These Big Food Companies Get Failing Grades On Political Spending Transparency

A new index highlights how Tyson, Cargill, Coca-Cola, and others are largely failing to disclose what they spend on policy advocacy, donations, and research, and how their lobbying shapes public health and climate regulations.

BY GRETA MORAN

JULY 28, 2021

Op-ed: We Need to Get Food Industry Dollars Out of Politics to Save Our Democracy

Big Food is Spending Millions to Lobby for Less Transparency

Questions Remain about Big Food's Influence on the New Dietary Guidelines

Precisely what role do companies like Tyson, Nestlé, and Coca-Cola play in shaping policies that regulate junk food advertisements to children, maintain a low tipped minimum wage, and limit carbon emissions? No one knows for sure, including their shareholders.

While advocacy groups have long gathered evidence about to the ways the world’s largest food companies spend money influencing politics, back powerful trade groups, and fund research that makes it into mainstream discussions about food, just how much influence they really have in shaping food policy is notoriously hard to pinpoint, partially due to lax disclosure requirements on corporate spending.

According to Feed the Truth, a new organization aimed at addressing corporate control of the food system, this lack of transparency “means that corporations can sell us a family-, worker-, and environmentally friendly image even as they spend heavily to block policies that would improve public health, cut down on inequality and poverty, and help prevent the climate breakdown.”

Now, an index just released from the organization draws attention to just how much remains out of the public view—the spending left undisclosed by major food and agricultural corporations.

The Food and Agriculture Corporate Transparency (FACT) Index scores the world’s 10 largest food producers’ level of disclosure across four categories of spending: electioneering, lobbying, charitable donations, and the funding of scientific research. The corporations, selected based on highest reported 2020 revenue, were ranked from most to least transparent, as follows: the Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Mars, ADM, Unilever, JBS, Cargill, Nestlé, Tyson Foods, and Bunge. The index specifically counts disclosure as publicly posting information on their websites, easily accessed by the public and investors.

Coca-Cola earns the relatively highest marks for transparency with just 39 out of 100 points, and it goes down from there, with Tyson Foods (the second-largest meat processor in the world) and Bunge (a massive agribusiness and ingredient supply company that many in the U.S. have never heard of) coming in at 3 and 2 points respectively.

Lucy Martinez Sullivan, the executive director of Feed the Truth, hopes that by sharing these low scores, her group can shed light on the gap between what these companies profess to do publicly and where their money is actually going.

“If these companies are going to be talking about what they see as priorities for private-sector engagement in food systems and really shaping the narrative and discourse around food, then they have a responsibility to be more transparent about how they are engaging in the policy process,” said Sullivan.

Civil Eats contacted Tyson Foods, Bunge, Coca-Cola, and Cargill for comment, but none had responded by press time.

Low Scores and a Lack of Accountability

Bunge and Tyson Foods, which are both publicly traded corporations, disclosed almost nothing about their political spending. In the lobbying and electioneering categories, they both scored zero, indicating that they reveal nothing about money spent on these engagements.

“It’s really shocking that two publicly held corporations just do not put out any information for investors, shareholders, and the general public to be able to understand how they are using their power,” said Sullivan. Both companies earn upward of $40 billion dollars per year, granting them the potential for significant influence, noted Sullivan.

Even Coca-Cola, the highest scorer, does not have a good track record of accountable public spending. Earlier this year, an investigation by Popular Information revealed that the company funded 29 of the co-sponsors of Georgia’s voter suppression bills, likened to Jim Crow-era laws, which were written to target Black voters. At the same time, the investigation found that “Coca-Cola, through its Sprite brand, ran a series of ads prior to the 2020 election stressing the importance of voting in the Black community.”

Today’s food system is complex.

The lack of spending disclosure enables corporations to take public positions concerning the social good, while quietly financing opposing interests. This also makes for risky investments, a realization that Sullivan hopes will lead investors to push for more transparency. “It’s a brand liability. It’s a reputational liability, and therefore it’s a risk to investors,” said Sullivan.

Already, there is momentum among shareholders across industries to demand greater transparency, including pushing Tyson Foods to increase its disclosure on lobbying and labor practices. And as cited in the report accompanying the index, one of the world’s largest investors, Vanguard, recently warned of the financial and reputational risks of “poor governance of corporate political activity, coupled with misalignment to a company’s stated strategy or a lack of transparency.”

U.N. Summit in the Background

Feed the Truth released the index to coincide with the start of the United Nations Food Systems Pre-Summit, an event that is setting the stage for a larger summit that will be convened in September. As global leaders come together to develop commitments to reform how the world produces and consumes food, a separate conversation is underway about the level of corporate influence over the global food system, led by scientists, advocates, and Indigenous and peasant groups boycotting the event.

At the heart of the boycott is concern about the duplicity highlighted by the FACT Index. For instance, the summit included an event in which the CEOs of PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Unilever, among others, convened to discuss their companies’ approach to solving hunger and malnutrition. And yet critics have long argued that the makers of soda and other highly processed foods often use philanthropy to advance their corporate agenda and deflect calls for government programs or laws aimed at reducing consumption of the foods they make.

And, ultimately, it’s unclear how food corporations’ representation at the U.N. Food Systems Summit squares with their spending in other countries, given that almost none of this is disclosed.

“The most notable thing is these truly global corporations don’t give any information for their international markets,” said TJ Faircloth, Feed the Truth’s program and research director. “Coca-Cola, as good as they do on some levels of disclosure, operates in almost 200 countries, but only [shares] information based in the U.S.”

Ashka Naik, the research director of Corporate Accountability, notes that while she finds the index to be “systematic and comprehensive” in its methodology, there are some forms of influence that it doesn’t capture, such as revolving doors with governments, recruiting corporate to advisory boards, and advertising.

Faircloth envisions FACT as an “inaugural index,” which he hopes to expand and refine in the future, including by improving their assessments of foreign markets. The index builds upon the Center for Political Accountability-Zicklin Index, which looks more narrowly at corporate spending on elections. FACT expands on this by including lobbying, philanthropy, and scientific funding, as within the scope of its analysis, while also narrowing the scope to food-producing corporations.

Over half of the food and agriculture corporations listed in the FACT index—PepsiCo, Unilever, ADM, JBS, Tyson, Bunge, and Mars—didn’t disclose any funding of scientific research. This can shield how major food corporations shape the field of nutrition and food science. Faircloth points to McDonald’s funding The Scripps Research Institute to study childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes. “On paper, it looks really great for the corporation, but then you’re like, ‘Wait a minute, this is a corporation that is a driver of childhood diabetes,’” said Faircloth.

An accompanying report to the index provides recommendations for how to increase transparency around corporate giving. This includes requiring the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) to require “political giving disclosures—including lobbying, charity, science, and indirect spending—across the jurisdictions in which these corporations do business.” It also recommends the U.S. Senate passing the “For the People Act” to improve campaign finance transparency; the bill already passed in the House of Representatives in March. Currently, the SEC does not require reporting on political activities; however, there are regulations that require quarterly lobbying reports and the mandatory disclosure of Political Action Committee (PAC) spending.

Lisa Graves, the executive director of True North Research and board president of the Center for Media and Democracy, was impressed by the index and its methodology. She points to the importance of accessible and public disclosures of the corporations’ lobbying activity at the state and federal level. “[This] would be important to be made publicly available, easily findable on the website, versus relying on someone to go through state by state to decipher it,” said Graves.

