MBR_ISSUE 38_LowRes

Malta Business Review
WORLD FOOD CRISIS
Swedish multi awarded pioneer company Plantagon
invites everyone to join them in fighting the world food
crisis. Say Hi to (the definition of) Inclusive Capitalism.
By Anna Karlsson
The Swedish pioneer in urban agriculture and food tech, Plantagon International,
is launching an international recruiting campaign to recruit like-minded allies
throughout the world to help achieve the common goal of solving the world food
crisis. While doing so, Plantagon aims at changing the current business paradigm
by creating a more responsible and inclusive economy through democratizing
and sharing of its power and profits. Plantagon’s governance model, called the
Companization*, has attained global interest and recognition for its innovative
hybrid model containing both a for-profit and a non-profit organization.
The Swedish pioneer in urban agriculture
and food tech, Plantagon International,
is launching an international recruiting
campaign to recruit like-minded allies
throughout the world to help achieve the
common goal of solving the world food crisis.
While doing so, Plantagon aims at changing
the current business paradigm by creating
a more responsible and inclusive economy
through democratizing and sharing of its
power and profits. Plantagon’s governance
model, called the Companization*, has
attained global interest and recognition for
its innovative hybrid model containing both a
for-profit and a non-profit organization.
The problem Plantagon has set out to solve
is the world food crisis. Recent estimates
suggest that by 2050 up to 80% of the world’s
population will reside in cities[1]. By then,
the world’s population is projected to almost
reach 10 billion[2]. If current farming practices
and consumption patterns continue, the
Earth’s arable land will soon not be sufficient
to produce enough food for the growing
population. To address this, Plantagon has
developed solutions for large-scale food
production in cities; most prominently,
vertical space-efficient greenhouses or
‘plantscrapers’ for the urban environment
that will deliver locally grown organic food
directly to the consumer.
To achieve the platscrapers, Plantagon’s
hybrid model needs to charge up with help of
the power of the many. Plantagon needs likeminded
people all over the world who share
the belief that a value change is needed for
survival and that the current focus on shortterm
profit has to stop. That cause beats
profit.
People from all over the world who wants
to join this work are invited to become allies
of Plantagon International and a part of the
Companization. Through their “allyship” in
the non-profit association they will play a
crucial part in Plantagon International’s first
landmark project, The World Food Building,
a 60-meter vertical greenhouse and office
building in Linköping, Sweden. The project
is the first of its kind and will produce 500
metric tons of food annually, saving 1000
metric tons of CO2 emissions and 50 million
liters of water compared to regular farming.
In addition to that, at least 50% of the energy
consumption of the production will be reused
in the building.
“We are reaching out to people everywhere
that feel that commercial organisations
should also be the driving force of change.
People are sick and tired of businesses being
shortsighted and just-for-profit driven. We
believe it’s time for this to change, the time
for ‘business as usual’ is over. With potentially
100 000 allies all over the world supporting
Plantagon we will show that the power of
the crowd gets the job done,” says Hans
Hassle, Plantagon’s Co-founder and Secretary-
General.
For more information about Plantagon’s
governance model and how to join Plantagon
as an ally, please go to www.plantagon.org/
membership/.
LANDMARK PROJECT: THE WORLD
FOOD BUILDING
Creating a solid base of allies within the
Companization will support Plantagon’s up
scaling of business internationally and help
to accelerate Plantagon’s landmark project,
a 60-meter vertical farm named The World
Food Building in Linköping, Sweden. The
building’s interior will be shared between a
16-storey office space and a food production
line built on Plantagon’s patented technology;
producing food in a closed, clean and climate
controlled environment. The World Food
Building will serve as an international model
plant to present the methods, symbiotic
systems and technologies developed by
Plantagon and its partners to enable large
cities around the world to help produce their
own food through vertical industrial urban
farming.
The building will produce 500 metric tonnes
of food annually, saving 1000 metric tonnes of
CO2 emissions and 50 million litres of water.
At least 50% of the energy consumption for
the food production will be recovered as floor
heat in the office building through smart
energy systems and heat storage.
To cap off the symbiosis between flora and
fauna, the CO2 emitted by the office workers
will be transferred into the greenhouse, and
vice versa.
The building was recently awarded The
International Architecture Awards 2016
by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of
Architecture and Design and The European
Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban
Studies. Plantagon has also been recognized
by Red Herring as being one the 100 most
innovative companies in the world.
THE COMPANIZATION
Plantagon’s governance model is built on
an advanced CSR-approach that shapes
what the company stands for and how it
can act. The objective is to democratise
the share holding company by taking away
anonymous ownership that only focuses on
maximising profit. This model is recognised as
Companization, a hybrid between a for-profit
company and an association open for all.
Plantation calls this “a value change needed
for survival”. By using this model, Plantagon
is giving away both money and power to the
Allies and members, since the Association
owns 10% and has the power to appoint half
of the board in the share holding company.
Credit: Manifest Stockholm
About Plantagon
Plantagon International is a worldleading
pioneer within the field food
security and CSR – combining urban
agriculture, innovative technical solutions
and architecture – to meet the demand
for efficient food production within cities;
adding a more democratic and inclusive
governance model. Plantagon has been
recognized by Red Herring as being one
the 100 most innovative companies in
the world. MBR
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