Film Farming “Imec”

Overall category

JAPAN

Sustainable agriculture

www.mebiol.co.jp/en

Imec was developed to fight increasing soil degradation and water scarcity all over the world. Made by the Japanese company Mebiol Inc., Imec is a biodegradable film made of a particular hydrogel which allows the cultivation of plants with less water and soil use.

In some areas of the Planet, it could be truly unbelievable to grow food. Soil desertification is both indefensible and an immensely dangerous effect of climate change. Humana Communitas needs to work towards mitigating the current climate breakdown while additionally learning how to adapt to it. New methods, for growing delicious and nutritious food, need to be developed. These will need to be free of soil and will be required to use water as efficiently as possible. Once developed, these methods will act as confirmation that humans can survive despite the disaster that they themselves have caused.

Innovation: Imec is a film made of hydrogel for growing vegetables with low water usage. It reduces water consumption to less than a quarter of what is needed for hydroponic farming and using 1/10 of conventional farming soil. The film prevents harmful viruses and germs from getting in, eliminates soil contamination that can negatively impact crop productivity and quality, rendering pesticides unnecessary. It also creates a “water stress process” that helps crops, such as tomatoes, to synthesize large amounts of sugar, amino acids, and other nutrients. This, in turn, leads to a more natural sweetness and a higher nutritional value.

Impact: With Imec, farmers can produce high-quality vegetables in desert or salt-damaged soils, contaminated areas and indoor. The Imec film is completely isolated from the ground by a waterproof sheet, which prevents any kind of contamination from the soil. At the same time, since the supplied water and fertilizer do not leak, the amount of water and fertilizer used is much lower than the quantity needed in the conventional farming methods. Such feature, makes Imec an extremely environmentally friendly farming method. Currently, farmers are implementing this method in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates and in some much polluted provinces in China.

Mr. Hiroshi Yoshioka, Mebiol Inc. CEO awarded by Ms. Elisabetta Castellazzi, Manager at AZIMUT