Innovative Urban Farming Research at KTH: Shaping the Future of Sustainable Food Production
KTH FOOD, in collaboration with IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and KTH Innovation, invites the public to explore its cutting-edge indoor farm, an initiative in sustainable urban agriculture. The farm is actively involved in two research projects: FOCUSE (Food production through Circular Urban Systems in European Cities) and Circular Vertical Farming. Both projects aim to improve the resource efficiency and environmental performance of urban agriculture and resulting insights could play a crucial role in shaping the future of food production in cities worldwide.
Research Focus and Objectives
The projects, led by Dr. Michael Martin, Senior Researcher at IVL and Adjunct Professor at KTH, aim to develop resilient and sustainable food systems for urban environments. Funded by FORMAS (Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development) and Driving Urban Transitions, the research for these two projects focuses on assessing and analysing current and emerging urban farming systems and how they can include more circularity through employing urban residuals.
Key aspects of the research include:
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Investigating the potential for urban symbiosis and residual product utilization.
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Environmental impact assessment of urban farming methods.
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Analysis of indoor and outdoor farming techniques.
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Evaluation of business models for urban agriculture.
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Investigation of sustainability and feasibility of different approaches.
Advanced Techniques and Live Demonstrations
Visitors can witness first-hand experimental trials being employed in the indoor farm, including:
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Use of innovative substrates derived from urban residuals and waste.
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Fertilization using urban residual flows (e.g. water and waste).
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Dynamic LED lighting systems to investigate effects of light spectrum.
The facility will offer live demonstrations where visitors can observe experiments comparing various growing methods and monitor real-time data on plant growth and resource use from the data on this homepage.
Expert Team and Diverse Perspectives
Dr. Martin's team includes talented researchers and students from diverse backgrounds. Among them is Loris Mazzaferro, a PhD candidate at KTH whose research focuses on identifying, experimenting, and analysing how urban residuals can be used to improve the resource efficiency of vertical farms., and two industrial PhD candidates between IVL and KTH, Cameron Kennett and Elisabet Henriksson who research circularity and urban symbiosis for improved food production in cities and commercial vertical farming systems. This collaborative approach ensures a comprehensive examination of urban farming's potential.
Implications for Urban Sustainability
The project not only addresses food security concerns but also explores the broader implications of urban agriculture on city resilience and sustainability. By integrating farming into urban spaces, the research aims to create more self-sufficient and environmentally friendly cities. As urban populations continue to grow, the insights from this project could play a crucial role in shaping the future of food production in cities worldwide, utilizing urban residuals and wastes and linking food to improve urban resource efficiency. The KTH and IVL collaboration exemplifies Sweden's commitment to innovative, sustainable solutions for urban challenges. Visitors are encouraged to experience this innovative facility first-hand and learn about sustainable solutions for urban food production. Join us at KTH to witness the future of food production and engage with the innovations that could reshape our cities.