- BY SEPEHR ACHARD
- 1ST NOVEMBER 2022
A variety of reports have highlighted how broken our food supply is and the lack of viable solutions brought to the farming industry and the end-user leading to the situations we are experiencing today. Though CEA is sometimes seen as an energy-intensive solution to the farming sector, companies do provide answers to today’s problems. I had the chance to discuss with Don Taylor, CEO of AmplifiedAg, the sustainability and technology components of the company as well as its mission to provide comprehensive tech-enabled agriculture solutions for a better and brighter future.
“The main challenge for CEA companies is to scale their infrastructure to deliver positive unit economics, while at the same time striving towards zero emissions. Technology advancements over the past 40 years are helping to pave the way for the next generation of farming platforms that will help mitigate food production issues as well as planetary damage,” comments Don Taylor
Critics of indoor farming or CEA often cite the industry’s lack of return on investment and the significant costs required compared to traditional or conventional farming methods. Don nonetheless argues that it is evolutionary and certain solutions need more time to deploy.
“We experienced major evolution from pen and paper to computers, internet, mobile phones, and a connected world, in the same manner, we will see the planet shift toward a new method of growing food with CEA,” says Don. “Let’s face it, though CEA cannot and will not replace traditional forms of agriculture, the advantages it has will lead to important transitions within the next decade as farmers deal with increasing pressure from climate change over farming, and transportation challenges and the need to maintain a certain level of production.”
“Unfortunately, as a society, we are not well prepared for what’s lying ahead as we’ve been trying to find climate mitigation solutions rather than climate adaptation which could lead to catastrophic circumstances, perhaps worse than what the food sector experiences today.” He adds
“CEA is not perfect and is still in a relatively early stage of development, but over time the sector, as well as our farm technology products at AmplifiedAg, will provide a viable off-grid solution with decreased energy consumption and an ability to be autonomous”
The company recently released its ESG report outlining its efforts as well as its commitment towards a net zero future followed by continued collaboration with the USDA ARS research center providing R&D in the applications, use of renewable energies, and overall optimization of the indoor growing process.
Image provided by AmplifiedAg Inc. Representing Don Taylor, CEO of AmplifiedAg Inc.
