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Transforming agriculture with carbon-neutral ammonia production
CategoriesSustainable News

Transforming agriculture with carbon-neutral ammonia production

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Today, producing ammonia accounts for around 1.3 per cent of CO2 emissions from the world’s energy system, because the catalytic process requires extremely high temperatures and pressures that are normally achieved using fossil fuels. The vast majority of ammonia is used to create nitrogen fertilisers, making it a vitally important compound in global food production. Hoping to make it easier for farmers to produce ammonia cleanly is Danish startup NitroVolt.

The company has created a patent-pending “Nitrolyzer” that allows a previously carbon-producing process to become entirely carbon neutral and fossil free, with the only necessary inputs being green energy, water, and air. Within the Nitrolyzer, lithium salt is reduced to lithium metal, which then reacts with nitrogen to form nitrides. Hydrogen (which is produced by hydrolysis) can then react with nitrides to form ammonia. To make the process even more sustainable, the lithium can be reused again and again in the continuous reaction process.

Crucially, the Nitrolyzer was created to tackle the logistical challenges that farmers may face in accessing ammonia. The technology is modular and can therefore be installed wherever ammonia is needed, say on a farm or in a greenhouse. This means that farmers and growers can tailor production depending on their needs, and eliminate the costs and emissions associated with transporting fertiliser.

Recently, NitroVolt raised €750,000 in a pre-seed funding, which will be used to expand the team and help to scale the technology.

Fertilisers play an essential role in growing healthy crops and boosting food security, but currently industrial production methods are highly unsustainable. Luckily innovators are searching for alternatives, including the use of dog waste and seed coatings that reduce the need for fertilisers in the first place.

Written By: Archie Cox

Reference

Growth Environment: Architect’s Role in Modernizing Farming Practices and Smart Agriculture
CategoriesArchitecture

Growth Environment: Architect’s Role in Modernizing Farming Practices and Smart Agriculture

By Zarkon Group,

The judging process for Architizer’s 12th Annual A+Awards is now away. Subscribe to our Awards Newsletter to receive updates about Public Voting, and stay tuned for winners announcements later this spring.   

In the realm of agrarian economies, a crucial revolution is unfolding, connecting food education, production and transformative agricultural practices. Tackling hunger and malnutrition demands strategic investments in development and research, paving the way for advanced technologies to reach farmers and enlighten the wider public. Concurrently, global challenges like climate change, population growth, conflicts and resource depletion accentuate threats to food security, underscoring the need for urgent innovation and adaptation.

Within this landscape, smart agriculture technology is emerging in visionary projects. This transformative approach integrates advanced technologies into agricultural landscapes, inspiring architects to craft living laboratories rooted in precision farming. Moving beyond physical infrastructure, architects are envisioning collaborative spaces that foster research and education.

As the principles of circularity and sustainability take root in the industry, the harmonious relationship between food production and the environment is coming into sharp focus. Embarking on this journey, the convergence of innovative technologies, circular practices and community engagement is the key to a more resilient, sustainable and interconnected future.

Architectural Transformations: RIO ECO2 Venture and Smart Agriculture

Rio Eco2 Venture

RIO ECO2 Venture by KRAUSE Architecture/Interior, Phoenix, Arizona | Concept.

Smart agriculture technology in architectural design undergoes a concrete manifestation in projects like the RIO ECO2 Venture. This transformative approach integrates advanced technologies into the landscape of agricultural spaces. Architects draw inspiration from such endeavors, conceptualizing structures that embrace precision farming, serving as living laboratories. By incorporating sensors and IoT devices, these structures facilitate data-driven decision-making concerning soil conditions, crop health and climate factors.

In the spirit of the RIO ECO2 Venture, vertical farming facilities emerge as intricately designed hubs with controlled environments, utilizing automation and robotics for tasks like planting and harvesting. The visionary designs prioritize energy-efficient greenhouses, integrating renewable energy sources and smart irrigation systems, exemplifying a commitment to optimizing resource usage.

Rio Eco Venture

RIO ECO2 Venture by KRAUSE Architecture/Interior, Phoenix, Arizona | Concept

Architects extend their vision beyond physical infrastructure to create collaborative spaces that inspire research and education. This synthesis of architectural ingenuity and smart agriculture technologies, mirrored in projects like RIO ECO2 Venture, gives rise to environments that harmonize innovative farming practices with sustainable architectural design, fostering efficiency, productivity and environmental consciousness.

