South Africa - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Molemi uses the concept of distributed, vertical indoor farming at controlled environmental conditions. The produce (leafy greens) will be grown hydroponically in mobile trailers that will optimise space and will serve as transportation to desired areas.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Molemi Smart Farmer uses the concept of distributed indoor vertical farming at controlled environmental conditions. The leafy greens will be grown hydroponically in trailers that are equipped with automated LED grow lights and a watering system. As a mobile container, Molemi will be equipped with an automated watering system and grow lights that will ensure that the crops are watered and provided with light whenever necessary. There will be sensors to monitor the water levels and nutrients, and to ensure the temperature and humidity of container is at a desired conditions. Using trailers to grow crops helps with logistics efficiency - This is done by bringing production closer to a location of consumption. It reduces transportation costs, and ensures the freshness of the produce. Distributed hydroponics farming provides consistent and reliable food supply as it can grow year round regardless of weather or any other external conditions. Hydroponics uses less water and nutrients.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

The main problem that we are solving is that of logistical inefficiency. According to StatisticsSA (2022) the cost of transporting fresh produce is high. The main issue is that most farms are in the outskirts of major cities which means that the most effective way is to transport the produce in large bulks. This ensures that the produce will be relatively fresh by the time they get to their destination, however once they arrive, they might not all be sold and consumed. This brings the secondary problem of food wastage. Another secondary problem is that the food crops are not completely fresh which then requires the farmers to producers/grow more and more crops that are ultimately wasted. This also wastes the primary inputs required to grow the food effectively making the agricultural process inefficient.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

The benefits of hydroponically growing food crops in mobile trailer containers is: 1. Logistical efficiency - distributed hydroponics farming brings the production closer to locations of high demand and consumption. This reduces transportation costs. It preserves the freshness of the food crops and decreases the environmental impact of long distance shipping. 2. Food security - By growing food crops at localised areas in closed and controlled environment ensures that they grow all year round reliably as there will be no external factors such as climate and resource-starved places affecting them. 3. Sustainable - By growing crops in trailers, the method minimizes land use and can be set up in urban environments, reducing the need for transportation and lowering carbon footprints. 4. Climate Resilience - Growing at controlled environment , is less susceptible to climate change impacts. This ensures a more resilient food production system.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

We have decided to target a particular portion of the market instead of serving the entire food services market. We will be targeting Restaurants establishments in the urban areas. During our market research by talking/interviewing the restaurant owners/managers we have found out that restaurant establishments require an efficient and consistent supply of certain green food crops such as microgreens, herbs and leafy greens. We decided to focus on exclusively growing these high-value crops and supplying them to the restaurants. In additional to that, we would like to grow the food crops in the vicinity of these restaurants so the use of trailer containers will come handy in hydroponically growing crops as it will be easy to transport to these establishments while they are still fresh. Our secondary niche market will be corporate office buildings to serve their employees at their internal food caffe.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2023-06-15

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

2

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

1

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Andile Matukane is the founder and manager of FarmersChoice. She is currently running a rooftop farm on top of the Menlyn Mall in Pretoria. She studied Plant Propagation at the Tshwane University of Technology and she's currently completing her Master's degree in Plant Pathology. She will be helping the team on the technical side of growing crops to ensure that we are able to properly grow food according to the desired industry standards. She will help with getting the certifications to allow our startup to trade with the markets. Mendel Druin: Mendel is a property developer and investor. He is co-founder ofLev Group. He has been working with Woolworths His involvement will be in marketing and sales.

