Pandemic COVID-19 and universal quarantine has exposed the vulnerability of food systems in developed countries. Previously, almost the entire crop is bought up by large companies and wholesale quantities supplied to the trading network and public catering system. Now when closed, and supermarkets and restaurants, people are looking for ways to buy products at retail, without risking to get infected. In the UK that have used a vending company, fishermen and producers of vegetables hydroponically.
In the 1970s, the grandfather of farmer Neil Steven Inverrary put at the gate wheelbarrow with vegetables and Treasury integrity – the people themselves took the goods and left the payment. Today Neil has a building with dozens of vending machines that sell fresh produce from the surrounding farmers. All the products are divided into portions to separate the package, buyers pay via electronic card and not risk becoming infected. Thanks to this convenient format, sales have increased fivefold since the beginning of the quarantine in the country, and the products arrive the city residents in a radius of 30 km.
A London-based startup “Crate to Plate” growing vegetables and herbs hydroponically in a converted sea containers, ready to gather 12 harvests per year, 15 tons per container. Not to apply pesticides and to eliminate the threat of pests, it was originally staked on cleanliness, including biosecurity suits for employees. They could only add shop for sterile packaging of products in bags, and since the beginning of the quarantine, the number of customers increased by 3000 %. Little-known startup was the main breadwinner of a heavily populated area.
Your approach trying to find and British fishermen received for these purposes a million pounds in subsidies from the government. Previously, the entire commercial fishing has been focused on exports, which is now closed. Therefore, the large boats are at the piers, and small boats daily bring ashore a small amount of fish that is packaged and delivered via couriers directly to your home customers. Besides the fact that the people at the tables once again there is fresh fish, and increased its stock – wholesalers previously bought only a few of the most popular types, and now the fishermen expanse.
Source — The Guardian