Food security - A growing dilemma | DW Documentary

Summary

The video explores innovative agricultural practices aimed at addressing global food security challenges. It highlights the shift towards sustainable farming, featuring farmers like Jonas Schulze Niehoff, who cultivate chickpeas and quinoa, and Joost Wouters, who promotes seaweed as a nutritious alternative. The narrative emphasizes the need for diverse diets and local food production to combat climate change and reliance on traditional crops. Through collaboration between farmers and scientists, the initiative seeks to create resilient food systems that can support a growing population while reducing environmental impact.

Takeaways

• 🌱 Germany's reliance on faraway produce has highlighted supply chain vulnerabilities, especially during the Ukraine war, leading to empty shelves and a call for sustainable farming practices.
• 🌍 The world's growing population and intensive farming threaten the environment, with traditional agriculture practices requiring an area the size of Brazil to feed an additional two billion people by 2050.
• 🌊 Seaweed is presented as a potential sustainable food source that could support the global food chain, with initiatives to grow it locally in Europe to reduce transportation and emissions.
• 🌾 Farmer Jonas Schulze Niehoff is transitioning from traditional crops to superfoods like quinoa and chickpeas, which are more nutritious, drought-resistant, and better suited to new climate conditions.
• 🌿 The shift to non-native or forgotten crops like quinoa and hemp is driven by the need for more resilient and diverse food production to reduce risk and increase local food security.
• 💧 Quinoa's water efficiency, requiring only a third of the water needed by wheat, makes it a timely solution for regions like Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, experiencing hotter and drier summers.
• 🔬 Agricultural scientist Urte Grauwinkel supports the cultivation of new crops through scientific supervision, aiming to make Saxony-Anhalt a superfood producer and increase the region's crisis resilience.
• 🌱 The 'Zukunftsspeisen' project promotes a variety of future foods, including quinoa, chickpeas, and lentils, encouraging local cultivation and consumption to diversify diets and support sustainability.
• 🏭 Nordic Harvest, Europe's largest indoor vertical farm, uses soil-less cultivation and LED lighting to grow leafy greens with minimal water and energy, reducing the environmental impact of food production.
• 🌿 The Seaweed Company, founded by Joost Wouters, focuses on seaweed cultivation as a sustainable protein source, with potential to reduce the carbon footprint of meat products and promote healthier eating habits.

Q & A

What is the main concern regarding food supply chains in Germany as highlighted in the script?

The main concern is the vulnerability of food supply chains due to reliance on produce from far away, which is emphasized by the impact of the war in Ukraine and the empty shelves in supermarkets.

What is the projected land requirement for feeding an additional two billion people by the year 2050 using traditional agriculture practices?

Using traditional agriculture practices, feeding an additional two billion people by 2050 would require a land area the size of Brazil.

What alternative food source is suggested in the script as a sustainable solution for the future?

The script suggests growing a lot of seaweed as a sustainable alternative food source for the future.

What is the significance of chickpeas in the context of the script?

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are highlighted as a protein-rich pulse from the Middle East that the farmer has begun to grow in Eastern Germany as part of a shift towards more sustainable and local food production.

What is the role of quinoa in the narrative of sustainable agriculture presented in the script?

Quinoa, a grain native to the South American Andes, is portrayed as a superfood that is being cultivated in Germany to adapt to climate change and to diversify food sources, requiring less water than traditional crops like wheat.

How does the script address the issue of climate change in relation to agriculture?

The script addresses climate change by showcasing farmers and scientists who are experimenting with new, drought-resistant crops like quinoa and seaweed, which are better suited to the changing climate conditions.

What is the significance of the seaweed farming initiative mentioned in the script?

The seaweed farming initiative is significant as it represents a move towards more sustainable food production. Seaweed cultivation requires no land, little freshwater, and absorbs CO2, making it an environmentally friendly food source.

What is the role of vertical farming in the script's discussion on sustainable food production?

