The Root Of The Science Podcast
*Disclaimer: The views expressed by the guests in the podcast episodes do not reflect my own*
The Root Of The Science Podcast
EP 162: Emmanuel Valentine, Making High-Tech Farming like Hydroponics Affordable for All
With the continent's population projected to reach 2.6 billion by 2050, food production must increase by 70% amidst growing challenges from climate.
Valentine Emmanuel, a Nigerian agricultural scientist, shares his innovative approach to solving Africa's food security challenges through sustainable farming techniques and entrepreneurship.
Valentine's research on the cyclone nutrient economy repurposes treated wastewater for hydroponic farming, to make this farming system affordable for all.
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So for me, I will look at agriculture as a universal set, like it's all encompassing. So the crop science is a subset under agriculture. Animal science is a subset. Agriculture is also, and all these different units or departments are all tailored towards ensuring food security.
Speaker 1:So, for me, venturing into crop science is because, of course, nigeria is mostly referred to as the giant of Africa. We have more than 46 million hectares of arable land and our population is more than 240 million and still counting. So, and I think the country is also one of those with a high number of individuals living below the poverty line and there's massive food insecurity. So the passion and the desire to, you know, make a change, at least starting from my immediate community, to see how I can bring new knowledge, new perspective, to ensure that these arable lands are put into use, into crop cultivation, because, of course, most of the farmers into crop cultivation, because, of course, most of the farmers are into crop cultivation compared to animal rearing. So there's a need to, you know, bring new knowledge, new perspective to ensure that the output that this will actually get commensurate with the effort at the end of the day. So that was a motivating factor for me to focus on crop science.
Speaker 2:Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Root of the Sounds podcast with your girl, Anne Witheney. If you are new here, welcome to the show, and if you're a regular listener, thank you so much for tuning in. Remember to hit the subscribe button if you're listening on YouTube, as well as if you're listening on the audio, and spread the message. Spread the video. There are somebody who really, really needs to hear this. Now let's get into today's episode.
Speaker 2:It's reported that by 2050, Africa's population will hit 2.6 billion nearly double today's numbers. To meet this growth, food production must increase by 70%, but with climate change, conflict, high food prices and resource scarcity in play, that goal feels out of reach. Without bold interventions and the use of emerging technologies, Africa's agriculture system may struggle to keep up with the demands of tomorrow. In this episode, I'll be speaking with Valentine Emmanuel, a Nigerian agriculture scientist currently pursuing his master's in crop science in South Africa. His research explores the use of anaerobic wastewater in hydroponic systems. Valentine is also the founder of Farm4Us, an initiative focused on reviving Africa's dormant arable land and tackling food insecurity through sustainable farm. We'll chat about this and also the wonderful opportunity he currently has as a Mandela Rhodes scholar. Tune in to hear about all of this amazing work that he does, and so much more. Let's go. Hello Valentine, welcome to the show.
Speaker 1:Thank you very much, Anne. It's a privilege to be here.
Speaker 2:I'm so excited to have you on the show. I mean, for those who are unaware, we are colleagues at the same university, in the same building, with the same supervisor, so this is pretty special to have you on the show. So, first things first, emmanuel, let's let everybody else get to know. I know you, but I think this is a great opportunity for you to introduce yourself so that the listeners can get to know you. So, who is Valentine? Where are you from, where are you currently based? And, just briefly, what do you do?
Speaker 1:All right. Thank you very much, anne. It's a privilege to be finally on the Root of Science podcast. Yes, and yeah as you know, my name is Valentine Mano, from Nigeria. I'm a current Mandela Road Scholar and I'm also a farmer. That is just a summary of my bio A farmer that's passionate about integrating technology with agriculture. I'm also the founder of FarmForce, an agribusiness company in Nigeria, and I have about six years of experience of working with different agri-tech companies back in Nigeria.
Speaker 2:Thank, you Thanks. Thanks so much, valentine. We're going to get into more details about all these many facets about you, but you introduced yourself as a farmer. So how does a young Valentine from Nigeria get interested in agriculture and then later now into crop science? So tell us um that journey, that story I would like to put it this way.
