9 March, 2020
AGRICULTURE IN THE FUTURE: NO NEED TO LAND AND SUN
AeroFarms, startup based in New Jersey, has found a more sustainable and radical solution to produce food for the world in the future. This technology is possible saving 95% country, 40% fertilizer and no use of pesticides.
According to the US Geological Survey, cultivated to use 70% The amount of fresh water is used for agriculture and only about a quarter of it can be recycled after use. Cultivation also requires large amounts of land and adequate amount of sunlight.
AeroFarms thinks they have a better solution. The company's farming method uses very little water and requires no soil or sunlight. The whole process takes place indoors, usually in an old warehouse, means that in theory, Any place can become a place of cultivation.
The New Jersey-based startup is the brainchild of Ed Harwood, Professor at Cornell College of Agriculture. Year 2003, Harwood invented a system to grow plants on cloth material he created.
Under the cloth was not soil, instead, The roots are misted with rich nutrients. Harwood patented his invention and founded Aero Farm Systems. The reason the company got its name because "aeroponics" is a method of growing trees that does not use soil or water. Aero Farm Systems sells this specialty growing system, but it was just a side project of Harwood and did not generate much revenue.
The turning point came in the year 2011, when David Rosenberg, founder of Hycittle waterproof concrete company, and Marc Oshima, a veteran marketer in the food and restaurant industries, noted the inefficiency of traditional farming and viewed this as an investment opportunity.
The duo began to explore potential farming methods and in the process turned their attention to Aero Farm Systems. They liked Harwood's brainchild so much that they offered to pump money into the project. Exchange, they want to be co-founders. At the same time, They also suggest some changes in the business model: Rosenberg and Oshima see a greater opportunity to optimize farming and sell the crops themselves.
Get Harwood's consensus, Aero Farm Systems has become AeroFarms. Harwood, Rosenberg and Oshima act as co-founders. They buy old facilities in New Jersey - a steel mill, a club, a paintball gun center - and turn them into indoor farms.
Every farm of these AeroFarms grows carrots, cucumber, potatoes and main product – premium sprouts – on stacked trays. These products are then sold to East Coast grocery stores including Whole Foods, ShopRite and Fresh Direct as well as the dining rooms of businesses like Goldman Sachs and The New York Times.
When cultivation can take place locally all year round, AeroFarms hopes that they can offer newer fresh products at a lower price, Because shipping costs are kept to a minimum.
In addition, AeroFarms collects hundreds of thousands of data points at each of its facilities. This allows them to easily change the LED lighting system to control the taste, structure, plant color and nutrition. The data also allows the startup to adjust variables like temperature and humidity to optimize crop yields.
Theo AeroFarms, This process is very effective: This farming method has a fold yield 130 times per ft2 compared to traditional ranch, from a crop yield perspective. An Aero Farm is more economical 95% water and 40% fertilizer compared with traditional farming, at the same time do not use pesticides. Plants often lose words 30 come 45 days to grow. While, High quality leafy green vegetables that make up the bulk of the company's production need at least 12 day.
AeroFarms does 120 Staff, mobilize more 100 million dollars, from businesses including Goldman Sachs and GSR Ventures.
AeroFarms argues that their farming methods are especially useful in regions with a climate that is not farming friendly., or where water or soil is scarce. This startup is currently owned 9 farm, including locations in Saudi Arabia and China. AeroFarms has plans to expand up 25 farm within 5 next year.
