in layers of racks.
The United Nations estimates that the world population will reach over 9 billion by 2050, out of which two-thirds will be living in urban areas.
A study recently published in the journal Bioscience estimates that overall food production needs to be increased by 25-70% between now and 2050. However, at present, over 80% of arable land suitable for agriculture are already being used.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed that one-third of all food produced for human consumption, valued at US$1tril (RM4.2tril), is lost or wasted each year.
That’s where vertical farming – touted as one of the possible answers to food sustainability – comes in.
Employing hydroponics, aeroponics or hybrid systems, this method involves growing plants like vegetables, herbs and fruits in a highly-controlled environment where temperature, humidity, light, air, wind and water levels are strictly monitored.
The benefits are many, ranging from higher yield – experts estimate that a 30-storey farm could feed 50,000 people for an entire year – to no wastage from spoilage due to unfavourable weather. This way of farming also reduces water consumption by up to 70% compared to traditional farming, prevents food-borne illnesses such as E. coli, and reduces the need for pesticides or herbicides.
Seasonal produce can also be harvested all year round since there is no dependence on climate. Produce that reach consumers are also fresher as they do not need to travel from out-of-city farms.
Verticals farms located in cities are also good for the environment in terms of reducing carbon footprint from transportation costs.
However, there are downsides to vertical farming – high start-up costs, constant monitoring required, high power consumption from constant use artificial lights (although energy-efficient LED light technology is used), and power outage problems.
And staple crops like rice and wheat have yet to come under large scale vertical farming projects.
However, the fact remains that more and more vertical farms have been cropping up all over the world, Malaysia included.
The YTL Green Office urban farming project by CityFarm.
To date, CityFarm’s portfolio of customers include those from the commercial, research, education and retail sectors, to individuals. Clients come from Shah Alam, Melaka and Johor Baru to as far as Kuching and Sibu.
A trend that is here to stay“Hydroponic systems – which is basically planting using water – have been around for a while in villages as well as modern households. Before, it’s more like a hobby and trend. But now, hydroponics is part of urban farming, ” said Koay.
Personally, he said he would rather use the term ‘soil-less planting’ as opposed to hydroponics.
“The definition of hydroponics today is different from before, when it was considered hydroponics as long as you used water and not soil. Today, it’s more of a hybrid. In general, as long as water-soluble fertilisers are used, it is considered a hydroponic system.
“What we have is deep water culture (which is done in rectangle boxes), a type of hydroponics. With this system, we enjoy the benefits of using water but also face the challenges that come with it, ” he explained.
All types of leafy vegetables can be grown indoors using soil-less planting methods.
These include issues related to micro-organisms, air quality, temperature control, concentration of nutrients, PH level and so on.
Hence, there is a need to train more urban farmers when it comes to water-based planting, Koay shared.
“They need to know what is inside the water and what are the parts per million (ppm) measurements. For example, tap water has 70-80ppm of chlorine in Malaysia, which is still acceptable to use. Another thing is the PH levels in the water. For example, you need PH6.5 for lettuce and there also needs to be adequate nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), ” he explained, adding that temperature, air quality and wind factor also need to be considered when it comes to indoor farming.
At the moment, three out of four main vegetable groups can be planted indoors – leafy greens, herbs and fruiting plants. Root plants can be cultivated indoors with the aeroponic system, something which Koay and his team will look at in the future.
While there is the perception that hydroponic vegetables can be ‘tasteless’ or ‘watery’, Koay explained that it all boils down to the nutrients added to the plants.
“The taste depends on the nutrients we give it. If we give the same nutrients as in soil planting, it will taste the same, ” he claimed.
The Kuching commercial indoor farm project, set up in 2017, spans 5,000sq ft (464sq m) and has a 12,000 plant capacity.
The future of indoor farming
For now, Malaysia still has enough farmable land on the outskirts, but Koay and his team are looking way ahead.
“Urban farming is a solution to the food security issue and will have a future as long as urban populations continue to grow, which means more people to feed and less farmable land, ” he said.
In the next 10 years, Koay and his team aim to be the backbone of the industry where they will play a supportive role to customers.
“Secondly, we also need to educate people about how food is produced, that it’s not just soil, fertilizer and sunshine but there are other systems. Today, we are even able to manipulate the nutrients in vegetables, for example, lower the potassium content in lettuce.
“By 2050, we are confident that the industry will mature, thus lowering the costs of indoor farming. We also hope that people will be more equipped with the knowledge of urban farming and that it might be part of the syllabus in our education system too.
“The future must include indoor farming. If people are living vertically, our food production will need to grow vertically as well, ” he emphasized.
Related stories:
Malaysian urban farmer grows vegetables in back lane of his house in Puchong
Green spaces in urban centres bring many health benefits
TAGS / KEYWORDS:Vertical Farming , Urban Farming , CityFarm Malaysia , Sustainable Living , Food Security , Urban Population
How An Unlikely Farmer Is Plotting The Future of Food
In a nondescript former root beer plant, tucked behind the Curtain & Bath Outlet off Main Street in Millis, Massachusetts, FreshBox Farms is growing the future of food
By: Dan Morrell; photographed by Scott Nobles
In a nondescript former root beer plant, tucked behind the Curtain & Bath Outlet off Main Street in Millis, Massachusetts, FreshBox Farms is growing the future of food.
The FreshBox facility bears no resemblance to our cultural renderings of a farm; not only is there no soil, but every attempt is made to contain the risk that such outside organic matter could introduce. Visitors are asked to dip the soles of their shoes into a shallow plastic water bath, so as to limit contamination by pathogens and insects. Entry into one of the facility’s 15 growing units—8' x 40' metal boxes resembling shipping containers—necessitates a white cap and a lab coat. The units feature a double-door protocol that requires the exterior door to be closed before a second internal door can be opened. In the far corner of the building, a larger-scale model of the growing unit features an entry foyer with a ventilation system that cycles the air every few seconds and a secondary system designed to blow out any pathogens or insects that might have snuck past earlier garrisons.