Of course, improving transparency is only the first step to curbing corporate influence over the global food system. “Greater transparency of political spending is surely necessary and the lowest hanging fruit for greater corporate accountability,” wrote Naik, in an e-mail. “That said, we must be vigilant that such indices are not exploited by corporations to sugar-coat their progress on real accountability.”

Greta Moran is a Senior Reporter for Civil Eats based in Queens, New York. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Grist, Pacific Standard, The Guardian, Teen Vogue, The New Republic, The New York Times, The Intercept, and elsewhere. Greta writes narrative-based stories about public health, climate change, and environmental justice, especially with a lens on the people working toward solutions. Read more >

Remembering Ed Harwood: AeroFarms Co-Founder, Chief Science Officer

By AMY SOWDER

July 26, 2021

Ed Harwood, co-founder, and emeritus chief science officer at AeroFarms, has died, leaving a legacy of patented innovative agriculture technology and expansion beyond his expectations.

A framed photo of Harwood’s smiling face greets those who arrive at the indoor, vertical aeroponic farm company’s headquarters in Newark, N.J., said Marc Oshima, chief marketing officer, and co-founder with Harwood and David Rosenberg. The company began in 2004.

Whenever someone schedules a meeting in the conference room, they do so at “Ed’s Garage.”

It was in his dining room and then garage where Harwood tinkered with the nozzles that transport water and nutrients to leafy greens. He patented a way to keep them unclogged, Oshima said.

Harwood also patented a new clean, inert, reusable growing medium: cloth. It’s lighter than water and soil, making it more suitable for vertical farming in urban areas where space is scarce. And it’s a growing medium made from recycled water bottles plucked from the waste stream.

“Ed’s early work led us on that path of a circular economy, sanitary design, performance and measuring that performance. Ed’s spirit of inquiry helped foster the same in our team and in our practices,” Oshima said. “His legacy is part of our culture today.”

Harwood’s focus and early discoveries helped commercialize the urban vertical farming movement, he said.

Today, AeroFarms is a Certified B Corporation striving to feed more people on less arable land by using breakthroughs in indoor agtech, artificial intelligence, and plant biology to improve the food system’s way of growing and distributing produce, locally and globally. The company is on its way to going public and has expanded with several locations including commercial farms, community farms and research and development farms, like the newest one in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The company’s awards surpass the dozens. Harwood won United FreshTEC Achievement Award in 2018, a kind of lifetime achievement award for driving innovation in agriculture.

“I was really excited for Ed to be recognized for that by the broader produce community,” Oshima said. “I mean, 15 years ago he was having these conversations.”

Harwood’s training and prior experience provided the foundation of this success.

He earned his doctorate degree in dairy science with a minor in artificial intelligence. He was able to translate the dairy sector’s leading food safety principles and practices into procedures that work for indoor agriculture at AeroFarms, Oshima said.

Harwood was the associate director for agriculture at Cornell Cooperative Extension, where he worked for nine years.

Preferring to be called "Ed" rather than "Edward," Harwood was a man with a sense of fun, a soccer coach, and a family man.

Family members were by Harwood’s side when he died from cancer. He had stepped back from his duties gradually in recent years, serving as emeritus chief science officer and continuing to consult with the company, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and in academia.

Harwood lived with a positive outlook, a smile, and a sense of wonderment about the world, Oshima said.

“He was not one for titles or pretenses. It was just about the work. It was about ‘How can we do something for the greater good, have a greater impact?’” Oshima said. “He would say where we’ve gone has blossomed far beyond his dreams.”

“But it was his principles of curiosity, acting with a sense of urgency and responsibility — those have been the hallmark of our organization.”

Those who wish to send anecdotes or photos can do so at EdHarwoodTribute@AeroFarms.com.

Lead Photo: (Photo and logo courtesy AeroFarms; graphic by Amy Sowder)

Investment Projects On Construction And Modernisation of Greenhouse Complexes Will Be Presented At the 6th Annual International Forum Greenhouse Complexes Russia & CIS 2021

Date: 1-3 December 2021

Place: Moscow, Baltschug Kempinski

Organized by: Vostock Capital

Tel.: +44 207 394 3090  

E-mail: Events@vostockcapital.com

Website: https://www.greenhousesforum.com/en/

6th Annual International Forum Greenhouse Complexes Russia & CIS 2021 is an established professional international platform for attracting investment in the Greenhouse Industry of Russia, discussion of industry development strategies, exchanging experience between key market players, and signing new win-win contracts.

The Forum is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.

 Silver sponsors: Svetogor, Gavita. Bronze sponsor: Hortilux.

Industry partner: the Association “Greenhouses of Russia”.

Onsite Visit Partners: Agrokombinat Moskovsky, Podosinki greenhouse complex.

You have the opportunity to become a part of a unique business conference.

Please Note! Vostock Capital company, an organizer of the International Forum in Moscow, assists foreigners interested in the industry development with entering Russia for event participation on the basis of a “green list”. Foreign delegates will be included in this list if they register for the event and submit their documents before August 10.

The event annually brings together over 500 delegates from the largest federal and regional agro holdings, heads of retail chains and service companies, presidents of national unions and associations. Just to name a few: ECO-Culture,  Stavropol Flavour, Greenhouse, Ovoschevod, Grow Group Azerbaijan, Yagodnaya Dolina, Tander, X5 Retail Group, Agricultural Complex Gorkovskiy, Agrocombine Moskovskiy, MC AgroPark Plody s Gryadki, Yug-Agro, ECO-farm Mazilovo, Trading House Vyborgec, Green Farmer, Sun Valley, Growth Technology, Yagodnaya Dolina, Udmurt Flowers, FITO, MWM RUS, Horti XS BV, Pylot, AgroBioTechnology and many others.

Among the speakers and honorary guests 2020: Dzhambulat Khatuov, First Deputy Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture of Russian Federation; Dmitry Aveltsov, CEO, Ministry of Agriculture of the RF Center of Agroanalytics Federal state budgetary organization; Inna Rykova, Head of the Sectorial Economy Centre, The Federal State Budgetary Institution Financial Research Institute of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation; Dmirty Lashin, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Lipetskagro; Alexey Shemetov, Vice-President, Production Operation, Agricultural Holding ECO-Culture; Dmitry Lisnevskiy, Minister, Ministry of Investment Policy of Sakhalin Region; Sharip Sharipov, First Deputy Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Dagestan; Alexander Belkovets, General Director, Trading House Vyborgec, Agrofirma Vyborgec; Andrey Chigin, General Director, Stavropol Flavour and many others.

Forum Highlights 2021:

·      500+ executives of flagship greenhouse complexes and agro holdings from Russia and the CIS – Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, as well as investors, government representatives, chief agronomists, managers of retail chains and service companies

·      NEW! 2 TECHNICAL VISITS to state-of-the-art greenhouse complexes – Agrokombinat Moskovsky (vegetable farming) and Podosinki (flower cultivation)

·      Leaders' debates: the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, agro holdings, investors, initiators. Post-pandemic status of the greenhouse industry

·      Greenhouse investment projects on modernization and construction with the implementation period of 2021-2025 from all Russian regions and the CIS countries

·      NEW! HYDROPONICS AND VERTICAL FARMING. What is the difference from traditional industrial cultivation? Technology development prospects

·      FOCUS SESSION: STRATEGIES TO INCREASE SALES. How to establish interaction between suppliers and retailers for the benefit of all?

