One of Europe’s largest vertical farms harvests its first crops
Vertical farming is often associated with the future of agriculture. But an increasing number of large scale projects across the world are proof that that future is quickly morphing into the present. The most recent proof of this phenomenon is the first-phase completion of one of Europe’s Read More...
Sand coated in soybean oil is a green substitute for plastic mulch
Mulch is used to help the soil retain its moisture. We tend to think of mulch as something organic made from materials such as bark chips or dead leaves, but the reality is mulch can take the form of plastic. In fact, many farmers use a plastic form of mulch to keep the soil moist. This involves Read More...
Giant robot in Arizona hunts for crops that thrive in hot climates
On the farmlands of Arizona, the world’s largest farming robot is being rolled out to help secure the future of food. The robot, which is called the Field Scanalyzer, looks a bit like a bridge at first glance, spanning from one side of the crop field to the other. With this vantage point over Read More...
It could be possible to stop locust swarms using their own scent
A single locust is just bigger than a paper clip. But when these solitary critters attract others into a growing swarm, billions of locusts wind up flying together, forming a moving carpet that can block out the sun and strip the landscape of plants and crops. Giant swarms like this have Read More...
Why digital agriculture investments are critical in Africa
Although Africa has registered only three percent of the world’s COVID-19 cases, the continent is feeling the economic impacts of the pandemic more heavily than those of the disease. Investment in digital resources, especially in the agricultural sector, will be key for Africa’s recovery from Read More...
Rotterdam to build another sustainable floating farm for chickens
Last year, Rotterdam became home to the world’s first floating dairy farm, showing a radical new way of bringing farming back into the city, with minimal impact on resources and the environment. Now, a similarly eye-catching agricultural project is ready to take off in the city’s harbor. The Read More...
Innovators are turning to the sea to tackle food security
You may already know that the world wastes an overwhelming amount of food, with more than a third of the food produced being thrown away. But our global food system is currently also plagued by another urgent problem. Over the past four decades, the world has lost up to one-third of the amount Read More...
Square Roots aims to revolutionize food production in urban areas
As the world population is growing and urbanizing at a fast pace, and with climate change threatening existing supplies of food, there is an increasing urgency for the food industry to come up with new ways to grow food quickly. Recently, vertical farming has been catching the eye of innovators in Read More...
This coating allows seeds to sprout in soil that would typically be too salty
Too much salt isn’t only bad for our bodies, it’s bad for our crops, which don’t grow well in highly saline soil. As climate change, poor water quality, and the misuse of agrochemicals degrades our land, the world’s soil is becoming saltier, threatening the global food system. The good Read More...
This ingenious farming technique of the Aztecs could feed the world’s metropolises
By 2050, the UN thinks there will be nearly 10 billion people on planet Earth, with 68 percent living in urban areas. Both numbers pose serious questions as to how we'll feed the growing, urbanizing population, which is why there's new research exploring whether traditional farming techniques could Read More...