All of this security is in place to protect—sans pesticides—the racks of Styrofoam-like growing beds inside the units, which are filled with leafy greens and fed by precisely tuned LED lights. An intricate digital system measures the room’s temperature and the CO2 levels inside the units every 30 seconds, adjusting as necessary; another delivers computer-calculated nutrients and water through the plant beds. These precision systems allow the facility to use about 1 percent of the water required by traditional farming counterparts while producing the equivalent of a 400-acre farm in just 27,000 square feet of space. It’s as if nature has been stripped of its variability and cranked all the way up.
Which is exactly the kind of tech upgrade the world food system needs to be given our increasingly insecure ecosystem, says Sonia Lo (MBA 1994), CEO of Crop One Holdings, which owns and operates the FreshBox brand. Sitting in FreshBox’s makeshift conference room—a long table, chairs, and a monitor, surrounded by four very high stacks of the white foam growing racks—she lays out the challenge. Climate change and its progenies, drought and flooding, are threatening traditional agricultural systems. And even when those systems work, they still rely on carbon-intensive shipping supply chains that move food thousands of miles from where it is grown to the tables where it is consumed. The global population is rising, with the United Nations projecting it to swell to 9.7 billion from its current 7.7 billion by 2050. “We also have to solve the calorie deficiency that we’re going to confront by 2050 on this planet,” she says. “We have to produce 70 percent more calories than we produce today to feed that population.”
Addressing a problem with that kind of span requires scaling beyond the 8' x 40' units—and beyond Millis. “The modular unit that’s going into Dubai will be three times the size of this,” says Lo, motioning to the larger-scale model in the back left corner of the facility. In June 2018, Crop One won a bid to provide leafy greens to Emirates Airlines’ flight catering company, and it is in the midst of building a 130,000-square-foot facility in Dubai that they expect to produce three tons of greens a day. It’s an almost unfathomable amount of daily production, but Lo puts it in perspective. “A single fast-food restaurant chain uses 300 million pounds a year of leafy greens alone,” she says. “A one-ton-a-day farm produces 740,000 pounds a year. So even if we built a 50-ton-a-day farm, you’re still only producing 240 million pounds a year. You would serve one customer.”
That 50-ton-a-day mark is a real goal, says Lo, and the Dubai farm will be a big proof of concept. And while any company’s world-saving ambitions can resemble Silicon Valley–like hype, Lo stresses that there’s a path, and the first step was figuring out how to most effectively grow lettuce in climate-controlled shipping containers in this former root beer plant. “We’re doing this in a very logical, road-mapping way. We’re not trying to bend the laws of physics. We are trying to enhance control. We’re trying to grow 365 days a year. We’ve been growing every day since February of 2015, which is pretty remarkable for any farmer to be able to say. We have not stopped growing even one day, you know?”
“We’re not trying to bend the laws of physics. We are trying to enhance control. We’re trying to grow 365 days a year.”
Lo is an admittedly unlikely farmer. She grew up as the daughter of Korean diplomats, a life that provided her with a multitude of international addresses and seven languages. And while growing up in fully staffed ambassadorial residences and being transported in limousines with darkened windows and little flags on the hood seems strange in retrospect, the multicultural upbringing had an impact that Lo has only recently come to realize.
About six years ago, Lo met a neurologist who was fascinated by her early experience with languages. “I would love to study you because the way that your neural networks have been formed must be so different—because you were really substantively multilingual before you were seven,” the doctor told her. “The implications of that are problem-solving, so you’re probably going to be able to see two or three solutions around something in a way that other people don’t.” The other benefit, the neurologist noted, was creativity. While Lo never saw herself as a creative person, she did seem to have a knack for seeing overlooked connections between ideas and then visualizing and building maps to explain those correlations.
These cartography skills have proved vital to her career. In the late 1990s, Lo was working on innovation and ventures for a media company in London when she realized that the industry was due for disruption. In a meeting with the CEO, Lo drew him a network diagram of what the future infrastructure of TV distribution was going to look like. “It’s all going to be bits and bytes,” she told him. Lo would later help stitch together some 200 European internet cafés to build a digital media platform; when the entrepreneurial bug bit soon after, Lo built a Groupon-like platform that helped smaller companies get product discounts.
That startup, eZoka, was pulling in £1 million a month until outside investment was derailed by the attacks of September 11, 2001. She spent a year cleaning up the aftermath. Exhausted and bruised, she decided to step away from business, attending culinary school and becoming a private chef in London for two years. (Lo donated all her earnings to charity and coauthored a book during that time, Dining with Dictators, which was part political satire and part cookbook.)
Lo returned to business in 2004, starting Chalsys, an investment and advisory practice that helps large companies avoid the pitfalls of corporate venturing. And it was through this company that she met a German investor who would become an initial Chalsys coinvestor and, eventually, one of the firm’s partners. In 2012, Phil Strause (MBA 1967), a former boss from an early career stint at Deloitte, sent Lo a business plan for a vertical farming company. She forwarded it on to the German investor, whose family, it so happened, had major European agriculture holdings. “You know, this is really interesting,” he told Lo. “Because if the unit economics of this thing turns out to be even remotely true, it’s the future of food.”
Lo’s interest was piqued. She knew almost nothing about farming and had always just trusted that the Western world’s food supply was safe and reliable. But as she dug into the research, she began to realize how wasteful, unsafe, and unreliable it really was. Conventional agriculture was facing substantive infrastructure problems while the cost of the tech solutions to address these issues was declining rapidly. It was a recipe for revolution.
But what Crop One needed was one of Lo’s maps. After their initial investment in April of 2013, Lo describes the business as “failing to launch.” There was a leadership deficit and a business model that hadn’t accounted for returning investor capital—which included a significant investment from the Chalsys partner to whom she’d initially forwarded the business plan. “By the end of 2013, we reached the point where I confronted either writing it off and writing off my friend and benefactor’s money—or I was going to pull the nose up.”
Lo stepped in as CEO in July 2014. She built out the team, including hiring Chief Scientific Officer Deane Falcone, an expert plant biologist from the University of Massachusetts, to start defining the science side. “I was trying to figure out the technology road mapping for an industry that didn’t have a road map and, in fact, wasn’t an industry,” she says. But she also changed the mindset. “I was asking ‘Why is this an investable industry? Why is this a world-class company? How do we get it to be on the world stage?’ And that’s really the big fundamental shift.”
