Agriculture & megacities

In parallel, the Agritech & Design Prize, led by EDB Singapore, will offer French start-ups the opportunity to take part in the thinking process in a dedicated competition. Closing date for proposals – 31 Dec 2019. Find out more.

• Registration is now closed.
• 40 students have been selected.
• They will have 5 months to co-create innovative solutions in the field of urban agriculture.
• The awards ceremony will take place on the evening of 27 February 2020 (location communicated later).

Producing, distributing, revaluing: the challenge of autonomy

Half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. The multiplication and growth of megacities has been intensifying since the 2000s. Today, half a billion people live in only 33 urban areas.

From Paris to Singapore, this phenomenon of intense urbanization is giving rise to major transformations in society. In terms of housing, transport, energy, environment, health and, of course, food.

Almost all of the megacities’ food resources are produced outside the city and require huge logistical flows to ensure their distribution, causing significant environmental damage. The accidental or intentional breakdown of supply chains in large urban centers would lead to a critical situation of food shortage in just a few days.

In the context of natural hazards and environmental risks, it is necessary to reinvent the food organization in megacities to increase their autonomy. New forms of agriculture, more local, more sustainable, are to be imagined. The supply channels must be diversified, the proximity privileged. The production and distribution of food resources and the reuse of waste must be as close as possible to urban dwellers and fully integrated into the urban fabric.

Students, join the Prix Design & Science 2020 and imagine the future of urban agriculture!