Speaker 1:You know, if it does. Uh, there's this subject in much matters that is called set right. And then you have this, this scenario of uh, what is the universal set, what is the subset? So for me, I will look at agriculture as an uh, as a universal, universal set. What is a subset? So for me, I will look at agriculture as a universal set, like it's all encompassing. So the crop science is a subset under agriculture. Animal science is a subset, agriculture is also, and all these different units or departments are all tailored towards ensuring food security.
Speaker 1:So for me, venturing into crop science is because, of course, nigeria is mostly referred to as the giant of Africa.
Speaker 1:We have more than 46 million hectares of arable land and our population is more than 240 million and still counting. And I think the country is also one of those with a high number of individuals living below the poverty line and there's massive food insecurity. So the passion and the desire to, you know, make a change, at least starting from my immediate community, to see how I can bring new knowledge, new perspective, to ensure that these arable lands are put into use, into crop cultivation, because, of course, most of the farmers, they are into crop cultivation compared to animal rearing. So there's a need to, you know, bring new knowledge, new perspective, to ensure that the output that this will actually get commensurate with the effort at the end of the day. So that was a motivating factor for me to focus on crop science, so that we can bring new ways of doing things, technical know-how, and because most of these farmers are mostly illiterates that are relying on a cake and peasants way of farming so, valentine, you I love the way that you told us a story.
Speaker 2:You know you came from Nigeria and you you saw some of the immediate challenges and you inspired uh to make a change. And here you are in South Africa currently pursuing uh your masters in crop science. So please let us know more about this research and, um, exactly what you're working on on the high level.
Speaker 1:My, my research is focused on the cyclone nutrient economy and that is premised on the fact that in sub-Saharan Africa the population is growing. Of course, a lot of researchers are saying population is projected to reach close to 10 billion by 2050 and the rest. So on the side we generate a lot of waste other household waste, farm waste and the rest and you would also agree with me that when we harvest crops from the farm, we eat these crops and then the remains when we pass them out as feces or even underrest, it gets into some of those waste disposal medium underrest, so it creates a gap there whereby these nutrients are not returned back to the soil and the soil is continuously being depleted. So this research is, more of you know, filling that gap by ensuring that whatever is returned from the farm is whatever is taken from the farm, rather is taken back to the farm. That would help encourage sustainability.
Speaker 1:So my specific focus on this area in South Africa is the fact that you know there are a lot of peri-urban settlements that the country is finding it so hard to connect to decentralized waste treatment system. So the country then started piloting the decentralized model where they connect the decentralized wastewater treatment system to households and then this household treats this waste. I mean, this decentralized system treats this waste from the household and at the end of the day you can get water, or what we call effluent. But the current challenge is that this effluent still does not meet the regulatory standard or disposal standard to be released into the environment because of the risk of environmental pollution, contamination, even hazard to human health.
Speaker 1:So researchers are looking at what are the alternative ways to make use of this effluent or this water that is generated by these dewats, and one of those potential areas is in agriculture. So that is a bit of context to my research. So to narrow it down, bring it down a bit, I'm actually focusing on how we can reuse that effluent as a source of nutrient and water in soilless cultivation, particularly the hydroponic system. So at the end of the day we aim to achieve a system whereby we don't have to rely on fresh water, because in South Africa alone the experience less or erratic rainfall, and then the cost of inorganic fertilizer is also going up. So if we are able to recycle these nutrients from the dewats as a source of water and nutrients, then it will reduce the cost of inorganic fertilizer and also the cost of competition for water by agriculture and other sectors in the country.
Speaker 2:That's so impressive and it sounds pretty exciting. But you mentioned your study particularly involves using hydroponics, right? So for people who are unfamiliar, how is that different from the typical farming that maybe some of us are more familiar with?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think most of the conventional style of agriculture is oh, there's a large field where you just go cultivate your crops, rainfall on them or you irrigate manually and then get your harvest at the end of the day. But, like I mentioned earlier in my response, population is growing, especially in Africa, and that population growth has also, you know, triggered high urbanization rate. And what is the implication of urbanization? Arable lands keep decreasing at the end of the day because of new infrastructure and a lot of things that are not related to agriculture. So this keeps decreasing the, the hectarage in terms of available arable lands.