Lo focused on three factors for growing in her first few years at Crop One: lowering costs, enhancing yield, and segregating risk.
In her first 18 months, the company worked to reduce the cost of the growing units from $560,000 to $43,000. To boost production, they leaned heavily on Falcone’s expertise, allowing him time to test and tweak the inputs—temperature, CO2 levels, water, LED spectrums—to determine optimal growing conditions for the various greens. This focus on nailing the plant science, says Lo, was a differentiator, though one she didn’t immediately grasp. “I have enough experience in technology that I thought, ‘I totally see this hardware being commoditized.’ ” But she soon realized that it wasn’t the racks and tubs and trays that would separate them—anyone could buy those at their local hydroponics store. “But very few people can grow at the density and with the specificity that we can,” says Lo. The risk issue was addressed with what she refers to as the facility’s “triple defense system,” which includes the shoe bath, the growing units’ double-door protocol, and the lab coats. Better defenses mean decreased loss and, therefore, higher yields.
By the fall of 2015, FreshBox had six production units and was distributing its leafy greens to the local Roche Bros. supermarket chain, filling plastic clamshells with kale and spring mix on-site. Originally occupying only 24,000 square feet of the warehouse, it expanded to take over the facility’s entire 43,000 square feet. “What surprised us was the take-up and the demand, the kind of hunger for the product,” says Lo. More than 90 percent of the country’s leafy greens are produced in Arizona or California, according to the states' Leafy Green Marketing Agreement, and transportation to New England can take weeks; FreshBox being able to offer Massachusetts consumers a locally grown product not subject to the region’s cruel winters has proved to be a boon to the brand.
The addition of more modular units also allowed the company to grow different types of greens, enhancing R&D and commercial growth. This diversity came into play when they were bidding for the Emirates contract. Up against a very capable Japanese company that was already producing some 1,700 pounds a day, Crop One boasted 24 plant varieties to the Japanese company’s 4.
The Emirates farm is scheduled to have its first harvests this year, and plans for national expansion are now underway. Crop One will only be a minority owner in these new farms, says Lo, noting that the farming aspect of the business is very capital intensive. But they’ve pursued a project financing model rather than venture financing. “Project financiers are not starry-eyed venture capitalists,” she says. “They’re not romantic at all.” They want to see cash flow and mitigated risk, not hockey-stick returns. “We believe that in every technological disruption you have to have hand-in-hand capital model disruption and business model disruption because you don’t reinvent an industry unless all of those things coalesce. This is the wholesale replacement of agricultural infrastructure, right?”
“Gigafarms we’re defining at 50 tons a day. We hope to build our first gigafarm in the next five years, which is pretty ambitious.”
Deciding on future locations, Lo says, will come down to costs—energy and labor, chief among them—and existing local sources. Meaning, on the latter, can they grow anything there outdoors? “So in the Middle East, definitively not, right? You really have to bend the laws of physics to grow stuff there. Northern Europe—doesn’t grow very much, good prices, high labor, reasonable green energy, right?” The US Midwest has solid energy options and population density. There’s great hydroelectric power in New York, so the Northeast could work. The Southeast too. “When we look out across the United States, we would map against the major retailers’ distribution center network,” says Lo, meaning they’d build a farm at these centralized locations—23 of them to be exact. “We see a minimum of 23 megafarms.”
A megafarm? “Somewhere between 1 and 10 tons [of production] a day,” says Lo. “Gigafarms we’re defining at 50 tons a day. We hope to build our first gigafarm in the next five years, which is pretty ambitious. That’s our sort of moonshot goal.”
But she can see it pretty clearly. Twelve megafarms in Northern Europe, maybe one or two gigafarms. Russia would make sense. The Middle East is almost there.
Another ultimate goal, says Lo, is carbon neutral—vertical farms set up next to, say, a giant solar field or a wind farm. “We look at the industry, and it’s pretty clear you can’t put a sustainable label on yourself unless you solve the energy piece of it—and we don’t see our competitors doing that,” she says.
Crop One is also exploring decarbonization models, pairing with power companies to feed its CO2 to their plants. “We have people who are rocket scientists”—literally—“who are looking at this for us and doing the energy analysis. I touch base with them every couple of months just to say, ‘So tell me, if we were to approach power plants about being their carbon sink, who would we go to?’ They know who we would go to.”
Lo has the coordinates; she sees the path. “I think it is a tangible, known goal in which we have known steps.”
Vertical farming is still far from mainstream, but Lo notes its profile began to rise a few years ago, thanks to a marquee investment: In July 2017, Softbank’s Vision Fund led a $200 million funding round into Plenty, a San Francisco–based vertical farming startup. “That really moved the needle,” she says.
Don Goodwin, the founder and president of produce consulting firm Golden Sun Marketing—and a longtime attendee of the School’s Agribusiness Seminar—has closely tracked the industry’s ascent. He estimates that there’s some $2 billion invested in the space right now, with money flowing in from VCs, sustainable private equity funds, and billionaires like Eric Schmidt and Jeff Bezos, who also contributed to that July 2017 Plenty funding round.
“We look at the industry, and it’s pretty clear you can’t put a sustainable label on yourself unless you solve the energy piece of it.”
The recipients of those funds vary, says Goodwin. “There’s a number of reasons people come into the space. We have the small local operator who has a vision and a past, and wants to change the way people eat,” he notes. “And then we have these ‘big idea’ guys like Crop One.” Those businesses, he notes, are “trying to create a sustainable investment strategy, not only from traditional economic terms but also from societal terms.”
Which means that growing locally in a vertical farm allows FreshBox to compete on price and mission. Here’s how that works, Goodwin explains: “If [the lettuce] is grown in Massachusetts, I can put it on [a grocery store’s] dock at the same price or lower than if you grow it in California and truck it across the country. And so I get all that benefit of the freight. I get the shelf life that you’ve given up—the seven or eight days to get there by truck. And I get the whole sustainability message because of food miles.”
