Urban Agriculture Scenario Analysis for Smart Cities
Urban Agriculture Scenario Analysis for Smart Cities Can cities truly be “smart” or “resilient” without a data-driven urban agriculture plan?
Agritecture Consulting provides holistic strategic planning services to forwardthinking cities. The growing interest in urban agriculture in our nation’s cities over the past decade is a reflection of a new focus on health, food accessibility, changing demographics, consumer trends in locally grown food and a commitment to sustainability.
$20.2 billion Local foods generated $11.7 billion in sales in 2014, which is predicted to increase to $20.2 billion by 2019, according to the consumer market research firm Packaged Facts.
$4.6 billion
But few cities are using data-driven urban agriculture planning and analysis in order to ensure future resilience in this new and burgeoning sector of municipal economies. Agritecture Consulting believes that through a comprehensive Urban Agriculture Scenario Analysis, cities can change what today is mostly a feel-good concept into a critical framework that can be scaled to transform local food production. It can also improve distribution and access, further develop the “green collar” job sector and mitigate the risk of food disruptions during natural disasters.
Investment in food and agriculture technology start-ups was $4.6 billion in 2015, nearly double what it was in 2014, according to AgFunder, an online investment platform for the agricultural technology industry.
Given the diversity of applications in urban agriculture, a site-specific and scale-specific scenario analysis can transform a city’s piecemeal farming community into a diversified urban agriculture economy.
From 2016 to 2017, AgFunder also reported that indoor farming investment went from 32 million to 271 million (a 653% increase).
$271 million
Spectrum of Urban Agriculture Battery Park
Brooklyn Grange
Harlem Grown
Sky Vegetables
Aerofarms
Technology Gradient Low Tech
Community Soil-Based
Commercial Rooftop Engineered Soil
High Tech
Community Hybrid
Rooftop Hydroponic Greenhouse
Commercial Vertical Aeroponic
AGRITECTURE CONSULTING | 40 BUSHWICK AVE, BROOKLYN, NY 11211 | [email protected]
Developing an urban agriculture diversification plan through our datadriven scenario analysis can: ʹʹ Scale current production and identify new opportunities. ʹʹ Analyze and quantify the current job sector and develop a plan for increasing “green collar” job training and development. ʹʹ Understand the key drivers for appropriate policy and incentives to encourage the forms of urban agriculture a city actually needs to achieve its goals. ʹʹ Develop real time data for “Agtech sector” expansion and development. ʹʹ Quantify and develop distribution systems that integrate more efficiently with city planning. ʹʹ Mitigate risk of food system disruptions by creating site specific plans to develop a balanced food production ecosystem. ʹʹ Identify underlying food insecurity needs to address access to distressed communities. ʹʹ Use data and past initiatives to build a robust urban agriculture community that connects to the green tech goals of the city and its strategic resilience plan. ʹʹ Explore cost saving opportunities connected to stormwater management and CO2 emissions while also making your city more livable.
50% increase in people
Aging farmers
Urban homes
More time indoors
The world’s population is expected to grow to almost 10 billion by 2050, boosting agricultural demand by some 50% compared to 2013.
The average age of today’s US farmer is 58 years old.
70% of the world’s population will live in cities.
87% of Americans’ time is spent indoors, making design and development choices a critical driver of behavior.
(U.S. Census, 2012)
(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2017)
No urban eco-technology embraces the food+water+energy nexus more than urban agriculture. Do you want a thriving city built upon a foundation of sustainability leadership? Let us show you how our data-driven and feasible urban agriculture scenario analysis services can help you achieve your goals. AGRITECTURE CONSULTING | 40 BUSHWICK AVE, BROOKLYN, NY 11211 | [email protected]
About Agritecture Consulting Agritecture Consulting provides advisory services in design, planning, implementation and operation of urban agriculture projects. We offer our clients the tools, data, ideas, network, and expertise needed to ensure their success. We consult globally and are based in New York City. Agritecture Consulting’s expertise is in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), a rapidly developing industry that is gaining traction and predicted to be valued at $9 billion by 2020. Our project experience includes hydroponic greenhouses, vertical farms, and sustainability learning labs.
