How will we feed 8 billion people? New tech is making it possible.

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How much cropland does it take to sustain your life? The answer is about a half acre — that’s roughly the amount of active cropland per person across the entire planet. As the global population grows, this area will shrink.

So what are some sustainable ways to make the most of this finite space? In this mega-episode of “Hard Reset,” Nick explores that question by meeting with some of the people building a sustainable future for farming — not only in terms of food production but also the materials that are woven into modern life.

Nick explores what it will take to scale up the lab-grown meat industry, how laser-wielding robots are making farmers’ lives easier, the surprising benefits of mushroom leather, the economics of vertical farming, and much more. Solutions like these are working toward a future where farming uses less space, reduces human labor, and wastes fewer resources.

0:00 What is the active cropland needed per person?
2:26 What is a MEGASODE?
2:38 Part 1: The Farm
2:59 Why is farming more than just food?
3:33 How much cropland do we each require?
3:46 How do we feed a growing population?
4:11 How will we solve the problems of limited space, labor, and resources?

4:17 Part 2: The Space
4:25 How can we produce more with less?
5:08 Why farm vertically?
7:07 Why use LEDs?
9:09 What is the world’s cropland used for?
10:27 Why are we eating so much meat?
12:59 Can we replace meat with cell-cultured meat?

17:49 Part 3: Time
18:26 Can robots replace human functions?
19:52 What are punnets?
20:31 What kinds of crops can these robots harvest?
20:58 What is Carbon Robotic’s laser weeder?
22:22 How does the laser weeder work?
23:23 How do lasers work?

26:06 Part 4: Inputs and Outputs
26:13 Why do we need topsoil?
26:58 What are the advantages of laser weeding?
28:00 How do we make the most of the water we have?
29:00 What is mycelium?
30:42 Can mushroom leather rival the real thing?
31:54 How can we manipulate mycelium cells?
33:49 Why do some people require more than a 1/2 acre?
34:50 How can we make healthy meals available in food desserts?
36:00 How are farming and selling food related?

Watch on Freethink.com ► https://www.freethink.com/series/hard...

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Read more of our stories on farming:
Farmers can fight invasive insects with AI and a robotic arm
►https://www.freethink.com/robots-ai/s...
3 ways autonomous farming is driving a new era of agriculture
►https://www.freethink.com/hard-tech/a...
Agricultural photosynthesis lets us grow plants in total darkness
►https://www.freethink.com/science/art...
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Watch our original series:
► Hard Reset:    • Hard Reset by Freethink  
► Just Might Work:    • Just Might Work by Freethink  
► Challengers:    • Challengers by Freethink  

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About Freethink
No politics, no gossip, no cynics. At Freethink, we believe the daily news should inspire people to build a better world. While most media is fueled by toxic politics and negativity, we focus on solutions: the smartest people, the biggest ideas, and the most ground breaking technology shaping our future.
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