·      HOW TO OPTIMISE PRODUCTION WITH THE HELP OF INNOVATIVE GREENHOUSE TECHNOLOGIES. How do innovations boost the development of the greenhouse industry?

·      IMPORTANT! POWER SUPPLY IN THE GREENHOUSE INDUSTRY. Cost optimization methods

·      INCREASE IN YIELD AND RESISTANCE – MODERN APPROACHES TO CULTIVATION. Parallel round tables for agronomists in the following areas: fruit and vegetable and lettuce greenhouses, mushroom complexes, berry greenhouses

·      Presentation of modern equipment and technologies for greenhouse complexes from top companies from the Netherlands, Israel, Germany, Italy, Spain, and other countries

·      Fast and efficient! Roadshow of innovative technologies and equipment by the global leaders

·      EVENING COCKTAIL

Register Now 

           

Step Away From That Screen And On To Our Expanded Expo Floor

BIGGER, BETTER EXPO FLOOR OFFERS PERFECT ZOOM FATIGUE FIX!

(And some pretty great solutions for your business, too)

There's nothing like an in-person event for getting a first-hand look at the latest product innovations. So step away from that computer screen, step on to our expo floor and see live product demonstrations...Touch new products...Ask questions and gather feedback from company execs and peers in the booth.

We've significantly expanded our expo floor to bring you even more top names, established best-sellers and promising start-ups. See the latest in lighting, operating, automation and control systems, growth chambers, seed treatments, plant nutrition, greenhouse & hydroponic supplies, substrates, pest control, irrigation, equipment & design resources and so much more from companies like:

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YOUR TWO-DAY INDOOR AG-CON EXPERIENCE PACKAGE

Indoor Ag-Con is so much more than an event. It's an experience! And one you don't want to miss. Hear from 70+ speakers, network with industry peers, see the latest product innovations. Then, head back to your operation armed with actionable ideas and profitable strategies that promise to grow your business!

Register before our Early Bird Rates end on August 16, 2021 to save up to $300 on our full access pass. And if your plans change, no worries! Passes are completely refundable prior to September 27, 2021, and include:

• All Keynotes, Morning Conference Sessions, Afternoon Panels

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REGISTER NOW & SAVE UP TO $300

OUR SAFETY PROMISE  

Your health and safety are priority one at Indoor Ag-Con Orlando.
Rest assured that the Indoor Ag-Con team is closely monitoring the
guidelines issued by the CDC, state and local officials. We're working with our venue partner, Hilton Orlando, to provide you with a safe and
productive environment to conduct business.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR INDOOR AG-CON SPONSORS,
MEDIA & MARKETING ALLIES

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Indoor Ag-Con, 3834 Silvestri Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89120, United States

UAE’s “Green Sheikh” Visits Green Bronx Machine, Gotham Greens And CS55

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22-July-2021

by Green Bronx Machine

Green Bronx Machine founder Stephen Ritz welcomes the "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi to GBM's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center at CS 55 in the South Bronx.

1. Green Bronx Machine founder Stephen Ritz welcomes the "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi to GBM's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center at CS 55 in the South Bronx.

2. Green Bronx Machine

   The "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi tours Green Bronx Machine's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center at CS 55 in the South Bronx.

3. Gotham Green Co-Founder and CEO Viraj Puri (r) hosts the "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness SheikhAbdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, along with Green Bronx Machine Founder Stephen Ritz and former GBM student and current Gotham Greens employee Corey Gamble at their Brooklyn-based greenhouse.

4. Senior officials from NYC Department of Education, the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, NYS Senator Gustavo Rivera, and other staff and community from CS 55 greet His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi at Green Bronx Machine's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center.

Newswise — BRONX, NY, July 22, 2021 – Green Bronx Machine founder Stephen Ritz and his students welcomed yesterday His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, to their classroom at the National Health and Wellness Learning Center (NHWLC) at CS 55 in the Bronx.

A member of the ruling family of Ajman of the United Arab Emirates and an environmental adviser to the Ajman Government, HRH is a globally acclaimed humanitarian and philanthropist whose work focuses on mindfulness, well-being, spirituality, sustainability, and nutrition, particularly in children and those living in marginalized communities. 

During the visit, HRH, known as the “Green Sheikh,” and Ritz, often called “America’s Favorite Teacher,” had a chance to catch up on all things ag education-related and see what GBM students are growing and learning during the Summer Rising school program that is currently in session.  In fact, GBM’s students hosted a luncheon for HRH, preparing and serving him a vegan meal made from vegetables grown by them right in their NHWLC classroom.  Prior to arriving at CS 55, Ritz accompanied HRH on a tour of Brooklyn-based Gotham Greens, a longtime GBM supporter, and partner. Gotham Greens, a pioneer in sustainable indoor farming with the largest network for hydroponic greenhouses in North America, brings a fresh perspective to how businesses can operate with a triple bottom line.

"The power of friendship between the UAE and USA started many years ago via multiple platforms.  Events like these help that friendship to continue to blossom and grow. Today, we all come together for sustainability, stewardship, and the best interests of all children. Today, we celebrate education and possibilities,” said His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi.  “After many years of working together overseas, to be able to visit my dear friend, Stephen Ritz, and see the work of Green Bronx Machine personally, in his home country and home community is beyond exciting. To see this classroom and to visit Gotham Greens is to truly understand what is possible when people work together with innovation and dedication to change lives. This is what community looks like. This visit helps to share our work, our commitment, and our shared vision for the future and the planet for everyone to see - all around the world. I want to thank the NYC Department of Education, the residents of the Bronx, Stephen's family, colleagues, and the community at Community School 55 and the staff at Gotham Greens for their gracious hospitality. I look forward to continuing our sharing, our learning, and our working together." 

Longtime sustainability allies, the two green leaders met years ago in UAE via government officials with The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) of Dubai.  KHDA is responsible for the growth and quality of private education in Dubai.  The two quickly became friends, sharing their passion for impact work, philanthropy, sustainability, education, and wellness initiatives. 

Stephen continues to work in UAE with ESOL Education.  Based on the model of Green Bronx Machine's National Health, Wellness, and Learning Center, ESOL launched the International Health, Wellness and Learning Center at Fairgreen International School located in the heart of Dubai’s The Sustainable City – the first net-positive city in the world.  Fairgreen International School is considered a Top Twenty School in the UAE and is known for innovation globally. 

“It has been an honor hosting His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, our dear friend, colleague, and fellow believer in the power of the plant to grow successful people, communities and economies,” said Ritz.  “We look forward to our continued work with HRH.  We are always ready to bring the Bronx to the world and make epic happen for millions more across the globe.” 

Over the coming months, HRH and Ritz will embark on a series of joint projects including a series of books for young people about bringing the farm to the desert, as well as building farms throughout the UAE to address food insecurity, agricultural innovation, workforce development, and overall health and wellness. 

“We built our first greenhouse in New York City in 2011 with the mission to reimagine how and where fresh food is grown,” said Viraj Puri, Co-Founder, and CEO of Gotham Greens. “His Highness, Green Bronx Machine, and Gotham Greens all share a passion for environmental advocacy and building a more sustainable future for our planet and for people around the world. We believe business can be a force for good, so we plant roots in the neighborhoods surrounding our greenhouses through long-standing partnerships with community groups and non-profit organizations like Green Bronx Machine, bringing nutritious, local food and STEM education to cities across America. We know that the impact from these programs extends beyond the borders of our neighborhoods and are proud to share learnings from our experience over the past decade.”

