3FOOD

Third Industrial Revolution Consulting Group
take years or decades to recover, alternative strategies should be tested, such as planting
non-edible vegetation that helps soil carbon sequestration and regeneration, while possibly
yielding aesthetic benefits (e.g., floral scapes).
4 Public Policy
4.1 Establish an ambitious set of policies, rules and regulations that align with accelerating
the transition to a 100% renewable energy economy. As an integral part of revising
existing regulations and implementing strong new measures, develop an action plan for
engaging the farming community in recognizing the new revenue stream that can accrue
through siting of wind and solar PV systems integrated with farm operations.
4.2 Undertake an inventory of the farming sector to determine current and planned uses of
smart farm / precision farming / intelligent agriculture tools and technologies. The
inventory should assess the time, costs and other resources required to implement and
operate the equipment, and the returns on investment and time, along with performance
metrics such as higher yields, labor savings, lower petrochemical or water inputs, etc.
Precision agriculture aims to optimize the yield per unit of farming land based on
observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops. Precision
agriculture makes use of a range of technologies that include GPS services, sensors, and Big
Data to optimize crop yields. Rather than replace farmer expertise and gut feeling, ICTbased
decision support systems, backed up by real time data, can provide additional
information concerning all aspects of farming at a level of granularity not previously
possible.
4.3 Promote urban organic gardening. Establish a collaborative innovation network platform
that enables citizens, farmers, teachers and students, community organizations, and work
locations to map the nation’s available land resources where community gardens can be
grown. Build out the site to include the suite of knowledge resources, tools, and apps that
help citizens learn how to start and sustain high yield, low-input organic gardening
practices and techniques. Use the platform to facilitate distribution of excess plants and
food products for the elderly and poor. Tie in the program with local school programs,
168 Rhodes, Christopher J. (2014) Mycoremediation (bioremediation with fungi) – growing mushrooms to clean the
earth, Chemical Speciation & Bioavailability, 26:3, 196-198,
http://dx.doi.org/10.3184/095422914X14047407349335.
169 Bean, Laura (2014) Researcher Develops Innovative Way to Use Fungi for Bioremediation of Oil-Contaminated
Soil, EcoWatch May 23, 2014, http://ecowatch.com/2014/05/23/mushrooms-fungi-bioremediationcontaminated-soil/.
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