ECO2, a visionary 213-acre self-sustaining development, tackles the challenges of rising temperatures and water scarcity through sustainable food technology, serving as a beacon of innovation and underlining the critical importance of food and water security. Beyond its role as an educational center and community strengthener with a holistic Net Positive approach, ECO2 stands as a model for Arizona’s future, adeptly embracing technology, repurposing land for sustainability, and seamlessly integrating urbanity with agriculture.

Rio Eco2 Venture

RIO ECO2 Venture by KRAUSE Architecture/Interior, Phoenix, Arizona | Concept

The community-driven GrowHaus 2.0 within ECO2 is a testament to this foresight, fostering distribution, production and education while addressing climate change and enhancing food access. As ECO2’s comprehensive plan champions the coexistence of agriculture and development, emphasizing sustainability, water reuse, and acknowledging the impact of increasing heat, it harmoniously integrates smart agriculture technologies. ECO2 stands at the forefront, symbolizing the convergence of innovation and circular food supply chains, pursuing a more resilient, sustainable and interconnected food system.

Agrotopia: Pioneering Circular Food Systems and Sustainable Architecture

Designing modern agricultural facilities with a focus on circular food supply chains is a visionary pursuit that harmonizes sustainable principles with innovative technologies. Architects and planners create closed-loop systems in these facilities, turning waste into valuable resources to prioritize resource efficiency. These designs prioritize community-supported agriculture and regional resilience, embracing local sourcing and distribution networks. The integration of precision agriculture technologies ensures optimal resource utilization, minimizing waste and environmental impact. In the quest for sustainability, the incorporation of urban farming and vertical agriculture maximizes land efficiency and shortens supply chains.

These facilities are conceived as modular, adaptable spaces constructed with sustainable materials and powered by renewable energy sources. Water recycling systems and efficient irrigation practices are seamlessly woven into the designs, while smart packaging solutions aim to reduce excess waste. Engaging communities through educational spaces within the facility fosters awareness and understanding of the circular food supply chain model.

As the principles of circularity and sustainability take root in the conceptualization of modern agricultural facilities, tangible exemplars like Agrotopia, Europe’s largest rooftop greenhouse, showcase the transformative marriage of visionary design and sustainable urban agriculture.

 

Agrotopia is a cutting-edge research center for urban food production, situated on the roof of the REO vegetable and fruit auction in Roeselare, Belgium. The innovative 102,257 square foot (9,500 square meters) building features striking faceted glass façades, a monumental entrance staircase and multifunctional spaces, exemplifying the future of sustainable urban agriculture.
With a focus on intensive space utilization, circular energy and water use, Agrotopia serves as a transparent sculpture of glass and steel, standing out against the city skyline. The building houses high-tech research facilities for cultivating fruits and vegetables, with an educational route for the public. The building’s unique design includes a double-height façade conservatory for innovative vertical cultivation, utilizing rainwater from the roof for irrigation.

Agrotopia embraces circular practices, utilizing rainwater for irrigation, cleaning and reusing residual water, and incorporating municipal residual heat from a nearby waste incinerator. The greenhouse is a model of circular symbiosis with the city, representing the forefront of sustainable urban food production and architecture.

Innovation in Design: Architectural Solutions for Smart Agriculture’s Impact on Food Production

The harmonious integration of smart agriculture into architectural design, exemplified by projects like RIO ECO2 Venture, is a testament to the synergy between technological advancement and environmental consciousness. Beyond physical structures, visionary designs such as RIO ECO2 Venture are catalysts for collaboration, research and education, engendering efficiency and heightened environmental awareness.

In the realm of circular food supply chains, exemplified by Agrotopia, the marriage of visionary design and sustainable urban agriculture takes center stage. Agrotopia’s circular practices and space efficiency position it as a leading model in sustainable urban food production.

This symphony of innovation and circularity concludes with a resonant echo, championing resilience, sustainability and interconnectedness. The aspiration is to achieve a harmonious equilibrium between food production and the environment, recognizing the crucial need to transform agriculture for sustained productivity and address issues of hunger and malnutrition. Investing in development and research plays a pivotal role in making new technologies accessible to farmers, contributing to a broader goal of educating the wider public and ensuring a more sustainable and equitable future.