Vertical farming is presented as an innovative solution to reduce land use, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional agriculture, by growing crops in controlled, indoor environments.

How does the script suggest the local community can contribute to sustainable food systems?

The script suggests that the local community can contribute by participating in the 'Zukunftsspeisen' project, which promotes local cultivation and consumption of new plant varieties, and by learning new culinary techniques to incorporate these into their diets.

What is the script's stance on the role of technology in addressing food security and sustainability?

The script presents technology, such as vertical farming and seaweed cultivation, as essential tools for increasing food production efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and ensuring food security in the face of a growing population and climate change.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Sustainable Farming and New Food Sources

The paragraph highlights the vulnerability of global supply chains due to reliance on distant food sources, exemplified by the impact of the Ukraine war on German supermarkets. It emphasizes the need for sustainable farming practices and diversification of food sources, such as seaweed cultivation, to support the global food chain. Farmer Jonas Schulze Niehoff from Eastern Germany is introduced, who is experimenting with chickpea-based meals and growing superfoods like quinoa to promote local, nutritious, and varied food production. The shift from traditional crops to more resilient ones is presented as a response to climate change and a step towards a more sustainable future.

05:01

🌿 Diversification in Farming and Seaweed as a Future Food

This paragraph discusses the challenges and benefits of diversifying crops, particularly in the context of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It introduces the concept of cultivating seaweed as a sustainable and environmentally friendly food source. The Seaweed Company, founded by Joost Wouters, is highlighted for its efforts to cultivate native seaweed species and promote their consumption in Europe. The paragraph also touches on the nutritional benefits of seaweed and its potential to reduce the carbon footprint of food production by requiring less land, water, and fertilizer compared to traditional agriculture.

10:03

🌾 Promoting Local Superfoods and Sustainable Agriculture

The focus of this paragraph is on promoting local superfoods and sustainable agricultural practices in Saxony-Anhalt. Urte Grauwinkel, an agricultural scientist, is working with farmers like Jonas Schulze Niehoff to introduce new arable crops and reduce dependence on global food imports. The 'Zukunftsspeisen' project aims to increase local food production and resilience to crises by encouraging the cultivation of diverse plant species. The paragraph also discusses the importance of reducing meat consumption to increase food availability and the role of education and community engagement in adopting new agricultural practices.

15:03

🏭 Vertical Farming as a Solution to Food Security

This paragraph introduces Nordic Harvest, Europe's largest indoor vertical farm, founded by Anders Riemann, a former investment banker. The farm uses soil-less cultivation, water recycling, and LED lighting to grow leafy greens year-round with minimal environmental impact. Vertical farming is presented as a solution to the challenges of food production, such as land use, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. The technology allows for higher crop yields per unit area and reduces the vulnerability of food supply chains to external disruptions like pandemics and conflicts.

20:05

🌊 Seaweed Integration in Food Production and Consumption

The paragraph discusses the potential of seaweed as a sustainable and healthy food ingredient. Joost Wouters and his team at the Seaweed Company are developing products like seaweed sausages and burgers to reduce meat consumption and its environmental impact. The inclusion of seaweed in these products not only lowers the carbon footprint but also introduces a new taste experience. The paragraph also mentions the efforts to popularize seaweed in European cuisine, drawing inspiration from Asian dishes, and the potential for seaweed to offer alternatives in the global food chain.

25:06

🌼 Organic Farming and the Future of Food

This final paragraph wraps up with Jonas Schulze Niehoff's journey as an organic farmer, focusing on growing chickpeas and promoting plant-based proteins as a sustainable food source. It discusses the challenges faced by traditional legumes due to climate change and the farmer's innovative approach to finding alternatives. The narrative concludes with the farmer's vision of a new type of agriculture that could ensure food security for future generations by adopting more sustainable and climate-resilient farming practices.

