Mike Zelkind the co-founder and chief executive of 80 Acres Farms, will be speaking at the event What next for controlled environment agriculture? Since starting 80 Acres Farms with Tisha Livingston in 2015, he has grown it into a $200 million-per-year enterprise with farms across the United States and research hubs in Arkansas, the Netherlands, and Israel. 80 Acres Farms combines advances in industrial automation, artificial intelligence, and plant science to grow fresh food year-round using a fraction of the water and land of traditional farms.
© 80 Acres Farms
Controlled-environment agriculture is gaining attention as a way to increase resilience. What role do you see it playing in future food systems?
Controlled-environment agriculture is getting attention because agriculture is under real pressure right now. The problems we're facing aren't hypothetical or in the distant future. Population growth, urbanization, climate volatility, food safety risks, water scarcity, food waste… You can't open a newspaper without seeing the signs of a system approaching its limits.
Indoor farming helps solve those problems in practical ways. It allows us to grow food closer to where people live, in regions and climates where traditional farming struggles, and without having to bet on the weather or the season.
Read more at Economist Impact
