The idea of having a food secured household is one many people believe they have achieved due to financial freedom. However this is not the case. In today’s society each household is dependent on groceries, supermarkets and imported food.
Are we any closer to ensuring our household is food secure? The need for an individual to grow their own produce at home has paved the way for the ‘Nanofarm’.
The Nanofarm in its simplest form is the perfect combination of convenience and efficiency.
Inventors have developed a new method of growing food without any practical work. Just imagine a world where crops are growing, healthy and most importantly for themselves.
The Nanofarm is on its way to becoming a major break-through in food security. It is a self-sufficient based on LED lights, water and plant pods containing organic seeds. The owner of the device simply needs to order a particular crop online in which they would receive a plant pod containing the ordered crop seeds. The plant pod would then be placed into the Nanofarm over a container of water and left to be grown and harvested. It’s that simple.
The Nanofarm boasts many feats besides the luxury of a self-sufficient farm. The overall design of the Nanofarm is made to save time spent searching for healthy fresh food, for the consumer.
High-efficient lighting (LED lights) are used which provides the same amount of daylight from the sun and costs about one dollar of electricity per month. It ensures that food is free of additives (for example fertilizers and pesticides), and labour.
The modular design is made from tough powder-coated steel and natural wood, for example the door hardware is made from highly corrosion-resistant marine-grade aluminium.
From organic seeds, to durable hardware and the joy of a self-sufficient household farm, the Nanofarm seems as the perfect solution to food security.
But does it really provide this ultimate dream? And if so, does it apply to the Caribbean?
The researchers are currently improving on the tint glass door, water tray, splash guard and an indicator light. These improvements stemmed from feedback from the customers who are using the Beta Nanofarm.
Additional problems in relation to the alignment of the metal body and the circuit board is still under testing and given the expected due date of October 2017, the Nanofarm has many experiments to undertake.
As you can see these types of devices have a technicality about them, which means that users would depend on maintenance services. However the device has an even more pressing problem.
With regards to the Caribbean region, the Nanofarm can help improve household food security, by bypassing the negative stigma that farming has and making the growth of food a modern as well as convenient alternative. Every household member can be encouraged to play a role in provision produce for their family.
Regardless the region still faces an enormous food import bill each year. The installment of a Nanofarm does nothing to improve this situation. The mere fact that one must order seeds online, limits its overall benefit.
Of course this bodes well for the company as it must make profit at some point. However this situation, the Nanofarm then contributes to our region’s continuing chronic problem of food import dependency.
Hopefully, by October 2017, factors such as cost and hardware improvements will conquered as the device having received a kickstarter boost is still in development.
Technology though useful in boosting the agri sector can sometimes have the opposite effect if it is not appropriate. We do not wish to discourage your interest in such innovations however we must be realistic with respect to its proper application. We advocate true household food security as well as food sovereignty for the Caribbean region
Written by Christopher
Youth Energizer, Tech4Agri