Our Team Henry Gordon-Smith, Managing Director | Henry helps clients identify and focus their goals and prepares consulting proposals. He also manages the entire Agritecture Consulting team. He is an acknowledged global thought leader in the emerging vertical farming industry. In 2011, he started the blog Agritecture.com and in 2014 he started Blue Planet Consulting (now Agritecture Consulting) to provide expert guidance on planning and launching urban agriculture projects. Yara Nagi, Operations Director | Yara advises on sustainability related matters for clients and assesses the economic viability of their projects. She gained an interest in sustainable agriculture from her work experience in the Middle East. Yara has lived in between the United States and the MENA-GCC Region, developing programming aimed to spread sustainability practices within organizations and educational institutions. Jeffrey Landau, Projects Director | Jeffrey works with clients to develop their bill of materials, model system infrastructure, and determine appropriate HVAC needs. He obtained his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. While at Georgia Tech he completed a one-year Co-Op with Delta Air Lines and volunteered extensively with urban agricultural non-profit organizations in Atlanta. In Australia, he further participated in WWOOFing and developed a keen interest in solving current and future food production problems. Jessica Toledano, External Affairs Director | Jessica develops relationships in our municipal, state and federal practice. She also works on unique public funding strategies for our non-profit clients. Jessica created the first social enterprise model in the country for a fully state supported vertical farm for autism. Previously, she has worked in government affairs promoting environmental and social justice causes. Djavid Abraham, Lead Systems Designer | Djavid oversees project development and helps clients determine the right growing method, crop choice, and labor management methods. He has a professional background in sustainable technologies including hydroponic equipment distribution, vertical axis wind turbine sales, and carbon sequestration applications. Djavid’s focus is to build the most sustainable and low-carbon systems possible. Scott Carrus, Lead Horticulturalist | Scott manages our Bronx greenhouse in partnership with Sky Vegetables and for hire trials available to clients. He specializes in exotic plants and controlled environment operations and gained experience researching the effects of environmental factors on the taste and quality of crops. His passion for plants developed while working on an educational farm in Israel. David Ceasar, Horticulturalist Consultant | David has more than 15 years of experience working in indoor and outdoor hydroponics and soil based ag. He has an MBA in sustainable management, a BA in environmental studies with a focus on agroecology and a certificate in horticulture.
AGRITECTURE CONSULTING | 40 BUSHWICK AVE, BROOKLYN, NY 11211 | [email protected]
Agritecture Consulting provides holistic strategic planning services to forwardthinking cities. The growing interest in urban agriculture in our nation’s cities over the past decade is a reflection of a new focus on health, food accessibility, changing demographics, consumer trends in locally grown food and a commitment to sustainability.
$20.2 billion Local foods generated $11.7 billion in sales in 2014, which is predicted to increase to $20.2 billion by 2019, according to the consumer market research firm Packaged Facts.
$4.6 billion
But few cities are using data-driven urban agriculture planning and analysis in order to ensure future resilience in this new and burgeoning sector of municipal economies. Agritecture Consulting believes that through a comprehensive Urban Agriculture Scenario Analysis, cities can change what today is mostly a feel-good concept into a critical framework that can be scaled to transform local food production. It can also improve distribution and access, further develop the “green collar” job sector and mitigate the risk of food disruptions during natural disasters.
Investment in food and agriculture technology start-ups was $4.6 billion in 2015, nearly double what it was in 2014, according to AgFunder, an online investment platform for the agricultural technology industry.
Given the diversity of applications in urban agriculture, a site-specific and scale-specific scenario analysis can transform a city’s piecemeal farming community into a diversified urban agriculture economy.
From 2016 to 2017, AgFunder also reported that indoor farming investment went from 32 million to 271 million (a 653% increase).
$271 million
Spectrum of Urban Agriculture Battery Park
Brooklyn Grange
Harlem Grown
Sky Vegetables
Aerofarms
Technology Gradient Low Tech
Community Soil-Based
Commercial Rooftop Engineered Soil
High Tech
Community Hybrid
Rooftop Hydroponic Greenhouse
Commercial Vertical Aeroponic
AGRITECTURE CONSULTING | 40 BUSHWICK AVE, BROOKLYN, NY 11211 | [email protected]
Developing an urban agriculture diversification plan through our datadriven scenario analysis can: ʹʹ Scale current production and identify new opportunities. ʹʹ Analyze and quantify the current job sector and develop a plan for increasing “green collar” job training and development. ʹʹ Understand the key drivers for appropriate policy and incentives to encourage the forms of urban agriculture a city actually needs to achieve its goals. ʹʹ Develop real time data for “Agtech sector” expansion and development. ʹʹ Quantify and develop distribution systems that integrate more efficiently with city planning. ʹʹ Mitigate risk of food system disruptions by creating site specific plans to develop a balanced food production ecosystem. ʹʹ Identify underlying food insecurity needs to address access to distressed communities. ʹʹ Use data and past initiatives to build a robust urban agriculture community that connects to the green tech goals of the city and its strategic resilience plan. ʹʹ Explore cost saving opportunities connected to stormwater management and CO2 emissions while also making your city more livable.
