Fresh vegetables are being grown on hundreds of deepsea vessels thanks to artificial intelligence and a unique contraption that creates a sealed perfect environment for seedlings to grow.
All that’s needed is water, electricity and a wifi connection. Green fingers are an option.
Synergy Marine’s crews are doing it, as are those on Zim, Eastern Pacific Shipping and Seaspan Corp vessels.
Four years ago, Israeli start-up Agwa launched the idea of growing vegetables in specialised self-contained units that resemble a midsize refrigerator or wine cooler.
Even though the idea was not initially focused on shipping, a discussion with one shipowner has led the company to refocus on the maritime sector when it realised how many deepsea vessel crews sailed without access to fresh vegetables.
Agwa chief commercial officer Eli Feiglin said three units on a ship can give a crew of 20 up to four bowls of salad a week, as well as herbs for seasoning and flavouring food.
“The crews are so happy,” he said. “They get fresh vegetables in the middle of the ocean.”
For the ships’ cooks or whoever is nominated to oversee vegetable growing, the process is simple.
Agwa supplies pre-seeded capsules that are inserted in baskets in the growing units. There is also a supply of fertiliser. The units maintain the right humidity, pH balance and temperature to ensure the vegetables grow at the right speed for the needs of the crew.
The secret sauce is the AI — what Feiglin calls the virtual agronomist — which will determine the amounts of ultraviolet light, water and fertiliser to apply, as well as maintain the temperature in the unit.
Inbuilt cameras and sensors help the AI system keep watch, while a tablet allows the crew to monitor growth.
“The crew do not need to get involved, we do it for them, it is all automatic,” said Feiglin, but the units have been a hit with crew members who do take an interest in the food.
“Having a constant supply of fresh vegetables on a vessel is something no one has managed to deal with,” he told TradeWinds. “It is about increasing the environment and well-being on board.”
Capsules have different seeds, but the choices are limited to different greens and lettuces and various green herbs, although the company is developing the ability to grow cherry tomatoes and strawberries.
Feiglin is also quick to point out the health benefits of eating freshly picked vegetables compared with those that are harvested before they ripen and shipped out to a vessel.
“Each day between harvesting and eating them you lose 10% of the natural nutritional value of products, and here you eat it immediately, so you get 100%. And that’s beside the taste. It is much tastier and much healthier to consume it in this way.”
He also argues that the ability to grow greens on board is cheaper than ordering them for delivery, due to the shipping costs and inevitable wastage.
He said Eastern Pacific Shipping has already rolled out Agwa’s units and signed a deal to supply the seedlings across all its fleet, and even gone as far as to design dedicated rooms next to the galley to grow vegetables.
Feiglin said Agwa is about to announce another big contract, but declined to name the counterparty.
