SP Mandali’s Prin LN Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (WeSchool), in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, organised a symposium on vertical farming at WeSchool’s Mumbai campus.
With an aim to introduce design-based solutions, ‘Holland meets Mumbai’ was an initiative undertaken by the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the theme ‘Dutch Design & the City’. The symposium aimed to create awareness on the concept of vertical farming, application of different farming techniques and progressive results of vertical farming in other developed economies. The event was attended by noted companies in agri-business and vertical farming.
The symposium witnessed speakers such as Guido Tielman, Consul General, Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Wouter Verhey, Agriculture Counsellor, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Sritanu Chatterjee, Agri-Business & Trade Officer, Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Mumbai; Peter van Dongen, Chairman, Executive Board, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands; Niek Botden, CEO, Holland Door Cooperative UA; HP Doddamani, Chain Manager, Sales, Rijk Zwaan India Seeds Pvt Ltd, and Sanjay Sudan, Director, Saveer Biotech Limited.
In the opening address, Prof Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, WeSchool, said, “At WeSchool, ‘we’ reinforces the ‘I’ and ‘I’, the new ‘we’. We constantly inspire our students to become global leaders who are influencers for sustainability and social change. Growing urbanisation and population have posed new challenges in food production. It has become imperative to change the present picture of urbanisation through green concepts like vertical farming. Our collaboration with environment friendly initiatives will contribute as a drop of effort to a sea of change.”
A dash of green
The discussions brought to light vertical farming concepts that make the idea sustainable — it is a solution that fits within the umbrella of growing urban population. Secondly, it calls upon the significance to have more green cover in the midst of grey concrete jungles thereby enhancing the quality of life of the urban dweller. Vertical farming facilities can be built anywhere and be used year-round. It uses less water and yields more per square meter than traditional farming, making it a viable alternative to traditional farming practices.
With expanding population and urbanisation, land for plantation is limited especially in urban cities. Vertical farming optimises limited resources of water and land to yield a pesticide free fresh produce. Vertical farming needs to gradually evolve through impactful projects in city infrastructure thereby answering the future need of food demand and supply.