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

https://molemi.my.canva.site/

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

l) Agriculture

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

5

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

Poverty is the inability for a certain or a household not to be financially able to maintain essential basic standard of living. This includes access to food, clean water, clothing, shelter and healthcare. Our product will be used to grow microgreens, leafy greens and herbal plants. The nutrients found in these produce are essential for a healthy human growth and as such will solve the one aspect of what poverty. Having solved one aspect can also give children or even adults to have a fighting chance to be able to focus on their studies (at school) and on how they can solve the other issues.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

According to goal 2 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, zero hunger, aims to end hunger, improve nutrition, achieve food security and promote sustainable agriculture. The Molemi farm-on-wheels trailer will mainly be use to grow microgreens, leafy greens, and herbal plants. These plants are small enough to be grown at large numbers and most importantly, they are known to have

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

5

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well being for all at all ages. The main goals includes reducing mortality rates by reducing the maternal mortality. The second one includes combating diseases such as AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, and e.t.c. The third point is promoting mental health. The fourth one is universal health coverage while the fifth goal is to ensure environmental health. The Molemi Smart Farmer trailers will be able to grow leafy greens that are full of beneficial nutrients that. As much as medical doctors may not always promote the use of food as medications. Nutritionists and traditional healers do. Most of the chemical compounds found in herbal plants and microgreens have been shown to help with mental health issues such as bi-polar and depression and also nutrition is an important part for women that are pregnant. I believe that growing these essential food crops will help, to a certain level, bring us closer.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

5

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

When the business scales, we will have the need to hire more locals and train to be able to use our Molemi trailers to be able to grow food in their local communities. This means that the people will need to be trained/educated on how to operate a hydroponics mini farm. This includes mixing the right amount of nutrients and water to get the right EC and PH. How to take care of the plants that are grown hydroponically, which is a little different from plants grown on the ground in soil. This will definitely be a different kind of education that has a focus on hydroponically grown plants and not necessarily a full school education curriculum.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

6

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5, gender equality means to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere. The second mission is to eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls. Ensuring participation an equal opportunities for leadership positions at all levels and also equal rights to economic resources. Our project will favour women to run and own the Molemi trailers that will be used by them to grow food crops that they can sell to local markets such as households, local shops and restaurants in turn having the ability to earn. We believe that by giving preferance to women this will at least lead us closer to giving women an opportunity to participate in the economy.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

5

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims to ensure availability and sustainable of clean water. The Molemi SmartFarmer trailers will be growing food crops hydroponically which means that they will be using 95 % less water. This means that we will not be using the freshwater that will be needed from human consumption. We will be recycling the water that we will be using in our trailers which means that there will be less water wastage.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

6

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy. This will be done by increasing renewable energy. Expand clean energy infrastructure. Enhance energy efficiency. The Molemi Smart Farmer trailers will be using solar panels to power the grow lights, the water pumps and the filtration systems. Solar energy will be used since the trailers will not be connected to the power grid and will be mobile. This means that our project will be bringing us closer to achieving this goal by giving access to renewable energy to be used.

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

6

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

The fact that the Molemi SmartFarmer trailers will be using hydroponic farming as opposed to growing food crops on the ground in the soil, we aim to create a better way of farming that does not require one to be working in the son. The work condition using the Molemi SmartFarmer trailers will be decent. The use of the trailers to grow leafy greens hydroponically will also help to grow the local economy as it will create competition amongst the traditional farmers and food crops logistics companies. The use of solar energy ensures that clean energy is used. The trading of leafy greens with restaurants, bed and breakfast establishments, and local green grocery stores, will ensure economic activity and growth.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

The design and building (development) of the Molemi SmartFarmer trailers that will be used to grow leafy greens hydroponically to be supplied to restaurants, Bed and Breakfast establishments, and local green grocery stores will ensure food production near and/or on the locations of consumption. The real innovation is not that the food crops are grown hydroponically, but that they are grown in mobile trailers that are also used as transportation. The fact that the logistical costs of transporting food crops takes a big portion and contributes to the final price that the consumer has pay means that it will no longer be the biggest issue. The use of controlled environment and grow lights to produce the food crops is also the innovation that ensures that the crops are grown all-year-round.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

5

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

For our project, we plan to get more women involved by training them in grown food crops hydroponically and then selling them to local restaurants, Bed and Breakfast establishments in their communities. By growing microgreens, herbal plants and other leafy greens that have the essential nutrients will ensure that the consumers have access to healthy food. This takes care of the Sustainable Development Goal to end poverty and hunger.

