00:01Farms in the sky, ground-breaking approaches, and making sure there's enough food for a growing population.
00:08As urbanization accelerates, farming methods are at the intersection of technology and agriculture,
00:14nurturing a more food-secure future.
00:20Welcome to The Exchange from our studio here in Doha.
00:23Coming up on this episode, we sit down with His Excellency Fahad Al-Athiyah,
00:28Executive Director of Qatar's Caravan Earth Foundation,
00:32to talk about the challenges of food security for small states.
00:36And later on the show, we speak to Daniel Khashab, CEO of the startup Choco,
00:41who's created a tech platform to combat food waste.
00:45The quest to feed 8.2 billion people without depleting the planet's resources has never been more important.
00:52The UN aims to end food insecurity and malnutrition by 2030.
00:57Last year, over 295 million people faced acute food insecurity,
01:03a 5% increase from the previous year, driven by conflict and climate challenges.
01:10In densely populated countries, urban farming offers a vital solution for food production.
01:15Around $40 billion is needed annually to boost sustainable farming,
01:20utilizing methods such as hydroponics, aquaponics, vertical farming and community gardens
01:27to maximize limited space for fresh produce.
01:31Another key step to ensuring we have enough food for everyone
01:34is to reduce wasting what we already have.
01:38The UN estimates that 14% of the world's food,
01:41valued at $400 billion,
01:44is lost annually due to waste and unharvested crops.
01:47Despite its arid climate and water scarcity,
01:51Qatar has made significant strides in improving its agricultural practices
01:56as part of the government's commitment to food security and its Vision 2030 goals.
02:01I spoke with Fahad Al-Athiyah, Executive Director of Caravan Earth,
02:06a foundation focused on sustainable agriculture.
02:09He pointed out that low-tech solutions can often be more effective
02:13in achieving desired outcomes.
02:17Some nations have been cultivating in traditional methods
02:21and regenerative ways for thousands of years and still going on.
02:25I mean, why would we need to disrupt that?
02:27I think we should be more cautious about certain technologies that are presented to us.
02:34And that's why I focus on what we call low-tech,
02:38because it's the most sustainable and regenerative form.
02:42And it can be exported to countries with lower income,
02:46with very little barriers.
02:48I think a lot of the hunger that we face is that we have bad distribution.
02:52So we need to empower those communities to cultivate their own land
02:59using regenerative methods.
03:00So that gives them micro-resilience.
03:06That's His Excellency Fahad Al-Athiyah with important insights to Qatar's self-sufficiency goals.
03:12Another small state, the island nation of Singapore,
03:16aims to grow 30% of its own food in the next five years.
03:20But with a shortage of land, the city-state has had to look for alternative methods.
03:25And as our reporter Patrick Fogg finds out,
03:28one particular method has blossomed.
03:32Hi, Leila. Take a look at this.
03:348,000 square metres of stacked layers aiming to produce 500 tonnes of greens
03:40to feed Southeast Asia's commercial capital of Singapore.
03:45Among the variety of vegetables here, basil, parsley and all sorts of baby leaves.
03:51It's been operated by Dutch agrotech company Growy since 2023.
03:56Like several others that have ventured into vertical farming in Singapore,
03:59the previous operator folded because it wasn't commercially viable.
04:04Yusnida Yunos is Growy's Singapore country manager
04:07and says it's learned from others' mistakes.
04:10Some farms struggle with high energy costs,
04:14with inefficient designs and low automation.
04:17And this is why they're just not able to compete in the market.
04:21To overcome these challenges, Growy is bringing Dutch agricultural expertise.
04:25Growy uses a centralised management software system,
04:29which means the entire place is run by scientists in Amsterdam.
04:33As well as the Singaporean knowledge and research,
04:37we're able to create new ways of farming that is both better for the people and planet.
04:42Besides that, deploying technology that cuts down energy costs.
04:45One of the things Growy does is it uses acclimatised climate cells
04:50to create microclimates for different plant zones,
04:53giving it humidity and temperature precision
04:56to reduce energy needs and maximise crop yield.
05:00Right now, Singapore only produces about 3% of its own food.
05:05But the COVID pandemic, supply chain disruptions and soaring inflation
05:09have highlighted the need for it to be more self-sufficient.
05:13Growy seems bullish business will sprout.
05:15Already, it's planning a second farm in Singapore
05:18to grow strawberries, mushrooms and more.
05:26One of the biggest conundrums is that the more we produce,
05:29the more we waste.
05:31But is it realistic to make, buy or consume only what we need?
05:35I spoke to Daniel Khashab, co-founder and CEO of Choco,
05:40a startup which uses data-driven solutions
05:43to streamline wholesale orders to reduce food waste.
05:48The food supply chain is a very long chain.
05:51It starts somewhere with the farmer
05:53and ends usually in a very different country with the consumer.
05:56Food distribution should use AI to understand in real time
06:00how much they are selling, where they are buying from
06:03and to use algorithms that can actually predict demand patterns.
06:08So, Choco's vision is to enable a sustainable food system.
06:12And that means a system on which every single player is connected,
06:17a system that makes sure that we have sufficient food
06:20at all the places where we need it,
06:21but that we don't grow more than what we sufficiently need.
06:26Now it's time for our regular feature,
06:29Business in 60 Seconds.
06:31Start the clock.
06:32Hisense is gearing up to announce its Q2 2025 earnings,
06:36showcasing its commitment to sustainability
06:38and innovation in manufacturing.
06:41The Chinese firm has expanded its global operations
06:44and prioritized R&D and eco-friendly practices
06:47to strengthen its leadership in the electronics market.
06:51BYD is preparing to announce its Q4 2025 financial results
06:56as it sets its sights on selling half of its vehicles
06:59outside China by 2030.
07:01This ambitious strategy is driven by a rapid expansion
07:04into European and Latin American markets.
07:07The auto giant has recently quadrupled its sales in Europe,
07:11showcasing its commitment to growth.
07:13And Manchester United is gearing up to unveil
07:16its Q4 2025 financial results
07:18as the club approves a landmark $2.7 billion stadium project.
07:23Plans are in place to construct a state-of-the-art
07:26100,000-capacity venue to replace the historic Old Trafford.
07:33From self-sufficient ecosystems and urban farming
07:36to tapping on technology to reduce food waste,
07:39we've seen that everyone in the food chain has a role to play
07:43to help reach the goal of eradicating world hunger.
07:46Well, that's all the time we have for on this edition of the show.
07:50Please do check out Euronews.com for all your latest business news.
07:53And thanks for watching The Exchange.
Commentaires