Speaker 1:And that is where the soilless cultivation, hydroponics is important is basically growing crops on water instead of soil as a soilless media. So, because what the soil does is it gives plants support and nutrients and a medium for water uptake. So if we look, if we are able to devise a different system that provide all these items mentioned, I think the crop can still grow, and that's the idea behind hydroponics. So we have the water, then we have a different medium that provides support for the plants and then we have a medium for nutrient uptake. In that way we are able to, you know, at least mitigate the impact of urbanization and it's also a way of integrating urban dwellers into agriculture and all of us will be able to fight to achieve food security in the long run.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it sounds like such a sustainable approach as well, um, with the way that you're mentioning it, but I think, um, it always. I'm just thinking of someone who's okay, this is pretty. I live in an urban area. Maybe I'm interested Cost-wise. Is it something that involves a lot of costs or is there some ways that it can be what's the word? Feasible for everyone to really, like you said, contribute in our fight to be a food secure nation, country, world?
Speaker 1:That is a very amazing question, mose, and it was one of the things that informed my current research methodology. I would say, because hydroponics itself is very expensive, it's very costly the conventional type because you need to look at the huge initial setup cost. You know, you have your glass house or tunnel and then you need to have your, of course, your, your tanks where your water and nutrients will sit, and then you are able to circulate, circulate it to the plants on a daily basis. That is capital intensive. And also you need to think of electricity as well, because you need electricity to power those systems and there's also pumps that are required to be able to keep the water oxygenated and ensure that this water and nutrient is being circulated on a daily basis. So for a peasant farmer and majority of African farmers, this is not feasible for them to adopt because of this initial or huge setup cost.
Speaker 1:I looked at that and I'm like okay, if we want to promote hydroponics, we can devise other passive systems whereby we do not have to always rely on electricity or pumps. We can just have a containerized setup where they are able to provide those nutrients and water and creates opportunity for you know what is called in agriculture, especially because I'm using waste right in hydroponics, what we call nitrification, which happens in the presence of oxygen. That is where this nutrient because this nutrient in your waste mostly are in organic forms, right, but plants take them in inorganic forms. So if we create that medium when nitrification has to happen, then you can use a passive system, because through nitrification those organic nutrients get converted into inorganic forms for plants to take up. And the name of this passive system is called the Cracti hydroponic setup.
Speaker 1:So I learned about it from a professor emeritus at the University of Hawaii, bernard Cracti. Then I decided to modify the system and I think with this system that I came up with, it's very affordable for hobbies, for urban dwellers, even for rural dwellers, and with my findings so far, the yield in terms of kilogram per plant is similar to what we get from the field cultivation. So it is still a work in progress and I believe we will continue to improve on the system and then it will promote adoption in the long run. So it's time for us to remove that stereotype on hydroponics being so costly and so hard to set up. I would say, yeah, but it's something doable and I think in the long run we can achieve it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so brilliant, valentine. I really love that because I think sometimes we feel, maybe in the developing nations, that we are left out of these very innovative solutions because of costs, but then with these types of modifications or other inventions and innovations, I think we can also be part of that conversation. I think we can also be part of that conversation and it's quite interesting because I've seen your setup and it uses very basic, you know, ingredients that any person can have. I remember there was a bucket that was there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the crafty bucket, exactly.
Speaker 2:So some simple things, and we're going to show it as well, you know, here, so that people are aware as we are talking about. But, as people can see, it's a very simple but really effective system. So that is absolutely amazing and I wish you all of the best as you continue pursuing your studies and your research. And already some interesting findings are coming from that studies and your research and already some interesting findings are coming from that. But just hearing you speak, I'm thinking, oh, my goodness, oh, you know you can tell your wealth of knowledge, like you said in the beginning in your introduction, that you've worked um in the agriculture space, very in various different things. So can you tell us about your, the farm for us, um, um, this organization that you are also part of, the founder you are the founder of, rather Okay, I think if we decide to go into the whole idea behind Farm4Us, we can start the next one for our.