50% increase in people
Aging farmers
Urban homes
More time indoors
The world’s population is expected to grow to almost 10 billion by 2050, boosting agricultural demand by some 50% compared to 2013.
The average age of today’s US farmer is 58 years old.
70% of the world’s population will live in cities.
87% of Americans’ time is spent indoors, making design and development choices a critical driver of behavior.
(U.S. Census, 2012)
(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2017)
No urban eco-technology embraces the food+water+energy nexus more than urban agriculture. Do you want a thriving city built upon a foundation of sustainability leadership? Let us show you how our data-driven and feasible urban agriculture scenario analysis services can help you achieve your goals. AGRITECTURE CONSULTING | 40 BUSHWICK AVE, BROOKLYN, NY 11211 | [email protected]
About Agritecture Consulting Agritecture Consulting provides advisory services in design, planning, implementation and operation of urban agriculture projects. We offer our clients the tools, data, ideas, network, and expertise needed to ensure their success. We consult globally and are based in New York City. Agritecture Consulting’s expertise is in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), a rapidly developing industry that is gaining traction and predicted to be valued at $9 billion by 2020. Our project experience includes hydroponic greenhouses, vertical farms, and sustainability learning labs.
Our Team Henry Gordon-Smith, Managing Director | Henry helps clients identify and focus their goals and prepares consulting proposals. He also manages the entire Agritecture Consulting team. He is an acknowledged global thought leader in the emerging vertical farming industry. In 2011, he started the blog Agritecture.com and in 2014 he started Blue Planet Consulting (now Agritecture Consulting) to provide expert guidance on planning and launching urban agriculture projects. Yara Nagi, Operations Director | Yara advises on sustainability related matters for clients and assesses the economic viability of their projects. She gained an interest in sustainable agriculture from her work experience in the Middle East. Yara has lived in between the United States and the MENA-GCC Region, developing programming aimed to spread sustainability practices within organizations and educational institutions. Jeffrey Landau, Projects Director | Jeffrey works with clients to develop their bill of materials, model system infrastructure, and determine appropriate HVAC needs. He obtained his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. While at Georgia Tech he completed a one-year Co-Op with Delta Air Lines and volunteered extensively with urban agricultural non-profit organizations in Atlanta. In Australia, he further participated in WWOOFing and developed a keen interest in solving current and future food production problems. Jessica Toledano, External Affairs Director | Jessica develops relationships in our municipal, state and federal practice. She also works on unique public funding strategies for our non-profit clients. Jessica created the first social enterprise model in the country for a fully state supported vertical farm for autism. Previously, she has worked in government affairs promoting environmental and social justice causes. Djavid Abraham, Lead Systems Designer | Djavid oversees project development and helps clients determine the right growing method, crop choice, and labor management methods. He has a professional background in sustainable technologies including hydroponic equipment distribution, vertical axis wind turbine sales, and carbon sequestration applications. Djavid’s focus is to build the most sustainable and low-carbon systems possible. Scott Carrus, Lead Horticulturalist | Scott manages our Bronx greenhouse in partnership with Sky Vegetables and for hire trials available to clients. He specializes in exotic plants and controlled environment operations and gained experience researching the effects of environmental factors on the taste and quality of crops. His passion for plants developed while working on an educational farm in Israel. David Ceasar, Horticulturalist Consultant | David has more than 15 years of experience working in indoor and outdoor hydroponics and soil based ag. He has an MBA in sustainable management, a BA in environmental studies with a focus on agroecology and a certificate in horticulture.
AGRITECTURE CONSULTING | 40 BUSHWICK AVE, BROOKLYN, NY 11211 | [email protected]