While she gets the business model and consumer appeal, Mary Shelman (MBA 1987), former director of HBS’s Agribusiness Program, is slightly wary of the world-saving aspirations of vertical farming. She’s heard entrepreneurs discuss how they can manipulate the LED lighting to create arugula with different flavor profiles, for example, even varying the spiciness. “But at the end of the day, how much does arugula really help if we have to feed nearly 10 billion people?”
Which isn’t to say that Shelman thinks there is no value in it. “I think we can learn things from their systems—because they have the ability to do controlled experiments—that we can then take outside or in more traditional, controlled-environment agriculture,” she says, “and use that in those systems that are lower capital cost.”
Chief among vertical farming’s costs is energy. “It’s the industry’s dirty little secret,” says Lo. So noticeable is indoor farming’s drain on a local grid, she notes, that law enforcement used to monitor spikes in electricity demand to find illegal marijuana growers.
The energy costs are improving, plus Crop One is constantly refining its design to increase efficiency, adds Deane Falcone. Scaling up will be a big help. He contrasts the climate system they use for the larger model in the corner of the facility to the individual systems on the independent units. “It’s like if you had a 10-bedroom house: Would you have 15 window air conditioners, or would you have a central air-conditioning system?”
Driving down costs is important because Lo ultimately wants this model to be cheap enough to be a solution for the developing world. “I do not want to be in a carbon-intensive industry; I want to be producing a nutritionally relevant meal, and I do not want to only be in the business of feeding rich people,” she says.
But if vertical farming is going to feed the world, it will also need to expand beyond lettuce and kale. Wheat and corn are unlikely, says Lo, but rice could eventually be a possibility. “Two-thirds of the world population’s staple diet includes rice,” she notes. But there’s perhaps an even greater opening here: Andrew D. Ive (MBA 1997), former managing director of the Food-X accelerator and founder of Big Idea Ventures, says that the meat-production model that much of the world still relies on is wildly inefficient at producing protein. “It basically takes nine calories of energy or input to get one calorie out,” says Ive. “Whereas if you’re producing a plant-based material, it’s closer to one-to-one. It also doesn’t require the same land use, it doesn’t require the same water use, et cetera. So leafy greens are great, but if you’re thinking about how to supply food for the 9 billion, then you’re really, really focusing more on other protein sources and other kinds of plant-based sources.”
This plant-based protein movement is fast becoming mainstream. Even the McDonald’s in the shopping center across Main Street from FreshBox Farms could be offering meatless burgers soon: The fast-food chain recently announced a trial partnership with Beyond Meat, whose products are made in part from yellow peas. So, yes, says Lo, getting to the point where her farms could grow yellow peas and soybeans—a crucial ingredient of the plant-based Impossible Whopper, Burger King’s early market entrant—would be ideal. The ongoing food revolution needs a parallel farming revolution to succeed.
Lo is on it. Crop One, she says, is researching these and other high-protein plants and investigating how her farms can produce products that can provide the world with necessary subsistence while also absorbing carbon dioxide at a higher rate.
“That will cause an explosion of take-up,” says Lo. “Because, again, we can’t continue on the trajectory that we’ve been on. We just can’t.”
Someone has to do something, even if that someone is a first-time farmer trying to build a global revolution in an old root beer plant in small-town New England.
Topics: Agribusiness-Plant-Based AgribusinessInnovation-Disruptive InnovationLeadership-Leading Change
INDIA: The Changing Face of Urban Food System: UrbanKissan
The majority of the World’s future population will live in urban areas in the near future as we witness a mass migration to the cities due to climate impact, related health hazards and associated risks. Feeding the planet ’s population will be one of humanity's greatest challenges by 2050
12 March 2020
The majority of the World’s future population will live in urban areas in the near future as we witness a mass migration to the cities due to climate impact, related health hazards and associated risks. Feeding the planet ’s population will be one of humanity's greatest challenges by 2050. Current food systems in cities are being challenged because they fail to provide permanent and reliable access to adequate safe, local, diversified, fair, healthy and nutrient-rich food to host over half the world’s population. The world at present produces more food than ever before, yet dietary diversity is declining and food insecurity is on the rise.
Food is an effective entry point to improve a city’s resilience. Currently, food production is responsible for almost 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and poorly managed fertilization exacerbates pollution of the air, ground, and water. We need to imagine an improved food production system grounded in better use of resources. This will involve moving to a circular economy, particularly in towns and cities. Faced with the acceleration of these tendencies and determined to bring about a reinvention of food policies, urban agriculture is emerging as one driver for this new-look approach. Cities need to explore various opportunities in developing sustainable food systems. Many interesting platforms are reworking on the need for Urban Agriculture and City Region Food Systems.
The Agriculture Industry becomes a complicated place with technologies and marketing tools and techniques that are launched almost on a daily basis. At this juncture how does one feel to step into a farm and purchase greens fresh in an Urban farm and buy it at costs lower than ever thought possible?
UrbanKisaan, the Vertical Farming Startup that puts quality first, has debuted its 3000 sqft new-age urban farm and retail store in Manikonda, Hyderabad. Here, customers can walk into the retail store, harvest fresh and clean products of their choice which are grown in the indoor farm which is on the other side of a glass wall. Urbankissan redefines the category ’Fresh
’!India’s First Urban Retail Farm and Store “Urbankissan” is now open in Hyderabad!
Walk-in, Pick your produce, Harvest on the spot and Walk out with the freshest cleanest produce there is. Grown locally and sustainably, we grow fresh produce that is beyond organic and like no other urban Kissan will change the shopper behavior where consumers are increasingly shifting their purchases to more experience-oriented retail locations in urban areas. Urban Kissan is inspiring a trend of having an indoor farm and a store in the same location and this will necessitate the immediate availability of Good Quality Vegetables within the vicinity of Urban areas for the urban consumers. This will also enable urban consumers in having the choice of vegetables at much lesser prices.
