How efficient farming in the Netherlands is producing 20 times more food with 1/4 the water and the most sustainable agriculture systems in the world. It’s the first episode of Freethink’s The Future of Food. Subscribe: https://freeth.ink/youtube-subscribe-fof-sustainable-ag
Amidst climate change, a growing population, and people consuming more of less sustainable food, how will we feed our future world? The answer may not be increasing resources–land, water, and employees–but rather improving production efficiency to create more sustainable farming of crops. The key question: How do we increase the amount of food we produce while using the same or fewer resources?
The Sustainable Development Roadmap from an Unexpected Superpower:
When it comes to scaling agricultural production sustainably, one small country has a very large impact. Bolstered by a national commitment to produce twice the amount of food with half the resources, the Netherlands has become the world’s #2 produce exporter. The close collaboration between the government, science organizations and the food industry have driven impressive innovation and an efficiency that’s unmatched anywhere else in the world.
On a normal open-field tomato farm, one could expect 4 kilograms of yield per square meter. In a high-tech greenhouse in the Netherlands, that number shoots up to 80 kilograms of yield per square meter, with 4X less water. That’s a 20X improvement on output! And it’s not just tomatoes–the Dutch are #1 in the world on producing chilis, green peppers, and cucumbers (measured by yield per square mile). With conservation and sustainable food as two of the most important global issues, could other countries copy their approach to help save the earth?
Sustainable Farming Practices Driven by AI
What is sustainability driven by? The technology behind these greenhouses allows for an extreme level of control over water, light, temperature, and CO2–all of which are finely tuned and optimized. Constant testing on countless variables is what drives these facilities and could be the future of our planet’s sustainable food systems. Tests can be as simple as comparing different hues of LEDs to increase tolerance against pests, or as advanced as a moth-killing drone.
In addition, eco friendly technology is simply getting better. More and more, efficient farming is becoming automated, using artificial intelligence to find the optimal conditions. By learning the behaviors of plants, climate computers can adjust conditions far better than a human.
Scaling Efficient Farming: It’s All About Knowledge Sharing
The Netherlands is not just thinking about the Netherlands. Besides leveraging technology in efficient ways, these innovators are exploring how to use their findings on a greater scale. For example, their greenhouses emulate climates across the world in order to optimize growth outside of the country. As they learn about what’s optimal in Columbia, for example, they can then transfer that knowledge and help build sustainable food systems across the earth. This level of big picture thinking could be a game-changer as we tackle global warming and climate change – one of society’s greatest challenges in the coming years.
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What do you think the future of food will look like?
fatboy slim is a farmer now
Human, just eat each other from now on.immediate solution
I would love to build this using that knowledge as self sufficient for homes. Imagine having a compact self sufficient farm/garden that could produce more then enough food for you and family. With little to no effort and easy maintenance uses their knowledge. I would totally invest.
Better food preservation, more seeds in banks, more higher quality food packaging. More use of the 80/20 rule. What if the UK produced like Holland did?
This is so cool. It’s possible. Other countries have to try to achieve this too. Work together towards sustainability instead of denying that it’s possible because of a,b, or c.
Every foods that people eating, they have drugs in it…. As you see including fishes that they have killed by chemicals… And how toxic human food quality is…. About water quality, don’t me, but just take look at it…. Fishes often living in the water….
How do you pollinate without bees or insects ?
Answer please
they dont talk about meat tho… you know, #1 in water usage & impact on the environment.
Its all about design, design, design ! How we do more with less! Using less land, water (harvest guide direct ) time labor money to produce more. Decentralize, designing more resilient self sustaining communities. Growing food is one thing growing high quality nutritious food is quite another. Not to mention taste, in Canada I have never eaten a good tasting tomato from any greenhouse period! Not to mention all the chemical fertilizer and other chemicals used. On a scale of poor average good or excellent nutritional value once you get into the good or excellent then you are producing food. Otherwise you are producing money, PERIOD! First dont be an exporter whenever possible the majority of the cost of food is in transportation. This is only a few words on the subject there is more to it. Do your own research and form your own opinions.
Good job , stay connected
Or people could stop being so fat
Read the bible, you aren't changing the world. The New World Order is right around the corner and they will own and control everything through their one world Government.
Not hating on anything but, these things are expensive imagine how much energy is required to replicate the sun from LED lights. How much would it cost to actually make these greenhouses and when will it end up paying for itself. Also there is a lot of plastic involved in this which is going to harm the environment. Also in poor countries where there is hunger how are they going to get the resources to make these green houses.
4:50 world horti center is the amazing future creator biz!
Not much talk of insects, pollination and ecosystems.
Inspiring goal!
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Nice