The judging process for Architizer’s 12th Annual A+Awards is now away. Subscribe to our Awards Newsletter to receive updates about Public Voting, and stay tuned for winners announcements later this spring.   

Reference

Illuminating agriculture: UV light revolutionises rice farming
CategoriesSustainable News

Illuminating agriculture: UV light revolutionises rice farming

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Rice is an essential crop for nearly half of the world’s population. Traditional rice cultivation involves planting seedlings in flooded fields, which presents many environmental challenges, such as methane emissions and water scarcity. Direct Dry Seeded Rice (DDSR) is a more sustainable practice where rice seeds are implanted directly into the soil rather than being grown as seedlings and transferred to flooded fields. But it comes with challenges such as increased weed management and reduced crop performance. But now, startup BioLumic believes that ultraviolet (UV) light could make DDSR more viable.

BioLumic’s UV Light Signal Recipe platform uses targeted light spectrum exposure to regulate the genetic expression in seeds and young plants without needing genetic modification, chemical inputs, or time-intensive breeding. BioLumic’s approach optimises rice seeds for DDSR production by activating preferred plant traits, including uniform and early seedling growth, weed competitiveness, and drought tolerance. The company’s methods are scalable, quick to implement, and do not require expensive facility expansion or large input costs. 

Other crops that have undergone BioLumic’s light treatments have already shown improved quality, resilience, and greater root growth. And during trials conducted in the US, yields were also increased by 15 per cent for corn and 12 per cent for soybeans. The hope is that similar results can be achieved for rice – a staple for more than 3 billion people.

BioLumic is focusing its attention on the Indo-Gangetic region in India and recently received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help the company rapidly deploy its UV treatment technology, in a project that will run from this year until mid-2026. 

UV light has been proven to be an effective tool in maintaining and cultivating plants. Springwise has spotted many innovations using UV to their advantage like robots and UV light that protect strawberries and grapevines, as well as a system that uses crop waste and UV light to generate renewable energy.

Written By: Anam Alam

Reference

AI-powered micro-climate forecasting for the energy and agriculture sectors
CategoriesSustainable News

AI-powered micro-climate forecasting for the energy and agriculture sectors

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: As the climate becomes more unpredictable, the importance of precise weather forecasting is more important than ever. Accurate forecasting plays a vital role in industries such as transportation, agriculture, management, and insurance. Benchmark Labs is one of those working to make weather forecasting much more accurate. 

Benchmark collects data from site-specific sensors and analyses it with its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) software. The result is accurate forecasts tailored to its customers’ precise locations, instead of the regional or grid level. Company CEO and co-founder Carlos Gaitan says that, unlike traditional approaches, “Benchmark Labs offers location-specific environmental forecasts to high-value asset managers to increase … operational margins.” 

The company claims its platform offers an improvement in the accuracy of weather forecasts by as much as 85 per cent relative to the National Weather Service. This improved accuracy translates into better planning and reduced operational costs. 

Benchmark Labs is now serving customers around the world, and over the next year will be working with leaders in the renewable energy sphere to help them obtain more accurate weather forecasts at their installations. 

Climate change is leading to the creation of a wide variety of forecasting products. Benchmark joins other innovators spotted by Springwise in the archive, including a system that uses high-resolution imagery to forecast climate risk and a platform that focuses on helping financial services with climate risk.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Reconsidering farming with regenerative agriculture in the UK
CategoriesSustainable News

Reconsidering farming with regenerative agriculture in the UK

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Agriculture finds itself at a crucial intersection. It is one of the most vulnerable sectors to the impacts of climate change and yet it is one of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Figures vary depending on the scope of the study, but in 2019, for example, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that the global food system was responsible for up to 37 per cent of GHGs. The world has a growing population to feed, and yet intensive farming degrades the quality of topsoil, which is where nutrients, water and carbon are stored.

There is a solution already being implemented. Well-integrated and diverse agroecological systems can promote greater carbon sequestration because the methods used actually increase soil health. They also bolster resilience in terms of livelihoods and natural ecosystems thanks to a more interconnected approach between plants, animals, humans, and the environment. This regenerative style of farming does away with the over-use of heavy machinery, eliminates the introduction of chemicals entirely, and considers more diverse ways of both generating revenue and contributing to the health of the surrounding landscape.

