New hydroponic ingredient gardens help optimize experimental research on resource management in soilless agriculture

New hydroponic ingredient gardens help optimize experimental research on resource management in soilless agriculture.

FAO Director-General and Rector of the University of Rome inaugurate innovative sustainable hydroponic food garden, deepening their partnership.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and Antonella Polimeni, Rector of the University of Rome, at the unveiling of the new hydroponic garden on the terrace of the FAO Headquarters building.

11/06/2024

ROME - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the University of Rome have further deepened their research collaboration in the field of
sustainable agriculture and promoted research into new water-based cultivation techniques with the recent unveiling of a new hydroponic ingredient garden on the terrace
of the FAO headquarters building.

The innovative garden, created with the support of the University of Rome, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat and the Italian Development Cooperation, introduces a
number of innovations that mark a further development of traditional hydroponic techniques. 

FAO has a long history of partnership with these organizations, having already worked together on the FAO Headquarters Terrace Garden in 2021. The new garden expands
on this by using water directly from the tap, without desalination, thus reducing waste of resources. The hydroponic gardens adhere to the use of organic fertilizers, reducing
the ecological footprint of the system - microorganisms dissolved in the water interact with the plants, increasing their resistance to stressors such as heat and pests. Additionally,
the hydroponic system is designed for outdoor growing and does not require the artificial light required by traditional hydroponics, thus keeping daily energy consumption
extremely low. Finally, the vegetable garden was constructed using 90% certified sustainable wood, minimizing the use of plastic in traditional hydroponic systems. 

Antonella Polimeni, Rector of the University of Rome, and Stefania Costanza, Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy to FAO, attended the unveiling of the new ingredient garden,
while FAO Director General Qu Dongyu attended the ceremony and delivered the keynote speech. Director General Qu said that hydroponic agriculture embodies the combination
of tradition and modern technology. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a fruitful and continuous dialogue between academia and FAO, from which both sides would benefit.

Hydroponic ingredient gardens can provide an experimental platform for research, explore options for optimizing resource management in soilless agriculture, and provide alternatives
or supplements to traditional agriculture, which can be promoted and applied in areas where water or arable land resources are scarce, such as mountainous areas. 

FAO and the University of Rome signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in December 2023, defining their collaboration under two FAO flagship programs, the Globally Important
Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) and the Mountain Partnership. The unveiling of the Hydroponic Ingredients Garden reinvigorates the collaboration.