While Interacting with Vihari Kanikollu, CEO of Urban Kissan he eloquently explains the concept of Urbankisaan to be a full stack of plant science and food production technology — a sustainable, high-tech, high-efficiency, automated indoor vertical farm that can produce delicious, nutritious food at massive scale for lower costs than ever before thought possible. Urbankisaan brings together the unified design of a complete large-scale farm that maximizes the applications of energy, process control, and big data, along with with with advanced plant science to create maximum flavor, better shelf life, and ultra-clean food at incredible yields. By combining the latest plant science with these technologies, Urbankisaan farms are ideally optimized to produce yields of delicious, nutrient-rich food at a lower cost. ● 1.75 Acres produce grown in 2,000 Sq. Ft ● 30 days from seedling to harvest ● 365 harvests per year ● The shop and the farm are divided and the shop if of 500 sq ft and the farm of 2000 sq ft.
Urbankissan thereby plans to build a series of indoor vertical farms across India and will grow pesticide-free produce with 95 % less water and requiring less than 1% of the land needed for outdoor farms thereby saving 2,16,000 liters of water per farm per month. Vihari reiterates the Supply Chain’s approach to decentralize F&V production and distribution by being inside and close to the consumption centers (cities). By cutting down thousands of food miles, the produce is in consumers’ hands within hours of harvest, not days or weeks as is now. They harvest at the peak of taste and quality versus harvesting early for transportation. As and when the product gets finished in the shop they harvest more according to the need.UrbanKisaan has been recently funded by Ycombinator in Winter 2020 batch and has gone on to raise further.
INDIA: These Urban Farming Startups Are Going The Extra Mile To Bring Organic Food To Your Table
With new technologies like hydroponics and vertical farming, these startups are helping people grow produce in small urban spaces
With new technologies like hydroponics and vertical farming, these startups are helping people grow produce in small urban spaces.
By Suman Singh
11th Mar 2020
The Green Revolution in the 50s and 60s may have allowed our farmers to better their yields, but it also brought with it the evils of using pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Urban farming
Over the years, they have been incorporated into conventional farming methods, bringing with them a host of problems. They are not only found to be toxic to humans by increasing the risk of getting cancers, but they also cause pollution, degradation of soil and water, and poison domestic animals.
Now, many farmers and urban-dwellers have switched to organic farming or urban farming. According to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM),
“Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems, and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity, and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects.”
Just a few years back, farming in cities would have been thought to be impossible. But new technologies like hydroponics and vertical farming have made growing produce in small urban spaces possible.
Here are six urban farming startups which are going the extra mile to bring sustainable farming practices in India:
UGF Farms
Started by Linesh Narayan Pillai in 2017, Urban Green Fate (UGF) Farms converts unused spaces into live food gardens. Live food gardens are built in a way that they do no structural damage to buildings. The Mumbai-based startup sends residents microgreens (vegetable greens after they’ve produced first leaves) in pots, to grow them in organic coco peat as opposed to heavy soil. All a user needs to do is cut the greens from the live plant as and when they need them.
Further, UGF also helps to address issues of starvation, malnutrition, food contamination, and food insecurity by collaborating with schools as well as corporates that work for underprivileged communities as part of their CSR initiatives.
UGF Farms
Since its inception, the startup has planted over 10,000 kg of microgreens. It has also educated 4,000 people over 150 workshops across multiple locations in Delhi and Mumbai about the importance of growing food in their homes and going organic.
Back2basics
Back2basics is the brainchild of S Madhusudhan. Started in 2015, it is an organic farm spread across close to 200 acres around Bengaluru, producing high-quality organic fruits and vegetables.
Run by a father-daughter duo, Back2basics supplies produce to grocery chains, retailers, organic stores, and gated communities in Bengaluru. Its produce is also exported to organic food supply chains and retailers in other parts of the world.
Back2basics
The startup deals in more than 90 varieties of seasonal produce in four categories – fruits, vegetables, greens, and exotics. It has reserved almost three to four acres for customers who wish to visit the farm and try their hand out in agriculture.
It produces products that are 100 percent organic. The producer has full control over the colour and texture of the greens, making them healthier and tastier.
Pindfresh
After returning from New York where he worked as a banker, Somveer Singh Anand, much like UGF Farms' Linesh, found it impossible to source organic food in India.
To address this concern, Somveer developed indoor hydroponic technology suitable for Indian climatic conditions and started Pindfresh in 2016 in Chandigarh. The startup sets up indoor and outdoor hydroponic plants for people who want to farm using the technology across India.
Pindfresh
The lighting, humidity, and temperature are controlled all the time for these microgreens to grow. And to that effect, Pindfresh manufactures quality controlled pipes, lights, and all the necessary equipment required to set up a hydroponic plant.
Growing Greens
Former Infosys employees Hamsa V and Nithin Sagi partnered to start a hydroponic farm, Growing Greens. The Bengaluru-based B2B startup grows and sells microgreens, salad leaves, sprouts, edible flowers, and herbs to high-end restaurants in the city.
Growing Greens
These microgreens, which are about one to three inches tall, are mostly used to decorate and garnish food. They have concentrated nutrient levels that can be almost 40 times higher than the normal-sized produce.
The duo did thorough research by talking to various chefs to understand their requirements before venturing into the business.
Started in 2012 on a small terrace, the startup is currently farming on four acres of land, which it plans to expand to 10 acres.
Herbivore Farms
Not many 24-year-olds would choose to ditch well-paying jobs and take up farming. But after paying a visit to Auroville in Puducherry in 2017, Mumbai-based Joshua Lewis and Sakina Rajkotwala were inspired by musician and organic farmer Krishna Mckenzie who started Solitude Farm with the aim of “honouring Mother Nature through local food.”
Herbivore Farms
The duo got down to business with Herbivore Farms, Mumbai’s first hyperlocal, hydroponic farm. Today, the farm is spread across 1,000 sq ft and grows 2,500 plants. It sells fresh, organic vegetables to customers across Mumbai from its temperature-controlled indoor setting.
The vegetables are grown in a clean, sterile environment, with zero pesticides. As compared to conventional farming methods, the setup consumes up to 80 percent less water to grow the produce due to “recirculating irrigation system.”
Harvested vegetables are delivered to the customers’ homes within hours, maintaining their freshness, nutrition, and flavour.
