Designer Farms: Can Controlled Environment Agriculture Improve Food Security?

Desire for local, fresh-tasting, nutritious and pesticide-free produce, combined with improvements in hydroponic, lighting, robotics, and other technologies, has attracted participants looking to grow in controlled environments like greenhouses, containers, and smart coops. Nevertheless, the high cost per delivered pound, a lack of produce variety, and demands placed on urban water systems pose challenges to the commercial viability of potential controlled environment agriculture solutions.

The Wharton Agribusiness and Food Security Club's third "Planting the Seed" series will feature two panelists who will discuss the challenges and evolution of controlled environment agriculture (CEA). First, Alex Rudnicki is head of farm design at AeroFarms, a sustainable, indoor agricultural company that uses a patented aeroponic growing system to cultivate baby greens and microgreens. He'll share is experience in building one of the world's largest indoor, vertical gardens.

Second, Aneri Muni is a robotics engineer who has developed GohBot, an autonomy algorithm for a robotic system to monitor chickens in a poultry grow out house and collect eggs. It uses artificial intelligence routines and a suite of sensors, including 2D and 3D imagers, in combination with infrastructure to navigate inside commercial chicken houses.

We're looking forward to having you join the conversation -- as always, the first 10 dues-paying club members will receive a $15 lunch credit from a meal delivery service!

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