Speaker 1:Briefly then, but I'll try as much as possible to keep it very brief, but yeah, prior to registering FarmHorse as a business in Nigeria, I had worked in an agribusiness sector for about five years prior to that time so, and I observed that you know people are doing a lot to produce food. A lot of effort is going into this production by peasants and farmers, but at the end of the day, what they get the output in terms of yield, doesn't even equate the effort they put into this production, and that keeps them in a continuous cycle of poverty because they don't even get enough to feed and even sell for profit. And why are we facing that problem? Because we have the land. Land is fertile. Nigeria is somewhere you can even grow crops without fertilization because there's in-situ uh nutrients and the soil for you to grow crops. So I sat down and I thought about the whole process. We have the land. This land mostly belongs to rural dwellers. Most of them are not into agriculture, even those that are into it. Maybe a farmer may own 10 hectares, but because the capital is not there, the technical know-how is not there. He doesn't have the strength to cultivate the whole 10 hectares. He may be cultivating one hectare, so that is a problem of underutilization of our land resources.
Speaker 1:Then, on the other side, we have guys that have gone through technical trainings and studied agriculture in the university or they have work experiences related to agriculture, but these guys do not have land, they do not have the capital to to begin, you know, to practice what they have learned from school. Yeah, that is another gap there. And then, on the other, we have the well-to-do guys in the society. They have money stocked up in their accounts and they don't even know what to do with it. Right, it's just there. They're saving it and maybe getting the 2% interest rate at the end of the year from the banks and the rest.
Speaker 1:I said, okay, why don't we create a system whereby this system will benefit the farmers that own the land, benefit the youth that have this technical know-how, this experience to engage in agriculture, and also benefit these guys that have money stuck or stacked in their account? So the FarmForce idea and the overall goal at the end of the day is that food is being produced for people to eat and investors are also, or these guys are also earning returns on investment. The community are getting employed, the youth in the community are getting employed because the labor on the farm comes from this community right? So the system in some research that takes funds from those we call our partners. They're in the US, in Canada, in Nigeria, even in South Africa. Here they have these funds and are ready to create impact. They don't have the time to engage in the actual farming, so they give us farm for us, these funds, this capital right. We are accountable to them, fully aware that their fund is making impact in the rural communities.
Speaker 1:Then we take these funds and lease lands from these farmers or the landowners in communities. They are already earning rents on those lands and then we bring our technical know-how, our knowledge in agriculture to cultivate these lands, grow different staple crops at the end of the day, and even employ labor from those communities. So at the end of the day we are able to process our harvest and sell it to other agricultural processing companies. We earn revenue and we have a profit sharing formula that ensures that return on investment goes to these investors or partners and profit also comes to the company and the lovers or the workers also earn wages, so it's an all-inclusive process and I believe our target is to ensure we cultivate 1 million hectares by 2050 and I'm with the support we are getting so far. It's something doable. I'll enjoy a lot of support. It's not easy, but I believe we'll get there. We just take resilience and determination and we'll get there.
Speaker 2:Oh my goodness, valentine, that is such a brilliant idea. It's like a, like a circle, like a loop, exactly All sort of comes back down to to it and I absolutely love that and I think, imagine if that can be replicated. I don't know, farm fires can be replicated in various different parts of Africa, because there's so many people, like you said, in the diaspora or in the country itself who have money on investment and people are always going to need to be fed and wow, what a wonderful opportunity also for young people. There's so many of us who are getting degrees in this field and we don't know what to do with it. So, oh my goodness, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
Speaker 1:I, I love this and I wish you let me let me add something to the point you just raised in terms of covering the whole africa, that is, as part of our long-term plan. But how do we want to do it? That is where technology now comes in, because we don't want to use a manual approach. We cannot be in all the African countries at the same time because there are 54 African countries. But what we intend to do is we already have our technology, our young, vibrant technology team that are coming up, and then, by the time we build this, our product, we will deploy it across African countries, of course, with the right technology team that are coming up. And then, by the time we build this, our product, we will deploy it across African countries. Of course, with the right sponsor, with the right support and everything, we'll be able to achieve it.
Speaker 1:So this system will ensure that landowners across African countries are able to sign up on this our app or software and indicate that they have farms or land to lease to the company in their country.
