Sustainability in the food sector has consistently been an interest of mine; specifically, how the private sector can create solutions that last and that serve all stakeholders. The practice of vertical farming is one of those solutions, though still in relatively early stages. With the Kenan Scholars exploratory fund, I was able to attend the Agrifood Innovation Event’s Vertical Farming conference to learn more about upcoming technologies in the field, current challenges the industry is facing, and vertical farming itself. The event was held in Veldhoven in the Netherlands, and had parallel programming for a 3D Foodprinting conference and a Protein Transition conference. This brought together students, representatives from start-ups, researchers, industry leaders, and more to learn about sustainable solutions.
I quickly learned how important clarity and consistency of language are when introducing new technology like vertical farming to market, especially in Europe. In the EU, the agriculture lobby is an extremely influential group, and many people often feel as though vertical farming is the first step in competing with the traditional farmers. However, throughout every presentation, those from the vertical farming industry emphasized how the practice is meant to complement traditional farming. One example given was potato seed: farming with CEA (controlled environment agriculture) could reduce loss from blight by controlling the exact conditions need in early stages and then getting the seed to traditional farmers for the rest of the growth cycle.
I also really enjoyed seeing the start-ups present at the conference as I am considering working in this sector at some point in my career, and it was great to see how these companies were able to get their ideas off the ground and make a tangible difference. One pattern that jumped out as I listened to all the companies was the intention behind their solutions: traditional vertical farming is effective in all intended ways, but the issues of excessive energy usage, labor shortage, and capital cost are reducing the full effect of this practice. One company called LettUs Grow, for example, is working to reduce the issue of water usage created by traditional vertical farms that operate with hydroponic systems. With aeroponic farming technology, roots are getting maximum access to oxygen (which lowers risk of disease and increases yield) while the amount of water used in the systems is heavily reduced, helping avoid the massive water usage by commercial hydroponic farming. I even got the chance to connect with this speaker after the presentation, so now I can follow along on both the company’s journey and the industry as a whole.
Overall, attending this conference has altered how I want to proceed with my career and what I would like to research in the future. I’m glad to be part of Kenan Scholars and have the opportunity to explore how my interests in food sustainability can be translated to the professional world.
