00:00Rain or shine, this Japanese farm produces 30,000 heads of lettuce every day,
00:08with less land, water and labor than traditional farming.
00:12From automated vertical farms to soil-free film farming that protects crops from disease,
00:17Japan is pioneering new technologies to feed its population.
00:21But these technologies aren't just feeding the Japanese.
00:25In this episode of Global Japan, we're looking at how they can make an impact worldwide,
00:29helping other nations secure their food supply even under the harshest conditions.
00:39Techno Farm Keihana in Kyoto Prefecture is one of the world's most advanced vertical farms.
00:44Highly automated, it uses precise LED lighting, climate-controlled growing environments
00:50and robotic systems to plant, harvest and pack 30,000 heads of lettuce a day.
00:56Only around 60 humans are needed, exclusively for monitoring and quality control.
01:02The factory's production stability sets it apart from competitors, guaranteeing the same yields year-round.
01:12To optimize production and cut costs, workers collect data on temperature, air flow, carbon dioxide and water use.
01:19And the factory's new owners hope to lower operational costs to make it easier for developing countries to adopt this technology.
01:27this technology.
01:40Because it uses little water and land, this model can be adapted to hot, dry regions, where these resources are scarce.
01:52But what about places where soil is unsuitable for farming?
02:09Another Japanese company, Mebio Inc., has developed a way to grow crops anywhere, from the middle of the desert to the rooftop of a building.
02:18This is our film, iMac film.
02:22iMac film replaces soil, acting like a filter against viruses and microbes.
02:28The network size of the film is very small, nanometer size.
02:35Therefore, the film does not absorb microbes or viruses.
02:40Plants grow on the surface of the film, absorbing water and nutrients directly from the hydrogel.
02:45This method uses much less water than traditional farming, and about 75% less than hydroponics.
02:51From the outset, iMac film was envisioned as a global solution to food insecurity.
02:58Mebio already holds patents in 120 countries, including Botswana, where the technology was introduced to respond to water shortages.
03:07Participants in Mebio's Botswana and India pilots were mostly women, showing iMac film's potential as a pathway to female entrepreneurship.
03:16My husband and I
03:17In Hyogo prefecture, Shizuka Fujimoto started a tomato farm using a large plant-sized plant and a large plant-sized plants.
03:42In Hyogo prefecture, Shizuka Fujimoto started a tomato farm using iMac film four years ago.
03:47It's her first time working in agriculture.
03:50She chose this method for its ease of use, so she could hire more women.
04:06The tomatoes are more nutritious and sweeter than with traditional farming,
04:09so she can sell them for a higher price, making her small farm more profitable.
04:15Shizuka has hosted visitors from the Philippines and India to teach them about film farming.
04:19Mebial Inc. is currently deploying the technology in countries where crises curtail agriculture, including Ukraine.
04:43With an eagerness to experiment, Japan has become a testbed for food technologies that respond to global problems.
04:51In a world facing climate shocks and food insecurity, these innovations can offer a path to resilience.
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