JPFA Looking beyond the SDGs on 10th Anniversary

As the world is pursuing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, the Japan Plant Factory Association will highlight the importance of looking beyond the SDGs in its coming online event. The nonprofit organization will hold the “Japan Plant Factory Association 10th Anniversary Fest–10 Years of Progress, and Achieving the SDGs and Beyond” on Sept. 15-17. The […]

Continue Reading

Could open source agriculture revolutionize the industry?

Open source agriculture could redefine how plants are developed and produced. The terms “open source” and “open source technology” are most often used when referring to the development of computer software. Computer software source code is what programmers use to change how a software program or application operates. Attorney Andrew St. Laurent in his book […]

Continue Reading

Five-day Introductory Training Course on Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting (PFAL)

In response to increasing global demands from indoor farmers, researchers and future entrepreneurs in the exciting emerging field of plant factory with artificial lighting (PFAL), also known as vertical farm, this coming October, Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA) together with Chiba University will host an intensive five-day introductory training course in English on PFAL. Since […]

Continue Reading

Japan Plant Factory Association and Smart City, Kashiwa-No-Ha Town

Originally published in Issue 12 By Eri Hayashi, Japan Plant Factory Association, Industry Expert The Japan Plant Factory Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by the faculties of Chiba University engaged in the Plant Factory Project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries(MAFF) of Japan. JPFA targets to support the industry […]

Continue Reading

Japan Special Report: Plant Factories with Artificial Light (PFAL)

Originally published in Issue 11 By Eri Hayashi, Japan Plant Factory Association, Industry Expert After the 1980s and 1990s, Japan has been experiencing its third boom of commercial plant factories equipped with artificial light (PFAL). This has been occurring since 2009. Besides government-funded projects, many Japanese companies started to enter the PFAL industry as growers […]

Continue Reading

Japan Plant Factories are providing a safe, reliable food source

Originally published in Issue 6 Japan’s plant factories are expanding to meet the increasing demand for safe, pesticide-free, locally-grown food. Japan has more plant factories (PFs) than any other country. The largest number of plant factories are located in Okinawa Prefecture near Taiwan. The rapid commercialization and financial subsidization by the Japanese government of PFs, […]

Continue Reading
east-meets-west-japan-plant-factory-association-delegation

East Meets West: Recap

It was a privilege and an honor to be part of the organizing team and also to moderate the “East Meets West” conference held at the California Agriculture Center last month in Salinas, California. The first event of its kind brought together seven member-companies from the JPFA (Japan Plant Factory Association) led by association President […]

Continue Reading
Urban Ag News Issue 12

Urban Ag News Online Magazine Issue 12

Click here to download the issue. Urban Ag News Issue 12  |  January 2016 Urban Ag News’ Issue 12 cover story on Westland Orchids and Westland Produce focuses on the father-son team of Jerry and David Van Wingerden. Find out how their companies have evolved to stay relevant and profitable as the horticulture industry has changed. If […]

Continue Reading

Panelist at the International Congress on Controlled Environment Ag

One of the most impressive features of the International Congress on Controlled Environment Agriculture, also know as the ICCEA2015 (http://www.icceapanama.org/), is the ever growing list of speakers and panelist. Here is the current list of speakers: Dr. Toyoki Kozai – Chiba University Dr. Leo Marcelis – Wageningen University Dr. Wei Fang – National University of […]

Continue Reading