Keywords

💡Sustainable farming

Sustainable farming refers to agricultural practices that maintain environmental quality, conserve resources, and are economically viable, all while providing for the social and economic viability of farming and rural communities. In the video, sustainable farming is highlighted as a solution to the challenges of feeding a growing global population without depleting resources or harming the environment. The farmer Jonas Schulze Niehoff is a proponent of this approach, growing chickpeas and quinoa, which are more sustainable and resilient crops.

💡Supply chains

Supply chains describe the network of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. The video points out the vulnerabilities of long and complex supply chains, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine, which has led to empty shelves in Germany as it relies heavily on imported produce. The narrative suggests that local and sustainable farming could strengthen supply chains and reduce such vulnerabilities.

💡Superfoods

Superfoods are nutrient-rich foods considered beneficial for health and well-being. The video mentions superfoods like quinoa and seaweed, which are not only nutritious but also adaptable to various climates and environments. Jonas Schulze Niehoff grows quinoa, a grain native to the South American Andes, in Eastern Germany, demonstrating the potential for superfoods to diversify diets and contribute to food security.

💡Climate change

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, often attributed to human activities. The script discusses how climate change impacts traditional farming practices, necessitating the adoption of new crops like quinoa that are more drought-resistant. This highlights the need for agricultural practices that can adapt to the changing climate conditions to ensure food production remains viable.

💡Food security

Food security means having access to enough safe and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. The video emphasizes the importance of food security in the face of a growing population and the challenges posed by climate change. It showcases initiatives like growing seaweed and quinoa to diversify food sources and reduce dependency on a few staple crops, thereby enhancing food security.

💡Vertical farming

Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers, often in controlled environments. The video introduces Nordic Harvest, a vertical farm in Copenhagen, as an innovative approach to urban agriculture that conserves space, water, and resources while producing food closer to consumers. This method is presented as a sustainable solution to feed urban populations amidst growing environmental concerns.

💡Seaweed

Seaweed, a type of marine algae, is highlighted in the video as a potential superfood that can be cultivated sustainably. Joost Wouters, the founder of the Seaweed Company, advocates for seaweed farming as a way to diversify diets, reduce the carbon footprint of food production, and offer a healthy, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional protein sources.

💡Drought-resistant crops

Drought-resistant crops are plant varieties that can withstand dry conditions with little water. The video discusses the importance of such crops in regions like Saxony-Anhalt, where rainfall is decreasing and summers are getting hotter. Quinoa is presented as a drought-resistant crop that requires less water than traditional cereals like wheat, making it a sustainable choice for areas experiencing water scarcity.

💡Agricultural transformation

Agricultural transformation refers to the process of changing farming systems to improve sustainability, productivity, and resilience. The video features the work of Urte Grauwinkel, who is promoting the cultivation of superfoods and drought-resistant crops in Saxony-Anhalt. This transformation is driven by the need to adapt to climate change, reduce environmental impact, and ensure long-term food security.

💡Local production

Local production emphasizes the cultivation, processing, and consumption of food within a specific region. The video argues for the benefits of local production, such as reduced transportation emissions and energy savings. It features farmers and scientists working to grow food locally, like chickpeas and quinoa, to decrease reliance on global supply chains and increase self-sufficiency in food production.

💡Crop diversification

Crop diversification is the practice of growing a variety of crops to reduce risk, improve soil health, and enhance agricultural productivity. The video illustrates the benefits of diversification through the experiences of farmers like Jonas Schulze Niehoff, who grows a range of superfoods, and the initiatives of Urte Grauwinkel, who promotes various climate-resilient crops. Diversification is portrayed as a strategy to mitigate risks associated with climate change and market fluctuations.

Highlights

Germany's supermarkets are typically well-stocked, but the war in Ukraine has exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains.

Empty shelves in Germany indicate reliance on foreign produce, highlighting the need for local food sources.

Traditional agriculture practices are unsustainable for feeding the projected global population by 2050.

Sustainable farming practices and new food sources are essential for supporting the global food chain.

