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The major funding boost will be used to create a state-of-the-art indoor crop growth facility to explore how to future-proof crop production for an increasing global population

Agricultural technology company, Innovation Agritech Group (‘IAG’), can today announce it is further cementing its relationship with the University of Essex, as the university receives a major funding boost from The Wolfson Foundation, to continue its world-leading plant productivity research.

The Wolfson Foundation, an independent grant-making charity, has pledged £1 million to support the development of a unique Smart Technology Experimental Plant Suite (STEPS) at Essex’s Colchester Campus to future-proof crop production in a changing and challenging world. With one of the longest established whole plant physiology and photosynthesis groups in the UK, Essex has long been at the forefront of plant productivity research.

As major contributor to the project, IAG will be installing its innovative and patented IAG GrowFrame™ – a modular system, it uses aeroponic irrigation and closed loop water recycling to provide water and highly precise nutrients with no pesticides, as well as being proven to produce a healthier root system and superior crop growth.

The IAG GrowFrame™ will be part of a wider advanced technology system, which will include artificial intelligence (AI), environmental sensors and water management systems all provided and installed by IAG, enabling the ability to grow plants in a fully automated and adjustable environment.

Through the installation, the University of Essex will have an unrivalled facility for extended education, UK outreach, research, experimentation and knowledge transfer for the real-world application of CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture).

This comes at a time when there is expected growth in the human population by 2050, alongside building climate resilience, all driving a step-change in sustainable agricultural productivity.

Kate Brunswick, Business Development Director, comments: “The investment and funding from The Wolfson foundation into STEPS is a fantastic moment for the whole of the vertical farming industry. We know the global population is growing – and predicted to continue to do so rapidly. The traditional methods of farming and food production alone are not enough. The capability to provide adequate nutritional food, will continue to be a world-wide challenge as demand increases.

 

“Since 2017, the mission of IAG is to provide a cost-effect solution that can be used on a global scale. To grow food to help feed increasing populations – especially in urban spaces or where arable farming is depleting the land due to over-farming. Collaborating with Professor Tracy Lawson and her team at the University of Essex, we’re confident that our technology will help lead the way in future-proofing food security and building climate resilience. It is a hugely exciting project to be a part of, and one that is personally close to our own objectives.”

The project is being spearheaded by renowned plant physiologist, and key member of the IAG advisory board, Professor Tracy Lawson from Essex’s School of Life Sciences. Lawson comments: “We are delighted to have been awarded this funding from the Wolfson Foundation. This unique facility will build on our world-leading strengths in plant productivity research and allow us to exploit the latest technologies to improve key plant processes.

“It will elevate our cross-disciplinary research and work with business stakeholders to address some of the key challenges in the agriculture and horticulture sector. STEPS will also provide a unique platform for community engagement and outreach to increase the visibility of plant science research and highlight the global challenges in this area.”

In addition, Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “New and improved farming methods will be crucial to solving some of the great challenges of the 21st century, not least global food security – especially in the context of a changing climate. The University of Essex has an impressive track record in crop science, and we are delighted to be supporting these experimental facilities. We hope they will assist in making important new breakthroughs in sustainable food production.”

The STEPs facility will extend the activities initiated by the Essex Plant Innovation Centre (EPIC), which already has strong links working with Agri-Tech and environmental industries to deliver solutions to real-word problems. The £3.5million facility, which is due to be open by summer 2023,will comprise four unique environmental grow rooms.

19th July 2022

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New year, new you? Sound familiar?

Many people have made new years’ resolutions which include lifestyle changes such as losing a few pounds, keeping fit, and even changing the way they eat.

Maybe this Christmas period you over indulged, but have now vowed that as soon as January 1st approached you were going to change your ways. Eating more fruit and vegetableshas been at the core of this plan, however,it can be questioned how much nutrition is in the food that you are buying to start your new year diet?

What if someone said to you that fruits and vegetables grown decades ago contained more vitamins and minerals than produce that we buy today?Can fake news be claimed? In a world where science is at the best it’s ever been, our produce should surely be more nutritious than decades ago. The answer is no!

A recent study comparing the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables from 1940-2002 showed that the mineral content for our food has declined drastically. A decrease of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C and other nutritional variables will have significant implications on our health. The main culprit for this is soil depletion, as modern methods of farming have unfortunately stripped the nutrients from the soil. A report has found that soil depletion levels in Europe are now at 72% from the last 100 years, compared to 76% in Asia and 85% in North America (Source: earth summit report 1992).

As overpopulation becomes a further pressing issue, the demand for food only increases. Intensive farming and the use of chemical fertilisers has become an issue for many of us, as crops are less nutritious. As a result, much of the produce we eat contain fewer nutrients than it did 90 years ago.

To combat these issues, Innovation Agri-Tech Group (IAG) are using state of the art technology that prioritises in growing food that only has the best nutritional value and flavour. IAG takes pride in producing food that is local, fresh and grown all year round so that consumers can reap the health benefits associated with much nutritional value.

How can one possibly start eating healthy when the produceyou plan to eat have fewer nutrients than they are supposed too? Minerals are imperative for our health and serious health conditions is due to the lack of minerals and nutrients that are fed into our bodies.

Food miles is another element that is reducing vital nutrients within produce. Before reaching our local supermarket shelves, much of our fruit and vegetables has travelled thousands of miles. Imports have increased as we have become heavily reliant on sources from other parts of the world. It has been said that in 2016, fruit and vegetables imports were £10.3 billion, while exports were worth only £1.1 billion.

Controlled environment agriculture is a modern technique for farmers and consumers to grow their food, as the negative effects of traditional methods of farming decreases. It aims to be pesticide free, chemical free, soil free.

Innovating the agricultural industry and growing crops in controlled environments, will ensure that the fruits and vegetables we grow retains their nutritional value so that you can feed your body what it needs the most.

Eating healthy is not merely just a diet; it is a lifestyle. Feeding our bodies with the most nutrients it needs should be mandatory not optional. Hopefully the next time you fill your shopping trolley with fruits and vegetables from your local supermarket, you’ll question its nutritious value!

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Following on from our Red Tractor Certification, we were delighted to welcome back SAI Global to film IAG on site for a video to be released in the New Year around the benefits and importance of assurance in driving innovation, resilience and sustainability.
@SAI_Assurance. #sustainability #innovation #film

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