Growing Greens in the Spare Room as 'Vertical Farm' Start-Ups Flourish
Consumer demand for locally grown food is driving the creation of more vertical farms—small, indoor farms that use LED lights and a system whereby a plant’s roots sit in nutrient-rich water instead of soil. Although energy costs are still a significant barrier to success, vertical farms can grow microgreens in less than two weeks, which enables them to compete on price against produce delivered from far away.
 
Watching Plants Grow Is One of the Most Exciting Things in Technology
After fifty years of soaring crop yields thanks to fertilizers, pest control, and irrigation, agricultural growth is bottoming out. We solved the food shortfall in the 20th century, but we need to do it again in this century. The UN says crop production must rise 70% by 2050 to meet demand. Startups see cheap sensors and artificial intelligence as the solution.
 
Nothing Says ‘Hip’ Like Ancient Wheat
Consumer interest in healthy grains could sow the seeds for some long-forgotten bread wheats to make a comeback, according to an opinion article released in Trends in Plant Science. Some ancient grains, like quinoa and millet, have already gone mainstream, but the authors argue that the time is ripe for more diversity when we reach for bread.
 
Chile Seeks to Fight Obesity with New Food Labeling Law
Chile recently implemented a new food labeling law in hopes of lowering the country’s childhood obesity rate, which is one of the highest in the world. The Health Ministry has ordered labels to be placed on food that is high in sugar, calories, sodium, or saturated fat and bans the sale of any of those products in schools. This law has been described as one of the most aggressive worldwide in fighting obesity.
 
When Women Social Entrepreneurs Collaborate: Big Problems Get Solved
Two female entrepreneurs recently combined forces and launched a mobile app and digital platform that allows low-income people residents to redeem vouchers prescribed by doctors for fruits and vegetables at local farmers’ markets. It is the first kind of technological pairing in a major US city that allows for cross-sector collaboration and data analysis—a key piece of an emerging empowerment formula.