Seaweed cultivation is proposed as a solution for alternative food sources and environmental sustainability.

Farmer Jonas Schulze Niehoff is creating a local, sustainable meal from chickpeas for his children.

Chickpeas, a protein-rich pulse from the Middle East, are being grown in Eastern Germany as a sustainable crop.

Jonas Schulze Niehoff advocates for varied and nutritious eating habits as part of a sustainable future.

Superfoods like quinoa, native to the South American Andes, are being cultivated in Germany for their nutritional value.

Climate change necessitates the cultivation of different, more resilient crops suited to new climate conditions.

Switching to non-native or forgotten crops can prepare for future climate conditions and increase agricultural resilience.

Local production of superfoods like quinoa can reduce energy consumption and emissions from transportation.

New drought-resistant crops, such as quinoa, can adapt to changing weather patterns and reduce water usage.

Agricultural scientist Urte Grauwinkel supports farmers in cultivating new crops and promotes local food production.

Diversifying crops can reduce the risk of crop failure and increase the resilience of the food supply.

Joost Wouters envisions a future where seaweed is a common food source in Europe, contributing to a healthier diet.

Seaweed cultivation does not require land or freshwater and can absorb significant amounts of CO2.

Nordic Harvest, a vertical farm in Denmark, grows crops without soil, using water and LED lighting for optimal growth.

Vertical farming in controlled environments can reduce water usage and be more resilient to climate changes.

The Seaweed Company, founded by Joost Wouters, operates seaweed farms and develops new seaweed-based products.

Replacing a portion of meat with seaweed in products can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of meat production.

Urte Grauwinkel and Jonas Schulze Niehoff work together to promote climate-friendly and drought-resistant foodstuffs.

The 'Zukunftsspeisen' project aims to introduce new arable crops to Saxony-Anhalt, promoting local cultivation and consumption.

Educational workshops are being conducted to teach local cooks and bakers how to prepare and incorporate new ingredients.

Jonas Schulze Niehoff's farm is a test field for new crops, aiming to provide a model for sustainable and local agriculture.

Transcripts

Fresh food galore.

In Germany, we're used to supermarkets brimming with produce.

But often it has come from far away. That makes our supply chains vulnerable.

The war in Ukraine is revealing our limitations.

We can tell from the empty shelves what didnít come from Germany.

We need to feed more and more people globally.

But intensive farming threatens the environment

and our survival.

If we use traditional agriculture practices

- the next two billion people that will be here in the year 2050,

we will need a land area the size of Brazil.

Itís time to switch to sustainable farming practices and new food sources.

If we want to support the global food chain and offer an alternative

then we need to grow a lot of seaweed.

What food will we eat in the future?

Farmer Jonas Schulze Niehoff has been refining this recipe for a long time.

Itís something special he thought up for his three children.

This is going to be a kind of chickpea tofu.

Iím going to cut it into little fish shapes for my children.

Then Iím going to fry it a bit, so it gets that extra bit of flavor.

Itís a meal made almost entirely from chickpeas and that comes

- apart from the spices - entirely from local production.

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are a protein-rich pulse

from the Middle East that the farmer has begun to grow in Eastern Germany.

He thinks agriculture and eating habits need to change.

How should we eat in the future? Eating Schnitzel every day isnít good

- and it probably isnít good to eat just lettuce every day either. Variety.

I think thatís the most important thing.

That means we donít have to go without anything.

But it means that our food is very varied and nutritious.

At his farm in the German state of Saxony Anhalt

Jonas Schulze Niehoff grows all kinds of superfoods.

Today, heís sowing quinoa seeds.

The grain is native to the South American Andes,

but feels increasingly at home here.

If we keep on growing what we always have, weíre not going to get anywhere.

Climate change means getting used to the idea of cultivating different crops.

Thatís why I find it really interesting. And quinoa is really healthy and tasty.

Iím enjoying doing this and I think thatís the most important thing.

