Last year, social distancing restrictions and country closures created problems in the harvest and supply chain for growers.
While we all expect this year to be better, 2021 started with the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. At the same time, unpredictable global weather conditions have wreaked havoc on food production and distribution.
Looking at Europe, the severely cold weather with the start of the season in Italy and Spain caused a decrease in vegetables in greenhouses and fields, and accordingly the prices of these products increased. With the subsequent Filomena storm, Portugal and parts of Spain were exposed to severe cold and rain, while Madrid saw the heaviest snowfall in the last 50 years. While these adverse weather conditions caused a decrease in the product, tomato prices increased by 60% .
The harsh weather conditions experienced in Europe caused disruptions in transportation to the north, as well as the decrease in the supply of fruits and vegetables in southwestern Europe. Storm Darcy faced the worst cold and snow in the last ten years in the Netherlands, parts of England and northern Germany. Meanwhile, higher-than-normal temperatures and droughts were also experienced in Southeast Europe and Turkey.
What does all this mean for the food supply? Global warming and climate uncertainty make traditional agriculture increasingly unpredictable. Cultivation models from greenhouse cultivation to vertical farming, which are called controlled agriculture, are the solution to this unpredictability caused by climate change.
With controlled farming, it can produce high yields, high quality, nutritious and delicious food at any time of the year.
To combat the effects of global warming, a movement must begin that reduces the carbon footprint of the agriculture industry, uses less energy and water, and protects crops against climate change and supply chain disruptions. Controlled farming environments and energy efficient technologies may be the answer.
Advances in LED lighting and smart lighting technology allow greenhouse growers to maximize crop yields, optimize crop quality and standardize production throughout the year, all in a sustainable way.
Matt Barnard , Co-Founder and CEO of Plenty , one of America's leading indoor farming companies, said in an interview with Forbes that vertical farming uses 1% of the land used in conventional farming, and only 5% of water. stated. According to Plenty, these systems not only reduce water and land requirements, but also eliminate pesticide needs through the use of led lighting that synchronizes crop growth.
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Saying that as the cost of LEDs decreases and their efficiency increases, they see more benefits, Plenty's other co-founder and chief science officer Dr. Nate Storey; stated that their efficiency increased 12 times with the same energy unit.
In Sweden, Ljusgårda AB reduced the arugula growing times by 19% with the smart LED and lighting systems it used in the modern farm it built on what was once a factory.
Bridge Farm Group, the UK's largest commercial plant producer and supplier, has achieved significant energy savings while illuminating 2 times more areas with LEDs in its greenhouses than HPS lighting. Andrew Fuller , the director of the company, states that with the LED lighting they use, they offer the freshest and most delicious herbs to the market 365 days a year, despite seasonal changes. According to Fuller, if you want to grow your crops with lighting, you want to put the most efficient lighting system in your greenhouse, which nowadays is Led lighting.
With breeding using Led lighting technologies in controlled environments:
- The production cycle speeds up,
- Efficient and quality products are offered to the market,
- Continuous production and efficiency are ensured throughout the year,
- Market entry times of products are checked,
- Plants with a long shelf life are grown,
- Revenues are increased by controlling costs.
Advances in LEDs and lighting controls mean that the amount, quality, duration and distribution of light each plant receives can be optimized to produce better quality food with less. Considering the 9.7 billion population to be fed by 2050, this is very good news. To keep up, food production needs to increase by 70 % in just 30 years. With so much climate uncertainty, perhaps we need to bring our food closer to where we live and where we can control the environment.
By providing the light spectrums plants need and a predictable environment in which they thrive year-round, it can provide a sustainable and flexible way to feed our world, whatever the weather and climate.