Speaker 1:Of course, we'll have our selection criteria, because we look at topography, we look at different parameters to be able to accept a land for cultivation and then, on this app, you know we approve their lands and then they earn money by renting their land to us. Then, on this app, partners can also sign up across different African countries like, oh, this is my country, in Rwanda, in South Africa, wherever you are in Africa to say, okay, you want to be a partner by investing your funds to ensure that our presence is felt in your country. And also, at the end of the day, the app would also recruit. It would be a platform for people to you know, apply to be part of the field staff in this particular country to engage in working on those deals and the rest, while we have our you know, the managerial team somewhere coordinating everything happening across these countries. I think with technology, it's something that is doable in the long run.
Speaker 2:Oh, definitely, because I'm thinking about the same way that how Uber operates, for example, or Airbnb. You don't have to be in that particular space, but you can create that platform. And that sounds so innovative and very exciting, because now you're also using technology to stay abreast and to still be relevant in the future. So that's absolutely, absolutely impressive. And congratulations and um and your team who are working on the ground to to to do this work. So, valentine, um, as we're starting to wrap up, I I'm just thinking. You're a student. You said you are Mandela Road scholar as well. You are a founder. How do you balance all of those very big hats that you're wearing simultaneously?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, that's true, it's really a lot. It's really a lot and, like you said, I'm a Mandela Rhodes scholar as well and it's a lot research and the rest. But one thing I believe is if you have the right network and support system, you will win. And as a young guy you know, coming up on this track, I don't have it all. So I would have to look for oh, who are those that have experience in these different areas? Is it research, is it entrepreneurship? And then seek them to be my mentor.
Speaker 1:That has been a great support system so far. Even in you mentioned that we're part of the same research group and the rest. You know, I know a few times I've reached out to you that, oh, how is it going? In engaging with you on such conversation, I'm already learning from your experience to help me manage myself and manage whatever is to come along the way, and also with the Mandela Rose Scholarship or Mandela Rose Foundation team. They are also a great support system because they teach you entrepreneurship skills, leadership skills and how to ensure that the education you get does not just end on paper but have real impact on people in your community. So the trainers, as a matter of fact, binance will be in Cape Town for another section of the training, and then we are able to integrate these skills into whatever we are doing in our daily lives.
Speaker 1:It has been a really, really great support system, and for me, it's all about doing my checks and balance. Have a schedule for whatever you are doing. Oh, this time is for research. This time is for, you know, checking on my team at farm for what's happening. This time is time to rest. Of course, it must always rest, you know so that you don't crash at the end of the day, right? So it's all about how do your checks and balance, and having a schedule for whatever you are doing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you, sure. So quickly tell me more about the Mandela Rhodes scholarship program that you're part of, if somebody's listening, because I'm sure we've heard of it. You know, yeah, program that you're part of, um, if somebody's listening, because I'm sure we've heard of it, you know, yeah, how does any somebody who's interested, how do they get involved if they also aspire to get that type of support that you've um?
Speaker 1:so um mentioned um yeah, so the mandela rhodes scholarship has been awarded by the mandela rhodes foundation, and it's a foundation that is built by collaboration between the Rhodes Trust and the Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa, and it is solely built on the legacy of the former South African president, nelson Mandela. You know, he was a great leader in Africa during the apartheid era. So the major objective or aim of the foundation is to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa, because the scholarship or the award is for only African citizens or African scholars. So how do they do this? They do this by identifying individuals across different African countries who are, you know, within the limit of their available resources or their own capacity, being able to demonstrate leadership capacity, entrepreneurial ability, ability to demonstrate reconciliation. Africa is a country where there's a lot of polarization on the continent. People are separated across tribal lines, across religious lines and the rest. So reconciliation is an effort to bring people together, regardless of our background or individual differences. So I know people that have gone through formal education and have demonstrated high academic prowess. So when they identify this individual through series of screening and the rest, the top individuals that meets all the selection criteria are then awarded the scholarship.
Speaker 1:So the scholarship is awarded for you to be able to study in South Africa. So enroll for a postgraduate study, either honors degree or master's degree, in South Africa, fully funded by the foundation. And the good thing is that it's not only about you studying and why it has to be in South Africa, because they want an integrated system where you can also learn from the South African culture and South Africa can also benefit from you being in the country to learn from your culture, to learn from your background, and you are also able to engage in different community services. Because, as a scholar with the foundation, like I said earlier, aside your postgraduate studies, you are periodically going for leadership training, entrepreneurial training and the rest. So at the end of the day, you still get certified by the foundation that, oh, you've spent two years in their leadership training institute and the rest.