If you enjoy something, you can do it well.

When Schulze Niehoff took over his fatherís farm eight years ago,

it produced traditional crops like wheat, maize and sugar beet.

But he decided to switch to non-native crops, or forgotten ones.

He is gearing up for the future with nutritious and more resilient crops

better suited to new climate conditions.

On the one hand, I want to try out new things

and, on the other hand, I want to have long-term goals. Thatís important to me.

My father always said farming is about thinking in generations

and I try to live by that principle.

So-called superfoods like quinoa are becoming more popular

due to their high nutritional value.

But demand for quinoa here is driving up prices in South America

and threatening their supplies.

Yet this hardy pseudo grain now thrives in Europe, too.

It makes much more sense to produce things locally, if it is possible.

A certain degree of globalization will always remain, Iím sure.

But we save an amazing amount of energy and emissions

by avoiding unnecessary transportation.

And, of course, it would be great if we could grow our own food supplies.

New drought-resistant crops could help.

In Saxony-Anhalt, spring rainfall is dropping

and summers are getting hotter and drier. Quinoa is a timely solution.

It needs a third of the water required by wheat.

Agricultural scientist Urte Grauwinkel is supporting the adventurous farmer.

Together, theyíre checking how the first seeds of the year are developing.

This has come up quite well.

Yes, itís coming up quite well in the field,

but thereís a lot of weeds growing up between

and we canít see the rows of seedlings from the tractor.

So we canít use machinery for hoeing yet.

Crops new to the region like quinoa,

and practically forgotten ones like hemp, mean a lot of trial and error.

Things can go wrong. But diversity is key.

There's risk with all crops.

If the weather isnít right, then my crop might fail.

From that point of view, I am reducing my risk by diversifying.

It is unlikely that all my crops will fail at once.

Of course, there are costs attached to the learning process.

We are investing quite a lot of work

in something with an uncertain, a very uncertain outcome...

But itís an investment for the future.

Quinoa is a superfood. It has plenty of calories and it's very healthy.

And bringing it here is also an opportunity to diversify what we eat.

Urte Grauwinkel wants Saxony-Anhalt to become a superfood producer.

The agricultural scientist has set up an organization to achieve this goal.

Joost Woutersí vision for farming in the future

doesnít involve cultivating the land at all.

Hey, Captain Kajak!

On board with him are German marine biologist Sylvia Strauss

and developer Lineke Hohmann. Their workplace is, in a sense, under water.

One, two, three, four. Fourth from here.

Down in the water, there is something

that they would like to see enriching the diets of people in Europe - seaweed!

There are estimated to be hundreds of thousands of species of algae worldwide.

Only a fraction has been researched.

Seaweed can be cultivated on ropes at sea.

Sylvia Strauss quickly identifies the types of edible seaweed:

Thatës sugar kelp. This green one is sea lettuce. You can eat that, too.

And thatís wakame. It weighs at least... maybe... three or four kilos?!

That is a nice piece, Sylvia! Thatís for dinner tonight!

In Europe, this slippery stuff is still regarded with a little suspicion.

In many parts of Asia, by contrast, seaweed has long been popular.

Wouters would like to see it catch on in Europe, too

- and help make our diet healthier and more diverse.

Now, the world mainly eats rice, wheat, corn and meat.

That promotes the rise of monocultures, makes us dependent

on just a few types of food and vulnerable to crisis.

If we want to support the global food chain and offer an alternative

or relieve the stress on the current system,

yeah, then we need to grow a lot of seaweed.

Four years ago, Wouters set up the Seaweed Company.

Before that, he worked for an unhealthier part of the food

and drinks industry - he was a manager for a big soft drinks company.

The birth of his son led to a rethink.

Now Iím making plans to get children drinking more of those beverages,

but if my boy gets older, I donít want him to drink that.

And then I realized that those big companies that exist,

it is very hard for them to change. Actually, I donít think they can change.

They want to.

