192
2. Biotech Innovation incorporates scientific techniques to improve plants, animals,
and microorganisms. It includes a broad array of solutions, ranging from genetically engineered plants and animals, improved tools such as CRISPR (an
improved genome-editing technique with potential in yield improvement, crop
protection, ecology, and conservation), and microbial technologies targeting
bacteria. Virginia Ursin, Biotechnology Prospecting Lead for Monsanto
Company, notes, “18 million farmers globally are growing biotech crops. Ninety
percent are in the developing world as smallholder farmers and this technology
has made agriculture profitable and has decreased problems with pesticide poisoning. We cannot go back to agricultural practices that will increase the footprint of agriculture. We must decrease the footprint. Sustainable intensification
and genetic optimization are essential parts of that.”
3. Process Innovation introduces new farming techniques that address constraints
on farmers’ productivity and environmental sustainability (see Box 7.2 for a
good example on food preserving). Vertical farming combined with hydroponics/aquaponics allows agriculture to flourish in areas without natural soil. Drip
irrigation technology uses sub-surface low-pressure piping to deliver water
directly to crop roots, resulting in both better yields and preservation of water
resources. Desalination removes salts and minerals from saline water for freshwater uses. Efficient technologies, such as drip irrigation and desalination, are
some of the tools that Israel has used to produce a surplus of 20% more water
than it consumes. Aaron Mandel, Co-founder and Chairman, WaterFX and
HydroRevolution, believes that solar desalination can create an affordable, sustainable water source in water-scarce regions. “We need to focus on redesigning
the entire sustainable water model from the ground up,” Aaron notes. “WaterFX
focuses on leveraging what is happening in the energy industry and applying it
Box 7.2 Connecting Farmers with New Preservation Technologies:
HERE Foods
1
The farm to label market connects local farmers with brands and value-added
products beyond the basic agricultural commodities. Framers are always
looking for ways to promote their crops and minimize the seasonal volatility
that is inherent in commodity products. One example of this relationship is
HERE.CO, a Chicago-based company that makes juices, spreads, and salad
dressing with ingredients sourced from local farmers. Founded in 2017 by
entrepreneurs Nate Laurel and Megan Klein, the company has developed a
network of over a dozen indoor and outdoor farms in the Chicago and Midwest
US market to provide various fruits and vegetables to its processing plant. The
products are sold in over 400 retailers in the Midwest markets under the
HERE brand.
What makes this business unique it that it combines the use of a local network of farmers with advanced food preservation technologies. High-pressure
pasteurization (HPP) is a cold pasteurization technique that is applied to
(continued)
D. Donnan
2. Biotech Innovation incorporates scientific techniques to improve plants, animals,
and microorganisms. It includes a broad array of solutions, ranging from genetically engineered plants and animals, improved tools such as CRISPR (an
improved genome-editing technique with potential in yield improvement, crop
protection, ecology, and conservation), and microbial technologies targeting
bacteria. Virginia Ursin, Biotechnology Prospecting Lead for Monsanto
Company, notes, “18 million farmers globally are growing biotech crops. Ninety
percent are in the developing world as smallholder farmers and this technology
has made agriculture profitable and has decreased problems with pesticide poisoning. We cannot go back to agricultural practices that will increase the footprint of agriculture. We must decrease the footprint. Sustainable intensification
and genetic optimization are essential parts of that.”
3. Process Innovation introduces new farming techniques that address constraints
on farmers’ productivity and environmental sustainability (see Box 7.2 for a
good example on food preserving). Vertical farming combined with hydroponics/aquaponics allows agriculture to flourish in areas without natural soil. Drip
irrigation technology uses sub-surface low-pressure piping to deliver water
directly to crop roots, resulting in both better yields and preservation of water
resources. Desalination removes salts and minerals from saline water for freshwater uses. Efficient technologies, such as drip irrigation and desalination, are
some of the tools that Israel has used to produce a surplus of 20% more water
than it consumes. Aaron Mandel, Co-founder and Chairman, WaterFX and
HydroRevolution, believes that solar desalination can create an affordable, sustainable water source in water-scarce regions. “We need to focus on redesigning
the entire sustainable water model from the ground up,” Aaron notes. “WaterFX
focuses on leveraging what is happening in the energy industry and applying it
Box 7.2 Connecting Farmers with New Preservation Technologies:
HERE Foods
1
The farm to label market connects local farmers with brands and value-added
products beyond the basic agricultural commodities. Framers are always
looking for ways to promote their crops and minimize the seasonal volatility
that is inherent in commodity products. One example of this relationship is
HERE.CO, a Chicago-based company that makes juices, spreads, and salad
dressing with ingredients sourced from local farmers. Founded in 2017 by
entrepreneurs Nate Laurel and Megan Klein, the company has developed a
network of over a dozen indoor and outdoor farms in the Chicago and Midwest
US market to provide various fruits and vegetables to its processing plant. The
products are sold in over 400 retailers in the Midwest markets under the
HERE brand.
What makes this business unique it that it combines the use of a local network of farmers with advanced food preservation technologies. High-pressure
pasteurization (HPP) is a cold pasteurization technique that is applied to
(continued)
D. Donnan