High-Tech Urban Agriculture in Amsterdam: An Actor Network Analysis

Abstract

The agriculture and horticulture sector in the Netherlands is one of the most productive in the world. Although the sector is one of the most advanced and intense agricultural production systems worldwide, it faces challenges, such as climate change and environmental and social unsustainability of industrial production. To overcome these challenges, alternative food production initiatives have emerged, especially in large cities such as Amsterdam. Some initiatives involve producing food in the urban environment, supported by new technologies and practices, so-called high-tech urban agriculture (HTUA). These initiatives make cultivation of plants inside and on top of buildings possible and increase green spaces in urban areas. The emerging agricultural technologies are creating new business environments that are shape d by technology developers (e.g., suppliers of horticultural light emitting diodes (LED) and control environment systems) and developers of alternative food production practices (e.g., HTUA start-ups). However, research shows that the uptake of these technological innovations in urban planning processes is problematic. Therefore, this research analyzes the barriers that local government planners and HTUA developers are facing in the embedding of HTUA in urban planning processes, using the city of Amsterdam as a case study. This study draws on actor-network theory (ANT) to analyze the interactions between planners, technologies, technology developers and developers of alternative food production practices. Several concepts of ANT are integrated into a multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions (MLP) to create a new theoretical framework that can explain how interactions between technologies and planning actors transform the incumbent social–technical regime. The configuration of interactions between social and material entities in technology development and adoption processes in Amsterdam is analyzed through the lens of this theoretical framework. The data in this study were gathered by tracing actors and their connections by using ethnographic research methods. In the course of the integration of new technologies into urban planning practices, gaps between technologies, technology developers, and planning actors have been identified. The results of this study show a lacking connection between planning actors and technology developers, although planning actors do interact with developers of alternative food production practices. These interactions are influenced by agency of artefacts such as visualizations of the future projects. The paper concludes that for the utilization of emerging technologies for sustainability transition of cities, the existing gap between technology developers and planning actors needs to be bridged through the integration of technology development visions in urban agendas and planning processes.

Nutrient Use in Vertical Farming: Optimal Electrical Conductivity of Nutrient Solution for Growth of Lettuce and Basil in Hydroponic Cultivation

“…Feeding the growing world population without depleting natural resources requires alternative and more resource-efficient food production practices [3][4][5]. Vertical farming is an innovative cultivation methods that has attracted a lot of interest among young entrepreneurs and farmers [6]. Vertical farms or vertical controlled environment agriculture has seen extensive expansion, technical innovations, prolific growth, and upscaling taking place worldwide [7,8].…”

Effects of High-Tech Urban Agriculture on Cooking and Eating in Dutch Nursing Homes

“…They offer something to see, touch and smell, which may trigger memories and serve as a topic for discussion, potentially strengthening social cohesion (as is suggested by research on community gardens, see, for instance, [40,41]). Therefore, despite the fact that the harvest from the gardens studied in this paper is relatively small, so that the direct influence on vegetable intake is limited, it seems that Farhangi et al [42] may be right when they state that a transition towards high-tech urban agriculture as an alternative food production method can help to deal with the social and environmental issues caused by the industrial food system in the Netherlands.…”

Response of Plant Rhizosphere Microenvironment to Water Management in Soil- and Substrate-Based Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Systems: A Review

“… Exploration and application of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems worldwide. The figure compiled information based on the following references: Boari et al (2008) , Hong et al (2014) , Eigenbrod and Gruda (2015) , Tuzel and Oztekin (2016) , Ghosh et al (2018) , Lakhiar et al (2018) , Farhangi et al (2020) , Hemming et al (2020) . …”

“…The soil- and substrate-based CEA systems, as a transitional form of traditional agriculture to agriculture industrialization, are integral parts of the agricultural supply chain in many parts of the world and are of central importance to research, technological improvement, and acceptance by the global agricultural economy. At the current stage of global CEA development, energy ratio and economic benefits are key factors ( Farhangi et al, 2020 ; Hemming et al, 2020 ; Ntinas et al, 2020 ), while solid substrates have the advantages of low energy consumption, relatively high stability, and nutrient accumulation, which will have long-term existence in CEA development ( Sanye-Mengual et al, 2018 ). Hence, compared with other forms of cultivation methods (the roots are in direct contact with the solution and air and do not adhere to solids), such as hydroponics and aeroponics, the use of solids as a growth substrate is still irreplaceable.…”