They write it on their social media, but in the end itís just nothing.

Currently, his company operates nine seaweed farms,

cultivating the species that are native to the local ecosystems.

The beauty of seaweed is that it grows in water,

we donít need land, it doesnít need fertilizer.

It doesnít need fresh water.

Seaweed also absorbs a lot of CO2.

A lot more than most things grown in soil - because it develops a lot faster.

So if you roughly calculate every 1000 kilograms of wet seaweed,

it has absorbed 120 kilograms of CO2.

To help popularize it in the European market,

the team is also developing new recipes and products.

The area around Magdeburg is one of Germanyís corn baskets.

Urte Grauwinkel wants to use its fertile soil to start a new trend.

Together with her team and farmers like Jonas Schulze Niehoff,

she is introducing new arable crops to Saxony-Anhalt.

She is using his farm as a test field.

The problem is that most farmers experiment a bit,

but because there is no scientific supervision, they donít get listened to.

You are only deemed important when the university is on board, too.

The researcher from the University of Halle

is using her standing to back this agricultural transformation.

At the moment, just under 16 % of what is harvested worldwide

directly ends up on our plates. 72% of it is turned into animal feed.

And 11.7% is used as biofuel or as an industrial commodity.

We have to move towards producing more food and away from animal feed and fuel.

Above all, we need vegetables.

At the moment, it is brought in from around the world.

And I would like local agriculture to increase

and become more crisis resilient.

If we ate less meat, there would be enough food

for another four billion people.

That is another reason why Urte Grauwinkel and her students

are looking for plants that might thrive locally.

Whatever flourishes here in the test garden

could help guarantee food security in the future.

We need new species. Thatís why we have this garden of tomorrow here.

So farmers donít have to try things out on their fields.

We are doing a bit of the legwork in advance. We can say:

Yes, it works and you can try it out. Look! Itís growing really well.

Or, no. Letís take one step back. Lentils donít really work in your soil.

Or chickpeas need those particular conditions.

The students are recording every experiment.

Theyíre amazed at how many non-native species grow well

in this part of Eastern Germany.

We are trying quite a lot of pretty crazy, way-out things here.

For example, the potato bean, Malabar spinach, and perennial kale.

Really wild.

Zukunftsspeisen, or future foods, is the name of the project.

It promotes quinoa and chickpeas, millet, lupini beans,

hemp seeds and lentils. Some were widespread here, but fell out of favor.

Now theyíre making a comeback.

The idea of Zukunftsspeisen is from farm to table

- to get farmers and cooks trying out new types of produce,

trying out different systems, new agricultural systems,

the local cultivation of new plants.

But system change can only work if everyone participates

- she's is convinced of that. And sheís got a plan!

In the local youth hostel, the agricultural scientist

is giving cookery courses together with her colleague Lene Frohnert.

Lene, what are we doing with the quinoa?

Today, weíre going to make a quinoa salad and a quinoa - chickpea patty.

At the workshops, local cooks, chefs and bakers

are learning how best to prepare the new ingredients.

If agricultural system change is going to work, their role is vital.

It only makes sense if you can get what the farmers are growing

onto peopleís plates.

So we are showing people who work with food what to do with it,

to show bakers what to do with it.

Thatís the basic idea. To put it simply: From farm to table.

The baker is trying his hand at making hummus from regional chickpeas.

Thereís too much lemon juice in it. Itís sour.

Itís absolutely new for me.

Iím a regular baker who uses rye and wheat flour and salt.

But Iíve got 30 years working life ahead of me and this is the future.

My children might take over my bakery business

and I want to build a foundation.

Itís a nice alternative. Iím looking forward to it.

The hostel cook is also enjoying the change.

It doesnít always have to be potatoes.

Why not use something different for a change

- that can be just as easily cultivated?

Something from the region, which is sustainable.

Quinoa salad with beetroot and apples for instance.

A local choir is getting to sample the food.