About Green Bronx Machine

Founded in 2011 by Global Teaching Prize finalist and life-long educator Stephen Ritz, Green Bronx Machine (GBM) is an impact-driven, for-purpose organization with 501(c)(3) status.  GBM builds healthy, equitable, and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems, and 21st Century workforce development. Dedicated to cultivating minds and harvesting hope, its school-based model and propriety curriculum uses urban agriculture aligned to key school performance indicators, to grow healthy students and healthy schools.  Simultaneously, GBM also transforms once fragmented and marginalized communities into neighborhoods that are inclusive and thriving.  For more information, visit www.greenbronxmachine.org.

Follow us on social media:

Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/green.BX.machine/

Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/greenbronxmachine/

Twitter:            https://twitter.com/greenBXmachine

YouTube:        https://www.youtube.com/c/Greenbronxmachine/about

INDIA: Toward A Fresh Future

It’s Not Often That You Get To See Your Leafy Greens, Herbs, And Microgreens Grown On-Site By Hydroponic Farming While Shopping Inside A Mall.

22nd July 2021

By Vaishali Vijaykumar

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It’s not often that you get to see your leafy greens, herbs, and microgreens grown on-site by hydroponic farming while shopping inside a mall. This novel concept comes to Chennai, courtesy of Freshlings, with its first retail offering at the Express Avenue Mall.

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Following the success of their plant-based subscription boxes, the 900-sq-ft-store, which had a soft launch last week, will offer its patrons a touch-and-feel experience of the green goodness before they handpick them. While they’re yet to stock up the entire list of farm-fresh vegetables and fruits, there’s enough for you to whip up a three-course meal from what’s currently available at the store, assures Sriram Gopal, founder of Freshlings.

“We’ve believed in ‘Clean food for all’ since 2014. While we’ve been witnessing a gradual change in the mindset of people, the interest in eating healthy and clean hit an all-time high after the pandemic. We’re grateful to the EA mall for being able to kickstart this pioneering facility. We’re hoping the on-site set-up will trigger the curiosity of more people to give this a shot,” he says.

A green catalyst
The store has an entire section of microgreens, romaine lettuce, kale, and amaranthus, neatly boxed and stacked. Sitting next to them are candy peppers, mini cucumbers and carrots, zucchini, Chinese cabbage, galangal, berries, dragon fruit, and select staples. “Fresh produce is replenished based on demand. Our quality control manager ensures nothing beyond its shelf life is stacked on the cold shelves. In case of minor damage, the product will be kept under our ‘Ugly section’ that’s yet to be launched. This is just to say that those in that section are not any less but will be made available to customers at a discounted price to ensure zero wastage,” he says.

Along with their in-house greens, Freshlings works to curate more seasonal and perennial produce from farmers and organizations that adhere to standards of sustainable food production and Global Agricultural Practices’ standards. “We’re also looking for ways in which nutrition can be made fun for kids and encourage them to make healthy choices. There will be a kids-approved section that will be filled with their favorites. We will also be sensitizing kids and motivating them to engage in farming. There’s a dedicated Grow and Bloom section for kids and urban dwellers to adopt the farming lifestyle with grow kits, seeds, herbs and tools to get started on the gardening journey,” shares Sriram.

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Walking us through hydroponic farming that’s now being explored by more families — especially during the lockdown — Sriram says that plants grown in this farm don’t have pesticides and use only 20 percent of the water it would normally take to grow the same quantities. “These recirculated water systems help irrigate the produce and can prioritise food grown for taste, colour, and nutritional value rather than shelf life or its ability to sustain mass production. Greenhouse and Indoor growing also means that everything happens under the watchful eyes of the farmer. One doesn’t have to worry about the hygiene factor either because your plants grow in a controlled setting, away from any kind of pollutant or toxic substance. It’s a completely safe method,” he notes.

Clean and conscious
Besides being a catalyst in bringing a lifestyle change in Chennaiites and promoting conscious eating, Sriram is optimistic about solving inefficiencies in the supply chain and also providing a feasible solution to farmers. “Our seven years of research in this field is aimed at imparting knowledge to farmers on utilizing technology optimally. If a machine that’s cheaper than your mobile phone can do the trick of farming then what can be better than that? We call this appliance agriculture and have developed our proprietary operating system that can take care of end-to-end production of 30 crops. The next step is to incorporate regional languages so the machine can command the farmer and handhold him through the process. It will monitor everything from water levels, temperature, humidity until harvest. We recently set up a fully automated facility in Singapore. It will take a long time here but we are in talks with like-minded people,” he elaborates.

After crossing the initial hurdles of getting their customers to try their products, Sriram says that they are all about working relentlessly towards the larger picture. “Sustainable food production and responsible consumerism must work in tandem to create a value-conscious lifestyle. Often premium product chains eliminate Chennai from their expansion plans because they think people here are not quality conscious and price-sensitive. We are challenging the notion by starting here. To us, being a cult brand is more important than chasing numbers. This is just the beginning and we hope to impart knowledge to as many as possible,” he says.

The shop will officially be launched shortly. Freshlings has also tied up with delivery partners to cater to its patrons living across the city. Until then, you can keep track of their daily updates on their official Instagram page @thefreshlings or visit www.thefreshlings.com

USA - VIDEO: Could Hy­dro­ponic Farms In Shipping Con­tainers Promote Water Con­ser­vation?

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BY ZARINA KHAIRZADA

JULY 21, 2021

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Dozens of red leaf lettuce heads grew without ever seeing the actual light of day with the help of Freight Farms "ag tech," a repurposed shipping container and students from La Sierra University. One of the students was Max Proebstle, who never thought he would find a personal interest in hydroponic farming.

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"As soon as you transplant them into the growth panels after about a week, they're already like a full head of lettuce; it's pretty amazing to see," the graduate student said.

What You Need To Know

• More than 20 La Sierra students are working together to study hydroponic farming inside a repurposed shipping container

• The Freight to Table program used Freight Farms "ag-tech" to grow leafy greens with the help of high-intensity lights, circulating water, and plant nutrients
  

• The system uses at least 90% less water than traditional farming, according to La Sierra University project director Marvin Payne
  

• The program will utilize harvested crops in the university dining halls and provide locally sourced produce for the surrounding area

Proebstle and about 20 other students have been volunteering their time inside the repurposed shipping container turned indoor hydroponic farm on campus. This method of growing crops replaces the need for soil with plant nutrients, artificial light, and recirculating water. After working with the new tech system, Proebstle believes it could be a game-changer for the future of farming.

"If you have a connection to a water system and electricity, you can basically grow produce sustainably and organically, anywhere and anytime," he said.

The Enactus team on campus recently harvested more than 500 heads of red leaf lettuce, with more on the way. The program is helping students get a hands-on approach in STEM and agriculture while also introducing them to a way to create their urban farms in the future.

Project Director Marvin Payne, who oversees the Freight to Table program on campus, explained that this model allows hydroponic farms to be placed just about anywhere for year-round harvesting.

"The entire footprint of this container is basically 320 square feet, and so with this, you can turn out thousands of plants in a fairly short period of time," he said.

The tech allows growers to monitor nutrient levels, production and light schedules remotely. Since it's inside a container, the amount of artificial daylight for the crops can be increased to about 16 hours each day. Doing so means more growth but also a higher electricity output.

