A report from the United Nations reveals that the variety of individuals affected by starvation globally rose to as many as 828M in 2021, a rise of about 46M since 2020 and 150M because the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s a complicated situation that requires a multifaceted method to deal with. Thankfully, startups are utilizing expertise to assist tackle this situation in revolutionary methods. 

One of many fundamental challenges of reaching meals safety is growing agricultural productiveness whereas minimising the environmental influence.

Many startups now use expertise to create sustainable farming practices that enhance crop yields, cut back waste, and preserve sources. 

Numerous practices, equivalent to precision agriculture, and hydroponic and vertical farming are in use to enhance the accessibility and affordability of meals. 

Globally, a whole bunch of startups consider solely revolutionary options will make sure the world can present meals to 10B individuals by 2050. 

Based mostly out of Amsterdam, SMARTKAS is one such startup.

Based in 2020, SMARTKAS is an agtech enterprise based to resolve world starvation. 

As part of the ‘Startup of the month’ sequence, we had an opportunity to interview Dr. David Meszaros, CEO of SMARTKAS, to be taught and perceive the mission of the startup, the expertise used, the enterprise mannequin, amongst others.  

Based to fulfil fundamental human rights: Meals

On founding SMARTKAS, Meszaros says, “Previous to establishing SMARTKAS, I’ve performed lots of initiatives round sustainability and expertise, and it made me realise my ardour for precision agriculture: utilizing revolutionary applied sciences to develop and supply entry to wholesome and nutritious meals.”

“I began to analysis how we will develop a system to provide high quality meals sustainably, utilizing AI and robotics to offer meals, as I consider entry to meals and water needs to be a fundamental human proper. After years of analysis and growth, SMARTKAS was based within the Netherlands in 2020.”

Runs unmanned and automatic

SMARTKAS utilises AI, robotics, renewable power and water-neutral techniques, and a climate-neutral sensible farming course of to offer Meals Safety As A Service.

Throwing mild on the method, Meszaros shares, “Our sensible farms are positioned in a managed closed setting, which implies we will totally handle and management the rising strategy of our crops. What units SMARTKAS from its opponents is its skill to be run unmanned and automatic.”

“Our AI goes past merely creating the right setting for one farm. We will gather big knowledge on our crops and their progress wants and share this information with different SMARTKAS models, regardless of the place they’re.”

At current, SMARTKAS operates sensible farms the place they domesticate greater than 50 varieties of crops, equivalent to lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes, and bell peppers. 

Every of those crops calls for distinct rising strategies, says Meszaros.

“We’re repeatedly researching the precise recipes for brand spanking new varieties. Monitoring the crops and gathering the information permits us to create the right progress recipe, and with these, we will predict progress and yield,” he provides. 

Maintains strict hygiene process…

Speaking about guaranteeing the security and high quality of the meals produced, Meszaros shares, “At our sensible farms, we’ve arrange a really strict hygiene process, together with protecting clothes and disinfecting areas earlier than coming into the farm to make sure meals security.”

“Making certain the farms are updated with the varied well being and meals security guidelines and rules, compliance is likely one of the key parts to function our sensible farm efficiently,” he provides. 

…And safety

As expertise advances, so does the sophistication and complexity of cyber threats. 

Talking of safeguarding in opposition to cyberattacks, he says, “SMARTKAS farms work in a closed loop. AI and robotics will not be maintained by exterior events/components. We’ve got a strong firewall system and a number of other redundancies. 

“Our enterprise mannequin will not be depending on the commercialisation of the expertise, however slightly we utilise its options to function our farms.”

SMARTKAS shaping agriculture’s future

SMARTKAS claims to have carved out a distinct segment between the normal Westland greenhouse builders (which produces agricultural applied sciences for a business function) and pure growers (greenhouse or vertical farm homeowners). 

The Dutch enterprise is designed to enhance and help areas the place there’s a scarcity of agricultural manufacturing in addition to native farmers discovering it troublesome to maintain up with the demand.

“We’re really water optimistic, that means the water is being cleaned in our particular irrigation system and circulated. We’re additionally in a position to co-generate additional water from rain and humidity. CO2 within the closed system is rigorously microdosed, so the crops obtain the correct amount and less. Due to this revolutionary resolution, no CO2 is launched into the environment, and we drastically cut back our carbon footprint,” he provides. 

Enterprise mannequin

SMARTKAS  designs, builds, owns, and operates sensible farms. 

“Subsequently, we don’t promote applied sciences and farms however set up them for our use. This fashion, we will guarantee high-quality meals manufacturing. In consequence, our income mannequin is to promote vegetables and fruit,” says Meszaros.

He additionally provides that certainly one of their different income fashions is “the commercialisation of knowledge and knowledge imaging.”

The Dutch firm can also be planning to amass present greenhouses farms and corporations, and modernise them via SMARTKAS applied sciences.

“We see this as an important subsequent step for SMARTKAS to get a step nearer to our objective of offering meals safety in each single nation,” he provides.

The Amsterdam-based agtech startup is now operational within the Netherlands, Hungary, the UK, and Brazil.

Within the UK, the corporate operates a strawberry sensible farm constructed over 12 layers and with over 27,000 sq. m. of rising house in Harlow. In Could 2022, it introduced a three way partnership settlement with Brazil’s Minas Gerais municipality to construct and function sensible greenhouses on 65-hectares of land.

“At present a number of new initiatives in and out of doors of Europe are being secured. Whereas the analysis and growth proceed in our R&D facility within the Netherlands for producing new varieties,” he concludes.