All the ingredients are vegan, halal and kosher.

So the cook doesnít have to offer alternatives

and can put on a really good buffet, without spending more.

So how is it going down?

My daughter cooks like this, so Iím a bit familiar with it.

And I think itís good. But, personally, I am still a bit conservative.

I would also make a patty from chickpeas.

We know it from falafel and so on. Itís good. Definitely.

Now weíll have to see what went down well and what didnít.

And weíll need to continue supervising the cook.

But Urte Grauwinkel has to tend to other things first.

An inconspicuous building on the edge of Copenhagen

- could it be the solution for many of our food problems?

Owner Anders Riemann certainly thinks so.

The name of his new-fangled farm is Nordic Harvest.

My background is as a financial analyst at an investment bank.

And 8 years ago I was sitting,

doing an incentive program for the employees of the bank,

which gave them the opportunity to earn 100 percent on top of their salary,

if they were high performers. So, then I thought:

Is it ok just to sit and earn some money for yourself

and not do enough for society?

The banker became a farmer and set up Europeís largest indoor farm

in the Danish capital.

For Anders Riemann, vertical farming is a way to stop the destruction

of ecosystems and feed the worldës growing population.

At the moment, 38 percent of the worldís land area is used

for food production, it consumes 70 percent of fresh water

- and is responsible for 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

At Riemannës eco-friendly vertical farm, crops grow without any soil at all.

These are the roots growing directly in the water.

The roots absorb nutrients from water more easily than from soil.

So they need less fertilizer.

The facility is also constantly recycling water.

It uses almost 95 percent less than conventional vegetable farming.

But the biggest challenge was finding the right lighting:

One day on my way home from the metro at three o'clock in the night,

after going out in the town, I thought: What about LED lights?

Have they been developed enough to make photosynthesis for plants

so you can grow them in layers in water.

And, in actual fact, 20,000 LED panels were able to function like sunlight

and stimulate plant metabolism.

The light looks purple because vertical farming combines

different light spectrums to promote plant growth.

We have LED-diodes, which we put in an aluminum plate,

and the aluminum plate will absorb the heat and put it out in the room.

The temperature here is between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius

- ideal growing conditions for salad.

And the electricity supply is carbon neutral thanks to wind power.

Inside, things grow a lot quicker.

There are 15 harvests a year. Outside: Only to two to four.

Vertical farming is independent of the seasons and climate conditions.

Itís more secure.

Now after Corona and the war in Ukraine,

we are very vulnerable for the security of supplying food.

So, we need to be able to have food production inside of the cities

as part of the infrastructure.

Shorter journeys also mean Riemann saves transport costs

and avoids CO2 emissions.

Itís just a few meters from the shelf to the harvesting machine.

Most of the work is done by machines.

But the technology is still very expensive.

A full-size facility for us would be about 25 million euros.

Because itís a technology that has just been profitable.

So, when itís developed further then it can be profitable

in other countries of the world.

They are not yet using the facilityís entire surface,

but already supply 120 supermarkets.

When up to speed, the farm could produce some 1,000 tons of leafy greens

- 250 times more than conventional agriculture from the same surface area.

At the moment, Nordic Harvest only grows lettuce and herbs here

- but more vegetables and fruits, like strawberries, are planned.

German plant scientist Lara Smigielski oversees processes in the vertical farm.

She is working with bacteria that will support plant growth.

I think that we have all the technology here at hand

and we have to ensure that we also use it in a positive way for the future.

We are doing good pioneering work here to make progress on that front.

Population growth means that such trailblazing work

is becoming more and more important for millions of people.

At the Oosterschelde barrier in the Netherlands

Joost Wouters is tending his freshly harvested seaweed.

In the waterside facility, the seaweed is dried

or is kept fresh in water tanks for further processing.

So what you see here is the seaweed after it is finished.

This is the end of the season.

Beautiful leaves - oh basically you still see them here on the rope.