(Edited by Kanishk Singh)
Paris Mayor: It's Time For a '15-Minute City'
Paris needs to become a “15-minute city.” That’s the message from the manifesto of Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who is seeking re-election this March
FEBRUARY 18, 2020
During the city's transit strike in December, Parisians got a taste of what being a more foot- and bike-oriented city would feel like. Philipe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images
In her re-election campaign, Mayor Anne Hidalgo says that every Paris resident should be able to meet their essential needs within a short walk or bike ride.
Paris needs to become a “15-minute city.” That’s the message from the manifesto of Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who is seeking re-election this March. Hidalgo has been leading a radical overhaul of the city’s mobility culture since taking office in 2014 and has already barred the most polluting vehicles from entry, banished cars from the Seine quayside and reclaimed road space for trees and pedestrians. Now, she says, Paris needs to go one step further and remodel itself so that residents can have all their needs met—be they for work, shopping, health, or culture—within 15 minutes of their own doorstep.
Even in a dense city like Paris, which has more than 21,000 residents per square mile, the concept as laid out by the Hidalgo campaign group Paris en Commun is bold. Taken at a citywide level, it would require a sort of anti-zoning—“deconstructing the city” as Hidalgo adviser Carlos Moreno, a professor at Paris-Sorbonne University, puts it. “There are six things that make an urbanite happy,” he told Liberation. “Dwelling in dignity, working in proper conditions, [being able to gain] provisions, well-being, education, and leisure. To improve the quality of life, you need to reduce the access radius for these functions.” That commitment to bringing all life’s essentials to each neighborhood means creating a more thoroughly integrated urban fabric, where stores mix with homes, bars mix with health centers, and schools with office buildings.
Paris en Commun has created a diagram to illustrate the concept of what should be available within 15 minutes of “Chez Moi” (home).
Paris en Commun’s 15-minute city concept. From the top, clockwise, the headings read: Learn, Work, Share and Re-Use, Get Supplies, Take the Air, Self-Develop and Connect, Look After Yourself, Get Around, Spend, and Eat Well. (Paris en Commun)
This focus on mixing as many uses as possible within the same space challenges much of the planning orthodoxy of the past century or so, which has studiously attempted to separate residential areas from retail, entertainment, manufacturing, and office districts. This geographical division of uses made sense at the dawn of the industrial era when polluting urban factories posed health risks for those living in their shadows. Car-centric suburban-style zoning further intensified this separation, leading to an era of giant consolidated schools, big-box retail strips, and massive industrial and office parks, all isolated from each other and serviced by networks of roads and parking infrastructure. But the concept of “hyper proximity,” as the French call it, seeks to stitch some the these uses back together, and it’s driving many of the world’s most ambitious community planning projects.
Barcelona’s much-admired “superblocks,” for example, do more than just remove cars from chunks of the city: They’re designed to encourage people living within car-free multi-block zones to expand their daily social lives out into safer, cleaner streets, and to encourage the growth of retail, entertainment, and other services within easy reach. East London’s pioneering Every One Every Day initiative takes the hyper-local development model in a slightly different direction, one designed to boost social cohesion and economic opportunity. Working in London’s poorest borough, the project aims to ensure that a large volume of community-organized social activities, training and business development opportunities are not just available across the city, but specifically reachable in large number within a short distance of participants’ homes.
Meanwhile, in Portland, Oregon, walking-distance-limited neighborhood planning is seen as central to climate action: The city aims to cover 90 percent of the city in so-called “20-minute neighborhoods,” where all basic needs—with the exception of work—can be reached within a third of an hour of walking time. In Australia, Melbourne rolled out a similar pilot in 2018.
Hidalgo’s aspirations for Paris build on this idea, but with a local twist. The goal travel time is reduced to 15 minutes, but bike journeys can count. And while it likewise underlines the importance of stores and doctors, it also includes cultural activities and workplaces within its central aspirations.
In Paris, this isn’t necessarily such a tall order. The mayor oversees only the 2.2 million residents of the city’s heavily populated historic core, which already enjoys some of the use-mixing that the 15-minute-city concept encourages, thanks to its pre-industrial roots. Paris would have an easier time with the concept than say, sprawling Melbourne, where more radical residential densification may be in order.
Paris en Commun’s manifesto sketches out some details for what this future walkable, hyperlocal city would look like. More Paris road space would be given up to pedestrians and bikes, with car lanes further trimmed down or removed. Planning would try to give public and semi-public spaces multiple uses—so that, for example, daytime schoolyards could become nighttime sports facilities or simply places to cool off on hot summer nights. Smaller retail outlets would be encouraged—bookstores as well as grocery stores—as would workshops making wares using a “Made in Paris” tag as a marketing tool. Everyone would have access to a nearby doctor (and ideally a medical center), while sports therapy facilities would be available in each of the city’s 20 arrondissements.
To improve local cultural offerings, public performance spaces would be set up, notably at the “gates” of Paris — the large, currently car-dominated squares around the inner city’s fringe which once marked entry points through the long-demolished ramparts. Finally, Paris would be populated by a network of “citizen kiosks”—booths staffed by city employees that would offer not just information, but also community cohesion services. Think places where you can drop off and pick up keys, join a local club or buy compost for your balcony plants.
Paris en Commun provides some glimpses of what this more self-sufficient, neighborhood-oriented city might look like. The (imaginary) triangular intersection below resembles the current state of many in Paris; there’s some public pedestrian space, but it remains hemmed in by cars, both mobile and parked, and genuinely safe space for pedestrians is limited.
(Nicolas Bascop/Paris en Commun)
After a superblock-style transformation, several neighborhood streets have been stripped of cars and no longer act as through-routes. This frees up room for new public space, with a small park at one end and a produce garden for residents at the other. New trees, green roofs and balconies, and a fountain would help mitigate the heat island effect and make the area a more pleasant place to linger. Meanwhile, the crossing space has ballooned in size, providing greater priority for pedestrians.
(Nicolas Bascop/Paris en Commun)
In December, transit strikes in Paris in protest of national pension reform gave Parisians an accidental taste of what a 15-minute-city future would look like, at least in terms of the hugely enlarged volume of cyclists on the city’s roads while bus and Metro service was halted. At some points during the strikes (which are still ongoing), bikes started to outnumber cars by two to one—a premonition of what might be to come.
