Commons praise for unique food production system

A PIONEERING horticultural project at Paignton Zoo has been hailed at Westminster.

Parliamentary backing has been given to the new Verticrop system developed by Cornish company Valcent.

The zoo has installed the first of a new generation of innovative plant-growing systems which will not only save thousands of pounds in feed bills, but could also help towards the world's food crisis, providing a non-GM solution to food problems.

The innovative project enables large amounts of crops to be grown in relatively small spaces, such as in cities, and in inhospitable conditions, such as deserts, reduce demand for agricultural land and so protect wildlife, increase by 20 times the amount of crop produced in any equivalent field space while using only five per cent of the water normally needed.

It could also be used to grow biofuels.

A petition has now been tabled at Westminster by Torbay MP Adrian Sanders praising Valcent for developing the plant-growing system and welcoming the installation of the first project at Paignton Zoo.

The Commons motion, backed by a number of MPs, also recognises 'the considerable potential offered by the 20-fold increase in crop yield which could reduce demand for agricultural land, allow diverse environments such as cities and deserts to produce food and protect endangered flora and fauna'.

It notes that the system requires five per cent of the water usually required for agriculture 'and calls on the Government to support the system wherever possible, including recognition that produce from the system is organic and should not be prevented from being described as such'.

The Verticrop system is the first of its kind in Europe and the first in a zoo or botanic garden anywhere in the world.

It will enable the zoo to grow its own animal feed at a time when it gets through 800 lettuces a week, about 800 carrots a day and approximately £8,000 of fruit per month.

Initially, the zoo will grow a whole range of herbs, such as parsley and oregano, as well as leaf vegetables such as lettuce and spinach, plus a range of fruits such as cherry tomato and strawberries. Some may be used in the restaurant.

Reptiles, birds and most of the mammal collection — including primates and big cats — will benefit from the production of year-round fresh food.

The zoo and Valcent benefit from having a functioning system which they can trial and showcase.

The system uses water-filled trays on a looped dynamic conveyor belt and automatic feeding stations to grow plants ultra efficiently.

The plants are moved around the highly insulated 'greenhouse' by the computer-controlled conveyor belt to maximise their exposure to light and growth rates, they are watered automatically and the water is filtered and re-circulated with extra nutrients.

Fully stocked, the trays would be able to take more than a 10,000 plants at any one time.

Only one other experimental rig is currently working, in America.