ERAN GÖRGEN: ONE URBAN FARM CAN FEED 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE THANKS TO VERTICAL FARMING

Together with the coronavirus, humanity once again faced the fact that how natural resources are consumed roughly. Carbon emission decreased during the 1-month stay at home, the air was cleared, the animals began to move freely in nature. Along with this process, the concept of 'sustainability' managed to place much higher on the agendas of individuals and companies. The first thing that comes to mind when it relates to sustainability is water and food...

Vertical agricultural on the way...

It is estimated that 2-2.5 billion people will be added to the rapidly growing world population by 2050. Well, will the resources be enough for this population? This issue is now in the interest of the technology world. Start ups, which will be the building blocks of the new business world, have also taken over agriculture. Nowadays, vertical agricultural projects in cities are on the agenda of start ups.

Ten companies are interested...

General Manager Eran Görgen of Signify said ten start-ups rolled up their sleeves to make vertical farming in urban areas in Turkey. Explaining that one of the fields of activity of Signify, which produces with the Philips brand, is the new generation agricultural solutions, Görgen noted, “We offer special gardening solutions for professional plant growers. Vertical farming practices found many examples in the world is now on the radar from Turkey. We see this interest only from outside the sector. In other words, people who make agriculture, not farmers, start ups, angel investors are interested in the subject. The first trial of vertical urban agriculture with Philips Lighting in Turkey realized by the restaurant named 'Sow, harvest, eat, drink' in Taksim area."

Production of green-leaved has the priority... 

Emphasizing that there are several initiatives taken as the first steps related to vertical farming, Eran Görgen explained, "Green leafy vegetables such as lettuce and derivatives stand out in this projects. They also take into account of products like laurel and basil used as an input to the pharmaceutical industries. One of the most important studies in this sense in the world is related to hemp, which is also an important input of the pharmaceutical industry." Görgen also added that special agendas were created from financial companies in this area for incentives and supports loans.

One urban farm can feed 50 thousand people...

Currently, it accounts for 70 percent of clean water resources used for agriculture in the world. Eighty percent of the arable lands in the world are used. The distance travelled by vegetables from field to table in the USA is 2,569 km. However, one urban farm can feed 50 thousand people. Eran Görgen believes that vertical agriculture will develop very rapidly in the world as a result of all this.

Key delivery farms...

What will entrepreneurs who have nothing to do with agriculture want to invest in this field? According to information given by Görgen, start ups will come into play at this point: “Let me give you a ready solution in the form of a container for vertical agriculture, use it. You will be able to start growing strawberries or lettuce directly."

Harvest period shortens while water consumption decreases...

"Productivity increases by controlling the changing effects such as temperature, humidity and light in the growing process without touching the DNA of the plant with vertical agriculture. For example while it is required 25 litres of water in order to grow one kg of lettuce, we can reduce it by 40 percent and what else we can shorten the harvest process at the same rate," Görgen concluded...

Source: Şenay Büyükköşdere

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