As drought conditions worsen, at least 94% of California is considered to be in a severe drought. There will be more pressure on the farming industry for water conservation, and this model — according to Payne — uses at least 90% less water.

"You are using electricity, but we're getting creative in producing electricity these days, and it uses only a very small fraction of the water that any traditional farming is going to use," he said.

After plucking the leafy greens from growth panels inside the controlled agriculture environment, Proebstle and the team have brought their harvest from a hydroponic farm to the table with a new passion for farming.

"In my personal life, I can totally see this being a part of my life, something that I'll be interested in and involved in for the rest of my life," Proebstle said.

Until then, the Enactus team at La Sierra University will continue exploring how this growing method could bring sustainability and locally sourced produce where it's needed most.

Guest Op-Ed: From Field To Skyscraper

By Nathan Riehemann

May 13, 2021

Imagine rows upon rows and layers upon layers of crops, enough food to feed a city grown locally right in your next-door skyscraper. Growing food in warehouses or skyscrapers is the future, and this new innovation is called a vertical farm. New research shows crop yields in vertical farms can be 200-600 times greater than your typical field farm. The world is growing and farming is growing with it.

This growth has resulted in the need for another form of farming. With an alarming decrease in the world’s topsoil, farm yields are decreasing. Topsoil contains all the important nutrients necessary for healthy plants, but erosion is washing or blowing the topsoil away and the plants are not being nurtured. Compacted soil, which limits root growth, is also prevalent in our ever-industrializing civilization. Crop yields in compacted areas of China, even after soil rehabilitation, produce yields that are 60% less than a typical farm, and rehabilitation of the soil can take up to two years. The world needs another solution like vertical farming until our soil can be managed and preserved properly.

AgriHouse Inc. and AeroFarms are both well-known vertical farming companies located in South Korea and the United States. The methods these companies use are LED lights designed specifically to meet the PPF (photosynthetic photon flux) a plant needs and aquaponics which reduce both water and fertilizer use while maximizing produce.

Currently, vertical farms produce spinach, lettuce, cabbage, peas, strawberries, peppers, potatoes, radishes, carrots, and tomatoes. By stacking growing areas, a vertical farm is able to produce 500 fold what a traditional farm can. This is all completed with a workforce of about six to 10 people. It is amazing to see how much food can be produced with such a small amount of manpower. This is just the beginning because rice is also perfectly suited for vertical farming. It is a prominent crop in Eastern Asian countries so it will surely join the others. Wheat is also one of the top 10 most prevalent crops in the world and has been tested and found to be growable in the controlled environments of vertical farms. Soon, most crops will be grown not out but up.

Vertical farms do have some drawbacks such as the possibility of insects terrorizing the controlled and pesticide-free crops. And since vertical farms are dependent on electricity, power outages could potentially destroy entire yields. The initial cost of building vertical farms is also potentially high. These are valid concerns and more research is needed to address them. With technology constantly updated and redesigned and with increased support, vertical farming will continue to grow along with the produce. Vertical farms are still more reliable than field farms because they are not affected by seasons or natural disasters. Soon, your local farmers won’t have to look down at their fields but rather up at the towering gardens.

Lead photo: Nice leafy vegetables at the Sky Greens vertical farm in Singapore.

Nathan Riehemann is a senior at NUAMES graduating with his associate degree from Weber State University. He is planning to study mechanical engineering and participate in Air Force ROTC at Montana State University. He enjoys playing hockey, traveling and board games.

Two New Hirers For Horticultural Lighting Specialist

Vertically Urban, the Leeds-based manufacturer of LED solutions, has welcomed two new specialists to its growing team.

Vertically Urban is excited to welcome Jon Potter and Phoebe Sutton to the team. The two recruits have been bought on board to meet the brand's growth objectives and further improve its scientifically based development process.

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Jon joins as Business Development Director, with a wealth of LED lighting and controls knowledge gained from his time with Philip's Lighting and the Aurora group.

In his new role, Jon will be helping to grow the Vertically Urban brand working directly with growers, partners, and system integrators to bring horticultural lighting solutions into several application areas.

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Phoebe enters the newly-created position of Plant Biologist, bringing a plethora of research experience in plant photobiology. She has a specific interest in integrating her research and expertise into the vertical farming industry.

Currently, Phoebe is completing a Ph.D. in the optimization of LED lighting regimes to increase the phytonutrient content in hydroponically grown herbaceous crops. In the new role, she will be managing the brand's onsite laboratories to ensure the optimum formula for LED grow lights.

Andrew Littler, CEO of Vertically Urban, says:

"We are thrilled to have both Jon and Phoebe on the team. Following our successful Seedrs campaign last year, we set some ambitious growth plans to help us meet the fluctuation in industry demand for sustainable, efficient LED horticultural lighting solutions. We pride ourselves on our standard and bespoke products, which we scientifically fine-tuned to specific crop requirements. With Phoebe in place, we are certain to improve our formulas further, and with Jon growing our customer bases, tapping into new markets, we are sure to hit our targets."

ENDS

About Vertically Urban

Vertically Urban is a specialist horticultural lighting manufacturer based in Leeds. It designs and manufactures its products in the United Kingdom using the highest photon yielding LEDs available. The Leeds-based factory has full manufacturing capabilities. Using its bio-science know-how, they aim to light the farms of the future by providing efficient LED lighting solutions that are easy to install and set up.  

Scale Microgrid Solutions Brings Indoor Farm Microgrid Online

July 16, 2021

By Ethan Howland

Scale Microgrid Solutions brought a 1.75-MW microgrid online for a major indoor farm near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

By ESstock/Shutterstock.com

Scale Microgrid’s modular microgrid for Fifth Season, a startup indoor farming company, uses 160 kW of photovoltaic solar panels, 200 kW of lithium-ion batteries, and a 1,200-kW natural gas generator outfitted with advanced emissions control technology.

The microgrid provides ancillary services to the electric grid and is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 470,000 pounds a year, or the equivalent of taking 39 passenger cars off the road, according to Scale.

Fifth Season’s Braddock indoor farm uses 97% less land and up to 95% less water than traditional farming, according to Scale. Fifth Season uses robotics and artificial intelligence to grow leafy vegetables and herbs year-round.

Fifth Season needs cheap, clean and reliable power to create the ideal indoor farming environment, the Ridgewood, New Jersey-based company said.

“Fifth Season is paving the way for indoor farming, and Scale is improving their energy efficiency and grid resilience, reducing their costs and mitigating their greenhouse gas emissions,” Ryan Goodman, Scale CEO, and co-founder, said July 13.

Scale owns and operates the microgrid at the 60,000-square-foot Braddock farm under an energy-as-a-service contract. Fifth Season didn’t have to pay upfront costs for the microgrid.

The project uses Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor (EMA), a cloud-based, demand-side energy management software platform. EMA uses predictive and learning algorithms, which will help Scale efficiently manage the production and use of its renewable energy.

Scale and Schneider previously worked together developing a microgrid for a Bowery Farming indoor farm in New Jersey. The microgrid, commissioned in 2019, includes 815 kW of natural gas-fired generation, 150 kW of solar, and 200 kW of battery storage, according to Scale.

Scale is backed by a $300 million equity commitment from global private equity firm Warburg Pincus.

SOUTH AFRICA: “The Face of Future Farming” Aeroponic & NFT Systems

Impilo Ponics is a South African based enterprise and was formed 3 yrs ago with a mandate to design various vertical growing towers to meet the ever-increasing demand for sustainable fresh nutritional food security produce especially in rural poverty-stricken areas on the African continent, consequently, we identified that our designs are also in demand for Urban based populace by means of individual residential units that allow for space-restricted dwellings Ie residential apartments, townhouse dwellings, underutilized rooftop areas to name a few.

