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Yesterday a friend of many years introduced me to E-Smart Foods, a South African invention he’s involved with. Using lettuce as an example, he explained the test unit of their business is generating an annual 500kg/sq of food By comparison, conventional farming delivers around 7.5kg and the best hydroponic systems up to 80kg.
The plants are grown in interlocking vertical pipes in greenhouses. The smart bit is in the design which makes water more efficient in delivering nutrients to the plant’s root system, dramatically accelerating growth. Funding was provided by a wealthy Singaporian entrepreneur who is now building similar greenhouses in East Asia and intends listing the company on his local stock exchange.
Earlier in the week another pal had me fascinated with his story about a group of former Pelindaba nuclear physicists whose business is proving Thorium as a cheap, safe alternative to uranium. Like E-Smart Foods, their idea also has the potential to change the world. It’s good to see that although many of South Africa’s brightest have taken their talents elsewhere, there’s still plenty of brainpower left here.
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