Food Is The Next Frontier

The world is a lot from perfect and a lot of challenges are clamoring for being solved. A problem that you should the number one priority is food-waste management.

According towards the UN Food and Agricultural Organization report, one-third of food produced for human consumption is wasted. That comes down to a huge 1.3 billion tonnes per annum. On the other side according to the Food Aid Foundation, 795 million people go hungry and undernourished. That comes to 12.9% around the globe population.

When we focus on innovation and changing the status quo, can these glaring numbers be ignored?

The distance between produce as well as the consumers can be a prime basis for a considerable amount of food wastage. Agriculture can be a rural activity and needs open farms for cultivating the crops. But individuals are clustered in cities.

Sometimes crop yield must travel thousands of kilometers before going to the retail shelves. Food can be a perishable item and also a significant portion becomes unfit for consumption before reaching the destination. Refrigerated vehicles was a great innovation to face this problem. But refrigeration in movement is usually a costly proposition but not affordable for developing and third-world countries. Ironically, they want it by far the most.

To solve this concern, startups are shifting farm activities closer on the consumers.

Innovative Solution 1: Hydroponics

We always assumed that farming needs land and open farms. But 21st-century startups are challenging this assumption. They are using hydroponics farming which doesn’t need soil.

These indoor hydroponic farms are in place closer to your city centers. The nutrients are fed to your developing crop through trickling water rich with nourishment. That’s why the name, hydroponics. In the total deficiency of sunlight, the sunlight is provided by LED bulbs.

This technique requires a fraction of water, about 5% compared on the traditional farming methods. Startups brands like ‘Aerofarm’ and ‘Plenty’ may also be using technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data science to improve productivity and also the crop yield. These crops may also be healthier and enriched with an increase of nutrition.

Innovative Solution 2: Food Tracking

Many times food takes added time to achieve the destination than planned. it is usually due to vehicle failure, bad weather, and even local strikes as well as other reasons.

Hydroponics is its conception. Its portion of the world food today is minuscule. A large amount of crops and foods perish within the transit. To solve this challenge, the innovators are employing Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, or RFID technology.

This technology is needed for tracking apparel inventory inside fashion industry. Airlines utilize these RFID tags to trace luggage. Now it is adapted to monitor the food in inventory and transit.

With RFID tags we understand where the meals is. We can determine if it will attain the destination in consumable form or you cannot. If the transit requires a longer time then planned, food journey can be curtailed. The food is usually sold inside local grocery markets for a reduced cost, or you can share it together with the needy people.

Innovation Solution 3: Robin Hood Army.

Not all food problems is usually solved by technology alone. We need one’s heart too. And that’s where Robin Hood Army, headquartered in Delhi India shines.

They connect excess food in restaurants and also the hungry people in close localities. It can be a nonprofit organization, run by volunteers. Mostly students. Robin Hood Army occurs in over 100 cities in India.

Conclusion:

We know, finally, food-waste is individually distinct now and entrepreneurs will work hard, pushing the boundaries to fix this acute problem.

The Western Cape

This new integration, which operates voluntarily to be a non-profit organisation, is aimed towards sustaining; assisting, advancing and expanding the Western Cape’s maritime industry with an enduring and prosperous industrial sector.

This initiative was assembled primarily from the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism; Raizcorp; SAASR; Damen Shipyards; the Kingdom in the Netherlands, and Royal IHC, while supporting parties include Wesgro, SAOGA, SAIMI and Simonis Voogd Yacht Design.

The founders anticipate to expand its support base and invite other corporations, businesses and associated becoming a part of this maritime cluster.

Expected success on the cluster

Consul General from the Netherlands Bonnie Horbach was on the opinion how the strength in the cluster depends on the aims, objectives and ambitions in the cluster. This entails the continued growth and improvement in the maritime’s industrial supply chain. This relates not just in established businesses within the Western Cape. This maritime cluster must endeavour to aid the current companies inside supply chain, or even generate more occupations within the region.

The cluster was founded with a constitutional commitment according to South Africa’s agenda for transformation in terms on the marine economy. This document expressed the cluster’s dedication to necessitous businesses – through economic empowerment and generating sustainable jobs. The constitutional principles are aligned with “Operation Phakisa” – a cross-sectoral programme espoused in SA’s transformation agenda that’s concerned with its marine economy.

Rashid Toefy – Deputy Director General with the Western Cape Department of Economic Opportunities – said: “Oil and gas alongside the marine sector form a fundamental portion of our lives here within the Western Cape and therefore have been referred to as priority sectors with the government.” He also stated that this cornerstone towards the immense improvement seen from the ICT and textile sectors, following a implementation of clusters over these industries, was ensuring “a holistic approach incorporating business, labour and government so that this lives every day South Africans are impacted.” This confirmation on the success of industry clusters was pivotal in securing support from your Western Cape provincial government within the founding of the maritime cluster.

Expected role with the maritime cluster

The Western Cape maritime cluster will seek to promote and support a long lasting and ever-developing maritime industry. Furthermore, it aims in promoting further the opportunity to maintain, unite and expand formerly disadvantaged maritime enterprises. They aspire to accomplish this by campaigning; mentorships, networking, tactical coalitions, along with recognising and fostering transcending entrepreneurs and pioneers.

Such strategic coalitions with training institutions; principal businesses; corporate stakeholders, together with government organisations – will concentrate on continuously providing opportunities and occasions to foster the increase of business and skills development, prior to the interests and of SMMEs. Simultaneously, these alliances will support corporate members, throughout the appropriate continuing development of their supply chain needs.

The following stage will entail the cluster guaranteeing the acceptance coming from all affected prospective members. A business model aimed towards sustainability will be compiled along with a committee is going to be commissioned to represent and govern members.

The Western Cape provincial government hopes to file for the maritime cluster sometime in October this coming year – as it’s Transport Month along with the partnership is often a part of your national long-term strategy envisioned with the Transport and Logistics sector’s administration – the #cocreateSA campaign. This strategy includes a give attention to port development.