The tower systems are made up of modular panels made from recycled plastic with various additional additives for color and UV stabilization, the unique design of the panels have the advantage of “flat Packing” which allow for compact packaging reducing logistical transportation costs both locally and Internationally, the tower designs allow for a very simple DIY assembly in a very short period of time with minimal effort and no tools involved.

We have two discipline options in the way of Aeroponics ( high pressure misting irrigation 30 >>50 Micron mist) and NFT ( a low pressure spraying irrigation 200 > 250 Micron spray), the modular design allows for additional tower segments to be added as tower height extensions as and when the users want to increase growing capacity for higher yields of the cultivars planted in the towers, we promote “multi planting” in the growing pockets of the tower for example:- Chillis x 3 plants, Basil x 3 plants, Spinach x 3 plants, Peppers x 3 plants, etc, this means that in an 84 pocket tower, for instance, you can plant up to approx. 250 plants vertically in a 1.5m2 footprint area, the system is a soilless growing method that reduces the need for fertile soil as a growing medium and allows the flexibility of dead space utilization.

The Aeroponic system only requires a timer-based irrigation time cycle that drastically reduces both energy and water source consumption - the towers only consume on average 2 litres of nutrient water source per day and the pressure pump energy usage as little as 30 watts per day, this lends itself to utilizing a small affordable solar panel system to run the towers, rainwater collection can also be utilized to sustain the water source, the end result being that we have an “off the grid” solution especially for areas with limited resources.

The NFT solution uses more or less the same amount of both energy & water consumption and again can be utilized into an “off the grid” solution.

The main difference between the two systems is that the Aeroponics generates a highly oxygenated nutrient-based mist that adheres to the root zone and during the ‘rest period between cycles” allows up to 90% of absorption of the Nutrient based nutrient solution, this encourages a shorter maturity of both plant growth and yield. 

The NFT system has continual spray irrigation of root zone very much on the hydroponic principle but in a vertical environment instead of a horizontal environment, however, the irrigation cycle can be setup through a programmed timer at prescribed time periods before dehydration of the root zone takes place, all this depends on the cultivar for hydration requirements for example:- lettuce requires regular irrigation where chillis/peppers/tomatoes, etc require less

The tower designs also allow for a very simple conversion from NFT to Aeroponics at the discretion of the end-user.

The Impilo panel system also allows for a multitude of tower sizes and designs to client specifications for example:- we can create square towers, hexagonal towers, Cylindrical towers of any size and height.

Our latest designs are introducing Aeroponic Living walls,  horizontal “tuber” aeroponic growing chambers (baby potato yields of up to 20Kgs per m2 surface area on a conservative 100 day growing cycle -comfortably 3 growing cycles per annum).

We also design and manufacture modular greenhouses as a turnkey solution for Micro farming to commercial size operations, budget-related affordability for a new generation of smart farming entrepreneurs, and micro-farming opportunities.

How To Maximize Resource Efficiency In Controlled Environment Ag Operations

Tuesday, August 3 @ 12:30 pm ET / 9:30 am PT

Wednesday, August 4 @ 9:00 am ET / 1 pm GMT

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Meena Sankara, KETOS CEO

Join Meena Sankara, KETOS CEO, and Tinia Pina, Re-Nuble CEO, for a discussion about the most significant challenges and opportunities facing Controlled Environment Agriculture operations. In this webinar you will learn:

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Tinia Pina, Re-Nuble CEO

• Why water management is important in the CEA industry

• Challenges soilless/indoor farms face when improving water management efficiency

• How soilless operations (including vertical farms and greenhouses) can be more resource-efficient

• Strategies for the nutrient wastewater recovery

• Which waste recovery solutions are best for your operation

  August 3rd Webinar Registration

  August 4th Webinar Registration

"Precision Indoor Propagation For High Quality Transplants" - August 3rd Tuesday 11:00 AM Eastern Time

August Indoor Ag Science Cafe

August 3rd Tuesday 11:00 AM Eastern Time

Please sign up, thank you!

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by
Dr. Ricardo Hernandez
North Carolina State University

• Please sign up to receive your Zoom link.

• Indoor Ag Science Cafe is an open discussion forum, planned and organized by the OptimIA project team.

• OptimIA (Optimizing Indoor Agriculture) is a project funded by the USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative and supported by many of you receiving this email (thank you!).

Sign Up Here

The Philippines: Simple Is The best

I was motivated to develop our farm, Kitakitz Natural Farm, when I saw local children were suffering development issues. Kids of the same age in my hometown of Bloomsburg Pennsylvania are Significantly healthier. When we first retired to the Philippines in 2010 I was shocked when I discovered kids that were of similar ages to our 9-year-old were actually several years OLDER! They were short, lightweight, boney, and had numerous development issues including poor skin, hair, and dental health. 

So I decided growing food for my own use was NOT ENOUGH!

Everything we do is 100% Organic and we do NOT use Chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Our Vegetables, Fruit, Flowers, Various Plants, Bamboo, trees & scrubs, cuttings & Seeds are grown in compost and vermiculture created soil. 

We are also developing HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS USING HANGING VERTICLE BAMBOO POLES. 

Throughout the farm, we apply NO TILL agriculture and permaculture food forest techniques similar to the Cuban Urban ORGANOPONICO & CONSULTORIO. We also provide FREE training to those who want to duplicate our programs and provide fresh produce, seeds, & Tools in ADDITION to wages for those who work on the farm. We also SELL fruits and Vegetables through our vendors at BELOW market prices. Our goal is NOT to make $$ but to help people to become 100% food Self Sufficient. 

We have friends in the USA who help us sponsor families here. Our programs create Long term solutions for food Security. We are totally Unlike Government Give-away programs. State-sponsored programs are weak at best and only provide short-term solutions with minimal disbursement amounts of rice and processed food sufficient for only a few meals.

In nearly 100% of our cases, our PLAN is providing long-term solutions. For less than $100 per family, we set them up with over 150 lbs of food like Rice, Oats, Flour, Fruit juices, peanut butter, canned meat & fish, and of course SEEDS. Plus we provide EDUCATION on Nutrition & Meal planning, how to save seed, and growing sprouts and vegetables in limited space and sunlight. When they follow the PLAN within a few days our recipients are growing and eating their own FRESH food. Additionally, within a few weeks they can also be harvesting fast-growing crops like 50 DAY Radish, & 30 to 40 DAY Pakchoi, Spinach & lettuce.  (See photos below of our standard Seed, Food & Sprouts Family plan)

Our investment is returned to us TEN TIMES PLUS in increased local participation in our FREE training programs and peaceful sleep knowing people are NOT going to bed hungry.

VIDEO: Foundation Farms, Corp., Reports A Second Harvest Is Currently Underway

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 15, 2021 / Foundation Farms, Corp., ('Foundation Farms') a subsidiary of GME Innotainment, Inc. (OTC PINK:GMEV) today reported that the second harvest is currently underway at the company's E-ROOTS CENTRE located in the Red Deer, Alberta area.

Following an overwhelmingly positive response from customers who purchased the first crop last month, the word is spreading throughout the surrounding communities and this second crop is already sold even before harvesting has been completed. Consumers have been delighted with the "no blemishes" produce and we have had numerous reports that the flavors and palatability of the vegetable greens are, "much better than anything that we have ever purchased at local supermarkets."

