Circular Urban Farming at GreenTech 2020

The circular economy is something I was happy to see feature heavily at GreenTech 2020. It seemed to be on everyone’s mind when discussing sustainability, and there was even a dedicated session on it. The topic: vertical farming’s role in the circular economy. Continue reading Circular Urban Farming at GreenTech 2020

Water Usage in Zero-Emission Greenhouses

Achieving zero emissions in greenhouses is a big challenge. I’m not just talking about CO2 emissions. Greenhouses emit fertiliser and pesticides into the environment as well (see this article for more background on that). Water is only 2-3% of a Continue reading Water Usage in Zero-Emission Greenhouses

Energy Efficiency at GreenTech

Energy efficiency is a big theme in greenhouse horticulture. I’ve called it the elephant in the room for vertical farming, but greenhouses have the advantage that most of their energy is free: solar energy. Still, a lot is being done on making the most of that solar energy and minimising fossil fuel consumption. A lot of that is in line with the circular economy as well. This is a summary of what four speakers at the energy session at GreenTech brought up. Continue reading Energy Efficiency at GreenTech

Recovering Nutrients: Environmental Technology and Attitudes

Closing the loop is what vertical farms should help us do. More specifically, vertical farms can be organs within their surroundings, turning nutrient-containing waste into high-value produce. One of the ways I am exploring this idea is by participating in Continue reading Recovering Nutrients: Environmental Technology and Attitudes

Energy in Greenhouses

It’s February, and Wageningen University’s Greenhouse Challenge has officially started. For the next few months, teams all over the world will be designing an urban farming system for the Bijlmerbajes, a former prison complex near Amsterdam (what is it with Continue reading Energy in Greenhouses

Energy: The Elephant in the Room

A few weeks ago, I was at Alexander Boedijn‘s MSc thesis presentation. For the past year, Alexander has been looking at energy flows within Amsterdam and how they can be used in urban rooftop horticulture.  After the presentation, a classmate Continue reading Energy: The Elephant in the Room

Green Sense Farms at the Disruptive Innovation Festival

Robert Colangelo is an environmental entrepreneur who is fervent about sustainability. He’s the founding farmer and CEO of Green Sense Farms, where he is working on building a global empire of hydroponic farms. During this online session, Growing Up, Robert Continue reading Green Sense Farms at the Disruptive Innovation Festival

Indoor Agriculture at the Disruptive Innovation Festival

The Disruptive Innovation Festival (DIF) is an online event that invites people to explore the question “The economy is changing – what do I need to know, experience and do?” through a series of webinars. For 2016, the DIF’s main Continue reading Indoor Agriculture at the Disruptive Innovation Festival