Ag-tech start-up AppHarvest, Kentucky, which has huge indoor crops wants to change the way agriculture is done
The ag-tech start-up AppHarvest, in Kentucky, wants to revolutionize the way sustainable agriculture is done thanks to the opportunities offered by technology. The 24-acre facility is among the largest climate-controlled indoor farms in the United States.
Its products are grown without chemicals and exclusively with rainwater. AppHarvest in fact uses 90% less water than traditional open field agriculture and has yields up to 30 times higher.
The technology, in combination with the latest innovations in integrated management and biological control of pests, allows to keep crops free of chemical pesticides, creating an ecosystem in which insects (such as the precious bees) are not damaged.
Some of these technologies include machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics, and more data-driven agriculture. From industrial software, to sensors, to lighting and humidity controls, AppHarvest leverages technology to produce vegetables in a sustainable way.
The start-up's way of operating revolves around the founding principles of ESG - governance, planet, people, prosperity: a true example of all-round sustainability!
Hi-tech greenhouses are also spreading in schools: 20 containers were donated by the company to as many high schools in Kentucky, to teach young people the importance of sustainable agriculture and resource management.
Going forward, AppHarvest's flagship plant is expected to produce approximately 20 million kilograms of tomatoes annually. In addition, the start-up, which currently has two farms under construction, plans to open 12 centers by 2025.
Read also:
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- This Scottish startup is succeeding in growing herbs with seawater
- Farm of a box: how to produce food for 150 people with solar energy (VIDEO)
- Organic farming can feed the entire planet. Here is the confirmation