In response to the market demand, the company has expanded from an assortment of six basic leafy greens and herbs in the first crop to a total of 14 leafy greens and herbs, two fruits (strawberries and cayenne peppers), and four varieties of edible flowers in this second crop. Management and on-site staff also report the very successful functioning of the E-ROOTS system with minimal labor input.

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When asked about these results, Ed Kroeker, CEO of Foundation Farms stated "I am pleased to report that, if anything, we may have under-estimated the expectations we have held until now. There is a lot of attention paid to tangible benefits of vertical farming including environmental sustainability, low water usage, ability to convert urban waste spaces to food production, and reduction of food transportation logistics. Our E-ROOTS CENTRES are demonstrating that we can produce plant-based food products whose culinary qualities supersede anything currently available in conventional food markets. We plan to have the same impact on the plant-based food market as Angus-beef branding has had on the red meat market. This will soon become even more evident as we are getting ready to announce several new joint ventures."

Yves R. Michel, CEO of GMEV further added, "In just a few short months of production at the Red Deer area vertical farm, Foundation Farms is demonstrating an ability to set a new standard of excellence in this industry and the demand for the products supports profitability projections. With product demand this high for smaller population centers, I am excited to see what happens once some of the larger population centers get hold of this technology.

CONTACT:

Yves R. Michel
Chief Executive Officer and Director
208 East 51st St., Suite 170
New York, NY 10022
www.srcorpgroup.com
OTCPink: GMEV

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties and on information available to the Company as of the date hereof. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk factors disclosed in its latest Annual Report on OTCMarkets.com, it’s Regulation A+ Offering Statement, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" contained therein. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the Company's expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, and can be identified by forward-looking words such as "plans," "anticipate," "believe," "could," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will" and "would" or similar words. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

SOURCE: GME Innotainment, Inc.

HPNow And Kaneya Sign HPGen™ Distribution Agreement For Japanese High-Tech Horticulture Market

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, and MINAMICHITA, JAPAN (July 15, 2021) – HPNow, a global provider of HPGen™ Peroxide UltraPure™ on-site generation solutions, and Kaneya, Japan’s leading distributor of advanced horticulture inputs and solutions, are pleased to announce the signing of an HPGen™ distribution agreement for the Japanese market.

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The Kaneya team with the HPGen™ system 

Kaneya is a leader in the horticulture industry in Japan. The company has a large international network, and its mission as a distributor of high-end greenhouses and related equipment and inputs is to contribute to the future of advanced horticulture. The HPGen™ systems will play key role in supporting the company’s vision. Kaneya is active in 10 countries, and also operates its own high-tech greenhouse.

The distribution agreement will give Japan access to HPNow’s patented technology solution for autonomous, safe, and sustainable on-site generation of ultrapure hydrogen peroxide. HPGen has already proven strong effectiveness in agriculture operations around the world, providing for improved crop protection and reduced irrigation system maintenance across a wide range of crops, cultivation methods, and climates. Many HPGen customers further report increased crop yields.

“We’re very pleased to be working together with such an esteemed company as Kaneya,” comments Ziv Gottesfeld, CEO of HPNow. “Japan is at the forefront of controlled-environment agriculture, and this agreement is illustrative of the confidence the industry has in our products to support its cutting-edge cultivation methods.”

“We are looking forward to a strong collaboration with HPNow in the Japanese market,” adds Kazuta Aoyama, International Sales and Business Development Manager with Kaneya. “The HPGen technology offers exciting benefits to Japanese growers, which they will be eager to integrate into their operations.” 

About Kaneya

Celebrating its golden anniversary, Kaneya is a leading horticultural and agricultural solution provider, selling and distributing products that range from its core, technologically advanced offering of plastic pots and trays, to a variety of other related products produced by leading horticulture companies around the world, including substrate, seeds, and plants, greenhouse equipment, fertilizer, etc. With more than 12,000 customers on record, and some 5,000 active, satisfied, and fiercely loyal active customers, Kaneya operates throughout Japan and exports its products to 10 countries, and has established itself as a global force in the horticulture industry.

About HPNow

HPNow addresses growing global challenges in clean water and sanitation through its range of on-site, autonomous, safe and sustainable hydrogen peroxide generation solutions. Headquartered in Copenhagen, and with representation across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, they address their clients’ water treatment needs in market segments ranging from agriculture and aquaculture, to industrial and drinking water treatment. HPNow is a technology and market leader in on-site generation of hydrogen peroxide and is continuously striving to further advance its technology and products in order to meet growing market needs and rising global demand.

Stay in the loop by following HPNow on LinkedIn and Facebook. 

Optimizing Resource Use Efficiency In CEA System

Date: July 29, 2021
Time: 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. EDT
Presented by: Murat Kacira (The University of Arizona)

Click Here To Register

Webinar Description

An important factor affecting the profitability of vertical farming is a grower’s ability to consistently deliver a predictable product. To achieve this, growers must create an environment that supplies all the crop’s needs over its entire growth cycle by identifying and co-optimizing environmental variables such as CO2, light, humidity, airflow, and other parameters. This presentation will focus on real-time sensing, monitoring, and climate control strategies with system designs for environmental uniformity leading to enhanced resource use efficiency in CEA system.

Dr. Murat Kacira (Professor)

Murat Kacira is director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center and he is a professor in the Biosystems Engineering Department at the University of Arizona. He received his B.S. degree in Agricultural Engineering in Cukurova University in Turkey and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering from The Ohio State University in USA. His research involves automation, environmental control, alternative energy integrated CEA systems and resource use optimization in controlled environment agriculture systems including greenhouses and vertical farming-based plant factories with artificial lighting. He is a member of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), American Society of Horticultural Sciences (ASHS), and International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). He serves as Chair of the Division Precision Horticulture Engineering under ISHS.

Special thanks to our Industry partners

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If you have any questions or would like to know more about GLASE, please contact its executive director Erico Mattos at em796@cornell.edu

The Global Food Security & Sustainability Virtual Summit 2021 "Towards A Future Safe Global Food System"

Overview

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The Global food system is at a critical stage and made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. As many as 265 million people are threatened by famine, up 50% on last year; 700 million suffer from chronic hunger; and 2 billion more from malnutrition, with obesity and associated diet-related diseases increasing in all world regions. During the height of the pandemic with lockdowns, we have witnessed the collapse of the global food system with reports of food producers resorting to dumping their produce.

The food crisis faced during the pandemic is a wake-up call for both developed and developing countries of the looming crisis facing the world when the next major crisis hits us, be it climate change, pandemics, etc.

Website link: https://pinnaclegroup.global/gfsss/

Website Registration Link https://pinnaclegroup.global/gfsss/delegate-attendance-opportunities/

Linkedin event: https://www.linkedin.com/events/theglobalfoodsecurity-sustainab6786907097511669760/

Although the world has progressed significantly in terms of technology advancements in food production, food is not distributed in an equitable manner to regions, countries, households, and individuals. Government policies, availability of investments and technological know-how, and improved access to food supplies are key issues that meet the urgent food needs of the world’s growing population. New and innovative farming technologies such as high-tech agriculture and aquaculture methods that produce more yields inland and urban conditions offer hope for the future.

