Underwater farms are anticipated to, in the future, increase food security across the world, and it looks promising. After a year-long pandemic pause, the world’s first underwater farm started producing vegetables and fruits again.
The underwater farm is called Nemo’s Garden and consists of six mini underwater greenhouses located on the coast of Noli, Italy. In order to grow crops, the farm uses desalinated water (where the salt has been removed, creating freshwater) and solar energy. Eight meters under the surface, the farm produces lettuce, strawberries, and various herbs.
Gianni Fontanesi, project coordinator at Nemo’s Garden says to EuroNews:
“If we continue to exploit and reduce our forest stocks and our green lungs, the climate change process will accelerate, leading to the rise of sea levels. But now we can look at our oceans as a resource to be protected in a sustainable way that we can explore at the same time as an alternative to traditional farming.”
Why grow plants underwater? First of all, the sea naturally provides ideal temperatures for plant growth. According to Fontanesi, the crops grown underwater have a stronger flavor, and the plants are protected.
“It’s a lab and nothing can reach the plant unless it’s being brought in from outside. This means fewer pesticides, if any at all, is needed." he says.
Right now, Nemo’s Garden is for the most part, a research lab, but in the future, it’s expected to increase food security in coastal areas.
Picture: Nemo's Garden