So this is nice. So you can see the full rope here

and then we cut it and then we process it in our products.

He's already preparing new spores

- in glass flasks in a refrigerator - ready for seeding.

Here you see the beginning of the whole life cycle.

This is where the seaweed babies in a very early stage are growing

and kept and this is where we start the base material for the seaweed.

The spores will later be sprayed onto the ropes

that will be dropped back into the water.

But today, he and his team are trying out a few products

they intend to use to stir up the food industry.

Finally some food!

Wow - that looks so good. Tell me, what do we have here?

Seaweed sausages and seaweed burgers!

I cannot wait!

Barbecued meats with seaweed. These sausages arenít made from pure pork,

but include 15 percent seaweed. This ëbeefí burger is 30 percent seaweed.

Joost Wouters and his colleagues realize

that not everyone is prepared to give up meat entirely.

And seaweed helps to cut CO2.

It means you can use 30% less meat. Thatís less meat to be produced and,

of course, itís much more sustainable.

Cattle farming produces lots of the climate killers methane and CO2.

On average, the production of a kilo of beef

has a carbon footprint of 13.6 kilos.

If you replace 30 percent of the beef in beefburgers with seaweed,

the carbon footprint would drop to 9.5 kg per kilo.

Marine biologist Sylvia Strauss also wants to popularize a Japanese dish

in Europe: itís a kind of seaweed fondue.

It turns green immediately. And now, take it out and dip it.

I love it it is fantastic, go ahead

In restaurants we can have this as an experience.

So you get some fresh seaweed on one side,

you put a fondue on the table - this is really nice!

Sometimes Wouters finds it hard to believe

how he and his company have come.

Ten years ago, he was still a manager in the soft drinks industry

and now heís working to create healthy food fit for the future.

He is moved by the thought that his vision might come true.

I thought, if we can cultivate seaweed on a big scale and let the world know

and benefit from what seaweed can bring and offer alternatives

for a food chain - I think - then Iím a happy man!

So I hope everything fits.

Great. So what do we have... chickpeas, quinoa and hemp.

Organic farmer Jonas Schulze Niehoff and agricultural scientist

Urte Grauwinkel have been working on their joint mission for three years now.

Today, the superfood expert is promoting their climate-friendly

and drought-resistant foodstuffs at an organic market.

I think itís important to get into conversation with people

and ask them whether they like the food or not. What are they looking for?

Do they have questions? Thatís why I like going to markets.

I want to listen to people and I pass their feedback on to the farmers

and into the field of research.

More and more people are getting into chickpeas.

Over the last ten years, imports have risen fivefold.

Grauwinkel would like to meet the demand domestically.

And gain more chickpea fans.

We freshly milled the flour and baked them yesterday.

Iíve hardly ever seen something so versatile.

Theyíre lovely, so crisp and nutty.

And if you can eat chickpeas, but canít eat nuts, itís a great alternative.

Itís my mission to create farming and a future fit for coming generations.

I want to get other people on board and give them a Plan B.

Yes, to get them on board and tell them there are ways of changing things.

Jonas Schulze Niehoffís chickpeas are ready for sowing.

The idea of growing a new crop came to him in his kitchen.

Pulses contain a lot of protein,

but domestic types like garden peas donít grow so well here anymore.

It's more difficult now with native legumes

because the weather, the climate has changed.

With the mild winter, we saw a big rise in pests.

I was on the lookout for alternatives and one thing led to the next.

Now Iím growing chickpeas.

The farmerís homegrown chickpeas have been on the market for five years now.

And recently he has acquired a big customer in Berlin

- who is using them to make ëKofuí - something akin to Tofu.

We need to eat less meat and more plant proteins.

We need more variety than before.

And then I think we will be able to feed more people using less land.

Thatís what we have to aim for if we really want to survive as a society,

as human beings.

Jonas Schulze Niehoff is already making the switch to a new type of farming.

One that could ensure that thereís enough food for everyone.