For example, George Young aka Farming George, the owner of a zero-tillage, zero-insecticide, arable and livestock farm in Fobbing in South East England, plants a wide range of crops that are harvested at different times. He has also introduced ‘leys’ – temporary grasslands – made up of diverse perennial species. Cattle graze these leys, converting plant carbon to dung, which in turn has a positive impact on soil fertility. Under 30 miles from London and barely 2 miles from the London Gateway commercial port, Fobbing Farm is home to traditional crops as well as approximately 7,000 trees, including fruit and nut trees, birch for sap, willow for tree mulch, and other woodland for felling.

Regenerative farming practices are key to ensuring future food production is sustainable. In the archive, Springwise has also spotted one company providing financial support to regenerative farmers, and another restoring the health of soils with pre and probiotics.

Written By: Angela Everitt

Video credit: RE:TV

Reference

Data supports smallholder farmers and regenerative agriculture
CategoriesSustainable News

Data supports smallholder farmers and regenerative agriculture

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Smallholder farms, those covering two acres or less, produce around a third of the world’s food. Yet, there are almost no data services aimed at small farmers. As a consequence, many smallholders are cut off from access to wider farming services, support, and policy. To support smallholders, especially those using regenerative practices, the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, Data Economics Company, and Terra Genesis International have formed Smallholder Data Services to help smallholders better utilise their data.

Smallholder Data Services (SDS) uses a platform built on DECO’s Lydion Software Engine. This is used to develop blockchain-based middleware that allows data to be converted into digital assets which can then be shared in secure, private data vaults and data economic networks. SDS operates on a decentralised Data Economic Network (DENET), wherein each smallholder farmer is in control of their own data vault. Corporate partners can then join a regional or crop-specific DENET to examine traceability, regenerative standards, broader sustainability, and community impact.

SDS focuses on those smallholders who are engaged in regenerative farming—a system of farming methods that seek to enhance the entire ecosystem—or those who are looking to move towards regenerative practices. The platform is designed to manage farm-level data that relates to regenerative farming by enabling companies, consumers, and smallholders to verify sustainability standards. By packaging farm data as Lydion assets, the SDS platform both economically empowers these smallholder farmers while providing verification tools for crop buyers.

According to SDS co-founder Tim Tensen, “This is an exciting moment for Regenerative Agriculture as more companies and brands from around the world are taking steps to act from a whole systems perspective and make bold investments in the future of agroecosystems. Web3 technologies like the platform in development by Smallholder Data Services, represent a unique opportunity to support the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and do so in a way that intrinsically develops trust and integrity throughout supply systems, from farmer to consumer.”

This project is one of the latest to leverage blockchain to monetise data. Springwise has spotted other innovations including a platform that builds transparency in coffee supply chains and brings transparency to the diamond industry.

Written By Lisa Magloff

Reference

Cultivating desert land for agriculture
CategoriesSustainable News

Cultivating desert land for agriculture

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The world loses almost six million hectares of forest each year to deforestation. That’s like losing an area the size of Portugal every two years. And around three-quarters of this deforestation is directly attributable to agriculture. To respond to this problem, From Sand to Green (FSG) has developed a nature-based solution for transforming desert agriculture.

FSG has developed a three-pronged approach to deforestation. This includes developing customised desalination modules that run on solar energy, creating adapted tree plantations and crops that refertilise the soil and produce food, and building agroforestry software to effectively create and manage plantations in arid environments.

One of FSG’s first projects is the Domaine de Nzaha, a 20-hectare agricultural farm in Morocco that uses permaculture and agroforestry techniques to produce organic vegetables and fruits. The organisation’s projects involve using microalgae to recycle the salty wastewater produced during desalination, using drip irrigation and biochar to retain water and store carbon, and installing nurseries of native species.

In addition to revitalising soils and growing food, FSG’s methods create carbon sinks, preserve biodiversity, and help local communities.

Methods to reverse deforestation and desertification are seen by many as an important part of the fight against both global warming and food insecurity. This is why we are seeing a number of innovations in this area, including digital smart forest technology to improve forest management, AI-powered drones for replanting forests, and a cardboard planter that improves subsistence food production.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference