This is how the founders of the ETH spin-off YASAI envision the future of agriculture. (Image: YASAI)
This is how the founders of the ETH spin-off YASAI envision the future of agriculture. (Image: YASAI) - From the factory hall and not the field: ETH spin-off YASAI should soon be harvesting 20 tonnes of herbs a year from an indoor facility. Their "vertical farming" method offers ecological benefits in particular, as more can be produced with fewer resources. Mark Zahran's grandfather drove a tractor on the fields of the Swiss Plateau near Bern. Now, in an open-plan office in Zurich, Mark himself is working on what the agriculture of the future might look like. "Our ecological footprint depends to a large extent on how we produce our food," Zahran says from his building's small forecourt, with the Sihl River rushing by just a few metres away. He goes on: "We also need solutions for feeding a global population of 10 billion sustainably by 2050." Zahran, who graduated with a Master's degree in architecture from ETH two years ago, is one of the founders of YASAI.
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