The Global Food Security & Sustainability Virtual Summit 2021 held on the 17th of September 2021, would be one of the most important events ever held to address the critical issues of food security from the local level to the global level, and from an interdisciplinary and systemic food systems perspective. The summit will invite multi-stakeholders from governmental organizations, private sector businesses, and NGOs to address the current disruptions and possible solutions on the world food supply chain. Discussions will also include issues surrounding sustainability issues and how societies and businesses can design more sustainable solutions in their entire food chain to minimize impact to the environment and reduce food waste

See You At This Landmark Event

LettUs Grow, GrowStack, Digital Farming & Farm Urban Collaborating To Deliver Four Social-Impact Vertical Farming Projects In Wales

Source: LettUs Grow

07/12/21

Four major UK vertical farming companies, LettUs Grow, Digital Farming, Farm Urban and GrowStack, are collaborating to bring the benefits of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) to Welsh communities. This is one of the widest collaborations between leading CEA tech providers in the UK to date, with a focus on delivering vertical farms across different locations in Wales as part of a social impact and community-focused project called Crop Cycle.

Vertical farming, a way of growing crops indoors on stacked shelves, can be beneficial for people, plants and the planet. It allows growers to provide fresh, healthy produce to their local area 365 days of the year and can help to supplement outdoor growing. It diversifies our supply chains and boosts local food security. It also has a long stream of environmental benefits, such as using fewer resources including land or water, removing the use of chemical pesticides and reducing the need to transport food across seas. However, a common criticism of vertical farming is that it’s not always accessible or affordable to areas under-served by our food networks.

Crop Cycle is looking to bring the benefits of vertical farming directly to communities that could benefit most and is being funded by the Welsh Government through the Foundational Economy Challenge Fund. The project is being led by Social Farms and Gardens, supported by Welsh Government's NutriWales CEA Special Interest Group and BIC Innovation.

The project enables multiple different CEA systems to be tailored to fit different community settings, whilst also allowing them to be assessed in coordination across the pilot sites. This approach is unique, facilitating the testing of new socially focused business models, the engagement of the local communities and businesses with CEA and the development of new technical solutions. LettUs Grow, Digital Farming, GrowStack and Farm Urban are working together to share their specialisms and apply different technologies to where they are best suited within four sites in Wales, two of which are in the Valleys.

This project will introduce year-round food growing right into the heart of Welsh communities, where they’ll be connected to the particular dynamics of the local area. Activities will test new community-based engagement models, focusing on social well-being, local entrepreneurship and environmental impact. In this way, the project will be bringing together community, businesses and local public sector organisations.

Gary Mitchell, the Wales Manager for Social Farms and Gardens who is leading the project team stated, "we are excited to be running the pilot project across a diverse set of sites to gain insight and further knowledge into how new agricultural systems can successfully support communities in delivering local, fresh and nutritious foods as well as important social benefits in a sustainable manner."

Welcome To Our Woods

Welcome To Our Woods in Treherbert is nestled in the heart of the Rhondda Valleys, where LettUs Grow and GrowStack will be delivering an aeroponic and hydroponic vertical container farm. This proactive community group has been actively engaging with its communities through partnerships with the Green Valleys CIC and their joint ‘Skyline’ project. This partnership has led to several funding investments in the region, exploring community ownership of land and the benefits of allowing the community to utilise their surrounding natural green assets. 

Chris Nelson, director of GrowStack said: “Growstack are delighted to be working alongside LettUs Grow and Digital Farming as part of this important social enterprise. It is always fantastic to be part of a project that champions vertical farming and really shares in the values of what this approach to food production can offer, including the benefits to the local community. Working in partnership with innovative farming companies is always a pleasure, as together we can combine our expertise to deliver outstanding results.” 

Ian Thomas from Welcome To Our Woods said, “We are excited to be bringing such an innovative and progressive project to our local high street. We have already been engaging with the Upper Rhondda community to explore the projects that actively use our woodlands for the benefit of those they surround, and initiatives such as this help give local people an idea of what can be achieved."

Cultivate

Two linked sites will be in Newtown, one within the established community growing space attached to the Newtown Campus of the Neath Port Talbot College Group, and one within a new town centre ‘Circular Economy’ shop. The two CEA systems, provided by LettUs Grow and Digital Farming, are being integrated into an active college site and managed by a community group, with a cafe and kitchen, shop, deli and veg box scheme in place. The site is supported by Cultivate, which is a membership cooperative linking food and community. Cultivate aims to address many of the issues associated with the modern food system, and focus on creating sustainable local food solutions.

Charlie Guy, co-founder and CEO of LettUs Grow said this about the collaborations: “LettUs Grow is delighted to be working alongside these leaders of the UK vertical farming ecosystem and inspiring community projects. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were implemented the same year as our foundation and have never been far from our minds. SDG 17 ‘Partnerships for the Goals’ rings especially true for us. We believe a brighter future can only be realised with inclusive partnerships and strong cooperation, built on shared values and a vision which places people and the planet at its epicentre.”

 Greenmeadow Community Farm

Greenmeadow Community Farm in Cwmbran is being delivered by Digital Farming. It is one of only two ‘city farms’ in Wales and one which connects people to food and farming in a very public way. It is owned and operated by Torfaen County Borough Council, bringing with it a high-level partnership. The farm already welcomes thousands of visitors through its gates and connects locally through a number of schools and college partnerships – making it an ideal ‘showcase’ location for this pilot. Digital Farming were commissioned to deliver the Digital Farm in a container for pilot production of high nutrition greens and herbs. The system uses V-Farm patented growing systems linked to Digital Farming’s smart digital management system powered by solar PV.

Dr Gareth Jones, CEO of Digital Farming, said, “we were delighted to be awarded this project and have been enjoying working with the team at Social Farms and Gardens and Greenmeadow to bring together a new concept to explore the business of growing locally using controlled environment agriculture to enhance nutrition for communities.”  

Xplore! Science Discovery Centre

The final site is in Xplore! Science Discovery Centre, situated in the centre of Wrexham: a brand new science centre that will support the promotion of urban agriculture in north Wales’ largest urban area. The vertical farming system is provided by Farm Urban. It will reach out to all generations, showcasing new technology and modern horticulture methods, blended with traditional growing experience. Xplore! welcomes public visitors, school groups and provides a range of educational workshops.

Paul Myers, Managing Director of Farm Urban said: “We are thrilled to be able to offer our hydroponic Edible Wall systems, Produce Pod aquaponic systems and learning programmes across all four sites involved in the Crop Cycle project. The team at Farm Urban have loved working alongside the four community organisations, they are all so enthusiastic and engaged which is exactly what we need for the social and environmental benefits of CEA to be shared across the UK and beyond. It has been a privilege to work alongside industry leaders GrowStack, LettUs Grow and Digital Farming learning more about their systems and approach. One of the many highlights of this project has been the openness and willingness to share and collaborate between all partners which is so important to drive the industry forward.”

To follow the progress of the community grow sites, you can follow Crop Cycle on social media, and technology providers LettUs Grow, Digital Farming, GrowStack and Farm Urban.

Tags: Indoor & Vertical Farming, Processing & Supply Chain | AgTech

Polygreens Podcast Episode: 34 Vijay Rapaka - Oasis Company

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In this episode, Joe and Nick interview Vijay Rapaka, an experienced technical professional, passionate and motivated to deliver commercial value through research and innovation. Skilled in Research and New Product Development, Strategic Planning, and Research Management. Successfully developed and launched several groundbreaking technologies.

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