Rise Of Robot Lettuce

H5N1 storey most a h/t Mike Norman Economics). Although interesting, you lot cannot extrapolate this to imply that all farming jobs are at risk. The article is interesting inwards how the techno-enthusiasm covers upwards the interesting economics. (This article could hold upwards viewed every bit a post-script for my review of the volume Rise of the Robots.)

Summary Of What Is Happening

I am relying on the data inwards the article written past times Adele Peters; the run a endangerment is that I am misinterpreting what she wrote.

• The manufactory volition hold upwards create 30,000 heads of lettuce a day, or 10 ane 1000 m a year; it is scheduled to opened upwards inwards 2017.
• Spread, the Japanese fellowship that is edifice the factory, already runs a highly automated indoor lettuce growing functioning inwards Japan. The novel manufactory is projected to relieve 50% on labour costs (relative to that plant). If compared to a traditional lettuce farm, the labour saving is presumably much higher. In other words, it is a proficient bet that most of the potential task losses would get got already happened.
• The constitute covers less acreage than a set down farm, since the lettuce is grown inwards a vertical stack. However, this implies that artificial lite must hold upwards used at all times for constitute growth. (A traditional greenhouse functioning is non vertical, together with volition supplement sunlight amongst artificial lite only when necessary.)
• The environs is largely sealed, reducing the run a endangerment of contamination, disease, together with pests. (Lettuce is highly vulnerable to contamination since it is typically eaten raw.)

Robots: H5N1 Red Herring

The appearance of robots hither is largely a crimson herring. Vertical farming has been roughly for awhile, together with it tin compass the axe hold upwards viewed every bit a agency of converting concentrated unloosen energy into food. Even if the lighting is "ultra-efficient," electricity withal has to hold upwards supplied. Traditional farming is withal the most efficient way of utilising solar energy: you lot allow the plants practise the work.

Based on the article, their existing manufactory was exactly competitive amongst other lettuce producers. Indoor farming uses less acreage together with labour, but it is capital-intensive. That is, at that topographic point is a lot of labour content that is embedded inwards the extra majuscule goods that are required. Those majuscule goods are relatively inexpensive so long every bit resources limitations practise non bite. Doubling the damage of electricity is going to destroy the profitability of the factory, whereas that would get got no effect on the damage of production for a traditional farm.

However, the extensibility of this manufactory to other crops is debatable. It is difficult to visualise grains or corn existence grown nether artificial lighting unless nosotros get got access to inexpensive fusion power. Grains provide the mass of the nutrient supply, either straight or indirectly. The only jobs at immediate run a endangerment inwards the agriculture sector amongst engineering real similar to this are those people who are exclusively employed inwards harvesting indoor plants. (Admittedly, at that topographic point are other technologies for outdoor harvesting.)

The article did non specify this, but the pictures were of leafage lettuce, together with non iceberg lettuce. Leaf lettuce is exactly uprooted together with lay into a bag; iceberg lettuce has roofing leaves removed earlier existence sent to consumers. It is unclear whether robotic arms get got the dexterity to practise such operations yet. Other crops require dexterity when harvesting, together with figuring out to harvest them is an ongoing challenge. (The volume Rise of the Robots discusses this; roboticists get got figured out operate arounds for some crops, such every bit shaking the torso of a tree to drib the crop.)

Inorganic Farming?

The article states that this is "sustainable" farming, which is a sign that this has travel a meaningless term. Indoor farms tin compass the axe recycle H2O that is non absorbed past times plants, dissimilar the lettuce farms inwards the deserts of California that require extensive irrigation. However, existence to a greater extent than sustainable than mono-cropping leafy vegetables inwards a desert is setting the bar real low. The organisation requires concentrated unloosen energy for constitute growth, manufactory operation, together with to manufacture the modern applied scientific discipline materials used past times the system. Furthermore, the manufacturing provide chain is subject upon a multitude of inputs, each facing its ain depletion curve. Although the engineering makes economical sense now, I doubtfulness that robot-grown lettuce volition characteristic highly inwards diets 150 years inwards the future.

The term "organic farming" has travel meaningless due to fights over politics together with marketing rights. However, this is an endeavor at what mightiness hold upwards described every bit inorganic farming -- all inputs into the constitute are biologically sterile. Given the nutrient security concerns roughly lettuce, this is non a bad idea. H5N1 large mono-crop of indoor lettuce is vulnerable to blights similar fungus, together with fifty-fifty cosmetic harm eliminates the crop's consumer acceptability. Very simply, they cannot exactly dump compost on the plants together with facial expression anything other than a disaster. The demand for sterile inputs creates costs together with labour inputs that are non straight visible.

On the whole, industrial farming is a race betwixt improved automation together with genetic change versus resources depletion. Even if engineering is probable to win over the adjacent few decades, the mathematics of depletion volition travel far progressively harder to remain ahead. I get got few worries most task devastation inwards agriculture; the existent worry is that it mightiness commencement creating also many jobs.

For those who are interested inwards the topic, I would recommend the volume The End of Food, by Paul Roberts discusses the trends shaping the nutrient industry. Despite the rather alarming sounding title, it is a balanced describe organisation human relationship of the risks together with opportunities inwards the nutrient industry. It was published inwards 2008, together with so presumably at that topographic point get got been some advances since then, but it is unlikely that the outlook has markedly shifted. My feeling is that "Peak Food" may hold upwards visible fifty-fifty earlier unloosen energy constraints, together with whatever rollback inwards agricultural productivity would get got quite large economical consequences.  

See Also:

• Iceberg Lettuce Production inwards California University of California, Agriculture together with Natural Resources.
• Crop Profile for Greenhouse Lettuce inwards Canada Pest Management Centre, Agriculture Canada (prepared past times Dr. Janice Elmhirst).
• The End of Food (affiliate link).

(c) Brian Romanchuk 2015