In April 2018, Intelligent Growth Solutions welcomed a delegation from South Africa to visit their facility at Invergowrie. The team of three were from the Tshwane Economic Development Agency (TEDA) and their advisors, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an African research and development organisation which undertakes multidisciplinary research aimed at improving the quality of life for South Africans.
One of the areas that TEDA is currently exploring is vertical farming, with the recognition of the huge benefits it has the potential to bring to South Africa and the broader SACU region. Key challenges include water scarcity, limited availability of arable land and also unpredictable weather resulting in droughts.
Visiting Scotland
The team came to visit the IGS facility based at the James Hutton Institute at Invergowrie, Scotland to understand more about the opportunities presented by indoor farming solutions that could address the fundamental issues identified. They met with the new IGS CEO David Farquhar, plus founders Sir Henry Aykroyd and Dave Scott (CTO).
“This was a great meeting from an IGS perspective,” commented David Farquhar. “It gave us an opportunity to learn about the food supply-chain issues concerning South Africa and, in turn, showcase our technology, outline its capabilities and demonstrate the fundamental benefits to productivity that it brings to an indoor farming environment. The team from TEDA/CSIR showed great enthusiasm and interest and we do hope that we will continue to be able to support their requirements into the future.”
“This innovation will be felt beyond agriculture”
“The IGS facility in Invergowrie is a true illustration of how technological innovation can transform the productivity of the agricultural sector. This innovation is very powerful and its influence will be felt beyond agriculture,” said Executive Manager at TEDA Mogau Leshilo. “This visit has widened our perspective on the extent to which sustainable farming methods can be adopted in a water scarce country such as South Africa.”
For more information:
www.intelligentgrowthsolutions.com
www.teda.org.za
www.csir.co.za