Farmers In India Escalate Protests Over Government's Sweeping Agricultural Reforms
Image Source: Getty
For two months, tens of thousands of farmers have camped out in Delhi to protest the Indian government's recent agricultural reforms. The new laws are meant to modernize the country's patchwork agricultural system, but farmers say they favor large corporations and will put many Indian farmers out of business. Frustrated farm workers have used their tractors to dismantle barricades and converge on India's iconic Red Fort, the historic residence of the country's emperors. The protests also turned violent, as clashes with police, tear gas, and batons resulted in multiple injuries and at least one death. Security forces attempted to restore order by cutting off mobile internet services in parts of Delhi until the country's Supreme Court finally intervened, ordering the government to suspend the new agricultural laws until it reaches a resolution with farmers.
Danish Developers Build Europe's Largest Vertical Farm, Set To Produce 1,000 Tons Of Greens A Year
Image Source: Nordic Harvest
Outside Copenhagen, a windowless industrial hall has been transformed into Europe's largest vertical farm. Hydroponics and custom purple LED lighting stretch from floor to ceiling in 14 stories of scaffolding that will produce 1,000 tons of lettuce, kale, and herbs in the farm's first year. The wind-powered vertical farm occupies more than 75,000 square feet and its developers, Nordic Harvest and YesHealth Group, say they will be able to grow berries within two years and root vegetables in five to ten years, providing year-round sustainably grown produce with minimal environmental impact.
Agritech Attracts A Record $4.4 Billion In Venture Capital Funding
Image Source: Cyril Marcilhacy
The tech industry has been exploding for decades, but this year, it's taken a new turn toward something relatively un-technical: farming. In 2020, venture capitalists sunk a record $4.4 billion into re-engineering unstable farming and food systems around the world, including investments in more than 20 tech-driven agriculture startups such as the French insect farm Ynsect and Germany's vertical produce farm Infarm. Global climate change? World population growth? Supply chain challenges? Engineering to the rescue.
Image Source: Rose Marie Cromwell
This year, climate change has challenged crop productivity, the pandemic has interrupted global supply chains, and restaurant closures have sapped demand. Plus, the government's trade wars with China and Europe have led to tariffs on American corn, soybeans, lobsters, and peanuts. According to the American Farm Bureau, debt among farmers will increase by 4% to a record $434 billion this year. In response, the federal government is allocating its largest farm subsidies since 2005. subscription model
