Amazon is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint and make its operations more sustainable. For example, the company’s Climate Pledge Fund has invested in Hippo Harvest. This climate-tech startup is using cutting-edge technology to tackle the problem of food waste and land use.
Hippo Harvest has developed a new way of growing leafy green lettuce that is much more environmentally friendly. The lettuce is grown in greenhouses using machine learning and robots, which helps to reduce water and fertilizer use by up to 92% and 55%, respectively. Additionally, the greenhouses are located close to the customer base, which helps to reduce carbon emissions from transportation. The result is lettuce, which has a longer shelf life and is grown using fewer resources.
Hippo Harvest’s innovative growing process not only reduces the amount of land and fertilizer needed but also addresses the problem of methane gas emissions from food waste. The company uses a closed-loop, direct-to-root fertilizer system, and machine learning to farm plants efficiently, which helps to reduce food waste. In addition, the greenhouse in Pescadero, California, serves as a test case for addressing water shortage and rain storms in the local agriculture community.
Amazon Fresh customers in select San Francisco markets can now purchase Hippo Harvest greens grown with no pesticides and packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. This represents another step forward in Amazon’s commitment to sustainability. In addition, the company purchased a new record of renewable energy last year and is working towards powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025.
“We are eager to maintain our partnership with Amazon as we strive to innovate cultivation methods that tackle significant issues in the food industry and agriculture sector,” said the CEO of Hippo Harvest, Eitan Marder-Eppstein. “Moreover, we take pride in contributing to the Pescadero community by operating as a low-water grower, renovating a community greenhouse for our use, and employing residents in our growth efforts.”
Image provided by Amazon
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