Still, piecing together an entire modern working city around this 15-minute rubric would pose a challenge. In addition to its residents, central Paris attracts vast numbers of tourists who must be fed, housed and transported from neighborhood to neighborhood. Millions more commute into the city for work on regional transit from the vast greater Paris metro area. The people living in self-sufficient squares like the one above might find their rents rise along with the charm. And Paris can’t be transformed into a city that solely serves the needs of affluent locals.
Just how Hidalgo would execute the infrastructural changes required remains to be seen. She appears well-positioned to stay in City Hall: She’s leading in the polls (and one of her rivals has pulled out of the race after a sex scandal). Her office has not announced any specific budget or timetable for the 15-minute city concept, which remains perhaps more of a rough blueprint for the future than an imminent makeover, should she be re-elected in March. As a rethink of the way cities should be planned—and exactly who they should serve, and how—it’s an idea that other cities are likely to watch with great interest.
About the Author
Feargus O'Sullivan @FEARGUSOSULL
Feargus O'Sullivan is a contributing writer to CityLab, covering Europe. His writing focuses on housing, gentrification and social change, infrastructure, urban policy, and national cultures. He has previously contributed to The Guardian, The Times, The Financial Times, and Next City, among other publications.
High-Tech Urban Farming In Paris
Paris is opening the largest cultivation company in the world. With its Parisculteurs project, France, along with other cities, is strongly committed to urban agriculture
Paris is opening the largest cultivation company in the world. With its Parisculteurs project, France, along with other cities, is strongly committed to urban agriculture. This creates an opportunity for Dutch businesses.
The Parisculteurs project aims to green another 100 hectares in Paris this year. A third of this is earmarked for urban farming. There is much interest among Parisians for locally-grown products. There is also a need for green areas in this large French city.
There is, therefore, great enthusiasm for a project such as this. However, in many cases, it is a challenge to realize such a project. Space in the city is limited and expensive. The use of pesticides will be met with great resistance too.
Innovative techniques are, therefore, often used for urban agriculture. These include vertical farming and mixed cultivation. But digital aids also play a significant role in urban agriculture. For example, water-monitoring sensors are used in hydroponic systems.
No fossil fuels
The French startup, Neofarm, has taken its first high-tech greenhouse into use. It is located just west of Paris. Just a few kilometers from Paris lies the small town of Saint-Nom-la-Breteche. There, on a 1,000m2 plot, Neofarm is growing carrots, lettuce, and beans.
By planting different kinds of vegetables together, pesticide use is kept to a minimum. The startup is also busy developing a weeding robot. It uses online decision-making tools to optimize the process. In this way, Neofarm wants to develop a model for micro-farms.
They want to make it possible to cultivate high-quality organic products. That on little land, close to the city. With this model, the startup also wants to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For example, their farm uses no fossil fuels. The healthy soil can store CO2 too.
Another French startup, Agricool, grows strawberries in containers. And since recently, herbs too. For this, this company uses an entirely closed system. Various sensors monitor it. According to Agricool, this closed system uses 90% less water than conventional farming.
Innovation
The importance Parisians attach to locally-produced products, therefore, ensures innovation in the chain. In France, there is a trend toward more organic, locally produced goods. Taking this into account, these developments will, more than likely, continue in the next few years.
This trend is also the case in other European countries. That offers opportunities for Dutch businesses. They can respond to these developments. They can, for example, supply materials that can be used at these types of urban farms.
Source: Agroberichten Buitenland / Renske Buisman
Publication date: Tue 11 Feb 2020
Living Wall Garden Bringing Tranquility To Historic Downtown San Bernardino
Thanks to a grant from the Arbor Day Foundation in conjunction with BNSF, SistersWe and Viva La Boba owners David Friedman and Tansu Philip are planting a living wall garden on the side of a vacant brick building near the Breezeway in the heart of downtown San Bernardino
'This green area will be somewhere people can go and breathe fresh air,' Viva La Boba owner David Friedman says
By BRIAN WHITEHEAD | bwhitehead@scng.com
San Bernardino Sun
A garden is being planted in San Bernardino, but not where you might expect.
Here, there is no lush green space, no playground nearby for children to burn off energy. The spot gets, at most, four hours of sunlight a day and can easily be missed by even the most observant passersby.
And yet, San Bernardino-born-and-raised sisters Adrienne Thomas, Vanessa Dean, and Nedra Myricks could not have found a better place for their nonprofit’s latest community project.
Thanks to a grant from the Arbor Day Foundation in conjunction with BNSF, SistersWe and Viva La Boba owners David Friedman and Tansu Philip are planting a living wall garden on the side of a vacant brick building near the Breezeway in the heart of downtown San Bernardino.
David Friedman, Viva La Boba owner, right, looks back while mounting vertical wall planters to a 100-foot-long, 18-foot-tall brick wall with SisterWe sisters, from left, Nedra Myricks, Vanessa Dean, and Adrienne Thomas during The Historic Downtown San Bernardino Living Pocket Park Project in downtown San Bernardino on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
“Bringing San Bernardino back to life (with this project) is what I’m looking forward to, making it a little more people-friendly,” said Thomas, SistersWe president. “I’m really excited to see the wall coming in and things happening around San Bernardino. It’s been too long without anything to do or places to go.“This wall will bring and attract people to San Bernardino.”Pitched in 2018 as an environmental beautification project, “The Historic Downtown San Bernardino Living Pocket Park Project” and a second SistersWe project in Muscoy received grant funding last year, in part, for their health and environmental benefits.
On Wednesday, Jan. 15, a handful of volunteers and about two dozen fifth-grade students from nearby Jones Elementary School helped Thomas, Dean, Myricks, and Friedman bolt vertical planters to a 100-foot-long, 18-foot-tall brick wall near Fourth and E streets.
In the coming weeks, a hydroponics system will be woven through the felt planters and succulents and other plants will take their place in the living wall garden, a stone’s throw from the Rosa Parks State Memorial Building.