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

6

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

Having the ability to grow food crops in the locations of consumption which in this case is urban areas means that the won't be any need to transport food crops all the way from the outskirts of the cities. This means that the use of Molemi trailers will ensure that the urban areas are able to produce enough food for the inhabitants. This will make them sustainable.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

The use of the Molemi SmartFarmer trailers will ensure that the right amount of food crops that is required for consumption in that particular area will be grown. This means that there won't be any food wastage as a result of growing too many or too little crops.

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

6

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

When using the Molemi SmartFarmer trailers to grow food hydroponically means that we will be saving 95% of freshwater that is usually used to grow food crops traditionally. We will be saving water that could have possibly used to sustain natural ecosystem to ensure that the fauna and flora thrives. The use of solar panels to power the trailers means that we will not be using electricity that is produced using coal. This means using less electricity from the grid. We will be helping to contribute less of greenhouse gases and therefore help combat climate change. The water that we will be recycled in our hydroponics which means that we will be using less freshwater and in turn contributing less to climate change.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

3

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

Our Molemi SmartFarmer trailers do not directly contribute to life below water. What it does however is to ensure that we don't use a lot of freshwater that could have been used to sustain life below the sea.

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

The Molemi SmartFarmer trailers will be growing food crops hydroponically in controlled environment. This means that the food crops will not be grown on the soil which means that the land that host animal and other indigenous plants will not be used and hence will not disturb the ecosystem. The fresh water that is usually found in these ecosystems will also not be used.

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

5

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

By including women and the youth in our project by hiring and training them in growing food crops hydroponically means that we are promoting inclusivity in this particular economic activity of growing and selling food crops to local markets. We also allow them to be an important part of society by participating in their local economies. This will also sustain the development of the local communities.

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

6

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

When we supply our food crops to the restaurants, Bed and Breakfast establishments and local green grocery stores means that we will be partnering with these businesses. In turn we will be helping them to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. We will be helping contribute to the climate action, to reducing poverty, to reducing hunger and also to foster gender equality when buying the crops that were grown by the women that we have trained to grow these food crops using the Molemi SmartFarmer trailers.

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

4

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

4

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

4

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

6

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

3

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

6

05.08 Justification

Growing food hydroponically is not a new method. Growing food crops is also not a new method. The different thing that the Molemi SmarFarfmer trailers bring to the table is the ability to grow food at small spaces while the trailers can also be easily mobile. Think of it as a farm-on-wheels. The fact that the trailers can be parked in small means that food crops can be grown in locations where they will be needed. This helps with logistics inefficiencies as it saves on the cost of delivery and also uses less land.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

The traditional big farmers are one of the competitors since they generally have capital to solve the logistics issues when it comes to delivering food crops in locations that are needed. Urban rooftop farmers are also our competitors, and also food crops logistics companies that have built the infrastructure that enables them to deliver the food crops efficiently without inconveniencing their customers.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

In my personal capacity through my other business (Reacoda) that is involved in skills development in the fourth industrial revolution skills such as Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, 3D printing and Machine learning, we have trained young women in these skills and other soft skills such as design and computational thinking to be able to start their own businesses. in 2023 through the Tshimolong Makerspace partnership (which I am the principal facilitator and curriculum developer) we have partnered with the Royal Bafokeng Nation in North West province to facilitate workshops on the 4th industrial revolution skills with the aim of equipping the youth (that included women and people with disabilities) with the proper skills to start their own business. Two of the women we trained went on and built toys that are used to teach basic coding using drag-and-drop (scratch coding). One built an AI livestock monitoring device that she used on her commercial cow farm in Phokeng (Royal Bafokeng)