HomeArchiveVIDA ChallengesSustainable agriculture and efficient greenhouse management

Sustainable agriculture and efficient greenhouse management

  • October 9, 2019
  • Posted by: admin
  • Category: VIDA Challenges
No Comments

VIDA challenge case description

RIO+20 conference called for enhancing food security and more sustainable agriculture and was transformed into a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator (SDG 2 – Zero Hunger). Every day, agriculture produces an average of 23.7 million tonnes of food, including cereals, roots, tubers, fruit and vegetables. In one day, crop production uses 7.4 trillion litres of water for irrigation and 300,000 tonnes of fertilizers. The following principles have been identified towards a sustainable agriculture production:

  • Improving efficiency in the use of resources
  • Action to conserve, protect and enhance natural resources
  • Responsible and effective governance mechanisms
  • Enhanced resilience of people, communities and ecosystems
  • Protect and improve rural livelihoods, equity and social well being

(source: Building a Common Vision for sustainable food and agriculture – Principles and Approaches FAO 2014).

Innovation areas to address resource efficiency challenges

Energy–water efficiency; chemical compounds reduction / reuse; circular economy concepts implementation; addressing diffuse pollution; avoiding clogging pipes/species; I4.0 solutions optimizing the overall process including dosing, artificial intelligence, optimized monitoring and control of the process parameters and material flow and quality control.

Existing innovative solutions

Selective recognition and removal of contaminants in water, by Copernico

Demonstration Vouchers funded by VIDA

Efficient Greenhouse management:

Zero emission of water and nutrients for greenhouse food production, led by Water Future BV (The Netherlands)

BioPod – Hydroponic greenhouse solution, led by Nordicflexhouse (Denmark)

Sustainable Agriculture:

Cloud Irrigation Platform based on remote wireless data acquisition, led by RIS Iberia (Spain)

Water Reuse in the food sector: demonstrating cloth filtration, led by Brightwork (The Netherlands)

Disclaimer

Enlisted VIDA Challenges and cases present the examples and not an exhaustive list. Some additional resource efficiency challenges in the agri-food sector may be also considered eligible.

For more information, you can check VIDA Terms and Conditions and if in any doubt, do contact us.