And keeping with the art theme permeating the area, local artist Nathaniel Gelston plans to paint a mural in the alleyway.
Friedman, who owns several buildings downtown, sees such investment in the once-bustling entertainment corridor as the catalyst for the revitalization of San Bernardino.“My generation, we want to live in an urban culture, one that’s more sustainable,” he said. “We want to walk, bike. You see the youth rallying around downtown, and with the preservation of historical artifacts, historical buildings, comes a sense of art, and artists seem to want to congregate around this area.“
This green area,” Friedman added, “will be somewhere people can go and breathe fresh air. Somewhere they can take a break and go back to work or go back to their house. That’s important to have in any urban environment.”
In addition to their work this week, Thomas, Dean, and Myricks will add 15 more trees to green space at California and Nolan streets in Muscoy at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22.
The trio’s “Muscoy Pocket Park Project” includes plans to add 20 raised-bed family garden plots, a farmer’s market, movie nights and other family activities throughout the year.
Myricks, the oldest sister at age 71, joked Wednesday she and her siblings are busier now, in retirement, than they ever were as professionals.“These are things all of us need to really embrace,” Thomas said. “San Bernardino really needs something. It needs a spark of life, and with all the young people involved in this, I’m really looking forward to the future.”
Singapore Hotel Turns Over A New Leaf With Aquaponics Farm
The aquaponics farm at Singapore's Fairmont is expected to provide 30 percent of the hotel's vegetable needs by August
What Goes Around Comes Around in The Fairmont's Rooftop Garden
Producing Vegetables and Fish for Guest Meals
AFR Travel Editor
Feb 19, 2020
In New York and London, rooftop gardens have become the must-have accessory for any self-respecting luxury hotel. In what is being touted as a first for a Singapore hotel, the Fairmont has joined the crowd with an urban aquaponic farm.
Aquaponics involves growing plants without soil, using a “closed, circular system” that channels the waste from living fish to fertilize the plants, which in turn filter and clean the water for the fish.
By August, the hotel expects its farm to provide 30 percent of its monthly vegetable needs.
The plants are grown on flatbeds and in densely packed towers. The 450-square-meter farm, launched late last year, was created on a covered outdoor terrace on level five, wedged between the 26-story Fairmont and its adjoining Swissôtel sister property. Both are part of French chain Accor, as is historic Raffles across Bras Basah Road.“
We need to manage sustainability and climate change,” says Michael Issenberg, chairman and CEO of AccorHotels Asia Pacific. “Accor is working to eliminate plastic, food wastage, and to generally improve our ecological footprint. The aquaponic farm is a superb initiative.”Stumbling into this farm, you find yourself surrounded by edible greenery including english spinach, water spinach (kangkong), mint and numerous varieties of lettuce. The plants are grown in rows of flatbeds and densely packed towers.
In large containers at the back of the farm, 1600 tilapia fish play their part in this cycle. The bad news for said fish is that by next month, the Fairmont will be serving them as meals.
The greenery is already gracing the dining tables of the three hotels, featuring in a signature aquaponics salad.
At a glance
Fairmont Singapore Solid five-star luxury with more than 700 rooms and suites located in two towers (north and south). Book in the north tower – the rooms have undergone a lavish renovation, and the higher floors overlook Marina Bay. (Our top tip: don’t miss dining at Jaan by Kirk Westaway on the 70th floor of the adjoining Swissôtel.)
Raffles Singapore Following its extensive refurbishment, the 115-room Raffles re-opened in late 2019 and is more wow than ever. As the saying goes: “When visiting Raffles, don’t forget to see Singapore.”
The newly renovated Raffles Singapore is open for business.
British Airways Flies direct from Sydney to Singapore. Unfortunately, it’s still the old Club World business-class product on the route. But old or new seats, the champagne tastes the same.
The writer traveled to Singapore with British Airways and stayed as a guest of AccorHotels.
Lead photo: The plants are grown on flat beds and in densely packed towers.
How To Do Urban Vertical Farms Properly
Framlab, a creative agency, has proposed democratised vertical urban farming for lower socio-economic demographics in Brooklyn’s boroughs, entitled Glasir
11/02/2020
Sarah Buckley
Framlab, a creative agency, has proposed democratized vertical urban farming for lower socio-economic demographics in Brooklyn’s boroughs, entitled Glasir.
Glasir is a project that intends to intervene with the current agriculture and water concerns, with its equally concerning economic ramifications.
“The borough of Brooklyn has seen an explosive economic growth throughout the last decade,” says Framlab.
Between 2001 and 2015, there has been an improved job creation rate, but with its development, it has seen both positive changes and a high degree of social stratification, with a correspondingly high degree of nutritional inequality.
As Brooklyn is largely understood as a ‘foodie’s paradise’, it conversely also has a 20 percent food insecurity rate.
Glasir is supposed to be deployed initially in the borough’s poorest and least food secure areas – neighborhoods such as East New York, East Flatbush, Canarsie, and Flatlands.
“With studies proving a direct correlation between food insecurity and health risk, Glasir’s proposition to offer affordable, locally-grown produce has the potential to not only boost the nutritional profile of the residents’ diet, but also plant the seed for societal and economic betterment in these neighborhoods.”
“By combining the flexibility of modularity with the efficiency of aeroponic growth systems, the projects offer self-regulating, vertical farming structures that can provide neighborhoods with affordable, local produce year-round.”
The trees are characterized by a monopodial trunk with rhythmic growth, developing tiers of branches, following Rauh’s model.
Additionally, the style of growing plants aeroponically, as was experimented with by NASA, proves a comparable crop to yield as opposed to traditional, geoponic cultivation.
The exclusion of soil leaves very little room for unexpected variables and makes aeroponics a highly flexible growth system.
The system is centered around a subscription service model for the periodic distribution of crops to households, businesses, and schools.
The structure is further designed to be physically explored/played upon and invite its community to harvest fruits and vegetables.
It also utilizes drone technology to deliver the greens to and from its destination, and with minimized waste material and decreased cost, alongside stored harvested energy that can be used to charge electrical bikes, mobile devices, and integrated lighting, these structures will act as an ecological and technological hub, guilt-free.