Speaker 1:So all this is fully covered. Your travel costs, your accommodation, your feeding, everything. All you need to do is just come in, have that determination, have that zeal, the passion to be Pan-African Let me put it that way. So, because we are building the next set of emerging leaders that are able to contribute to help Africa take its place in the global world, yeah, so yeah, I encourage a lot of people listening to this podcast to apply. You know you'll meet all the criteria. Just go to Google, start the Mandela Rhodes Foundation and you will have all the you know process there for you to be able to submit a good application, and I wish you all the best on the journey. You won't regret applying, I trust. I guarantee you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, definitely, and I mean I've heard from you in our personal conversations how beneficial this opportunity has been and I'm excited to where the types of networks that you're building, the types of knowledge, will take you, not only, like you said, academically, but also professionally, as an entrepreneur, as a leader in the space. So, definitely, I hope that somebody is inspired and is motivated to apply. So, last question, speaking on inspiration, you are a pretty impressive man, valentine. My head is swelling already, thank you. Thank you for being welcome. You know, we call you odogu, uh, you know, uh odogu is for those that makes things happen.
Speaker 2:There's a normal slang in nigeria precisely, we call you odogu, so we can see it. You are making things happen and, um, it's. It's an honor even for me to watch and to get to say that I know you and I've been so fortunate because I got to learn some things about you that I didn't know. So this was such a wonderful conversation, but, as we close off, what piece of advice would you like to leave for someone who's listening, who beginning, you know, still trying to figure it out of where they want to find their place in this world, in science, in entrepreneurship or just generally?
Speaker 1:Yeah, Thank you very much for that question and my advice would be you don't have to have it all figured out, figured out before you venture into anything you are inspired to venture into, because a great man Nelson Mandela would say that courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. So you don't have to have it figured out. The moment you have that inspiration, you have that idea and everything, go for it and while going for it, just ensure you're on the right track. Don't do it alone. No man is an island. There are people that have gone before you on this journey.
Speaker 1:You want to be a scientist, you want to go into research. There are people that have gone ahead of you before you. So try and create a network with these people and, of course, that is why, before you know, you are a research person, if I must say, and before you get into the research, academics and all you need to get a supervisor. Why do you need a supervisor? This is because this person has had several years of experience in research, in academics and the rest. So you need a mentor, you need someone to guide you on that journey and that's why you need a supervisor and everything on that journey and that's why you need a supervisor and everything.
Speaker 1:So, in the same vein, if you want to be a scientist or you want to be a researcher, even in entrepreneurship, look for people that have experience, people that you feel you can benefit from, and then create that network with them. Be humble on the journey and they will be able to help you. And also there are a lot of resources online that can help you get started. Where you listen to people's story, like we are discussing on this podcast, the Roots of the Science podcast, it's an avenue for people to learn from others' experience, learn from other people's stories and be able to, you know, kick off on their own journey. And I also believe from this podcast you can connect to people like us or others that have you know, that have their records on on this podcast and establish like a connection with them, and I'm very sure they'll be willing to help you get started on your journey. So that would be my advice do it, do it afraid, but don't give up on the journey. Yeah, thank you amazing.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for that wonderful piece of advice. And you're absolutely right, do it afraid, do it unsure. You know you'll stumble your way, but you'll figure it out. And, like you rightly said, there are people who are willing and wanting to help because they understand what it's like starting out. So they always want to help someone so that they can they can find a bit of an easier journey. So, yeah, no, valentine, thank you for this wonderful conversation. I had such a great time getting to know you, getting to discuss about your work and all the amazing things that you do. Congratulations. Thank you Again, odogo. You are making things happen and I'm excited to see things, all the things that you're going to do, because we can see that it's, it's going to be pretty amazing. So thank you for taking the time to chat with me.
Speaker 1:Thank you very much for having me on this podcast. Thank you very much. Thank you for, you know, putting this together. It's really amazing and I'm really honored to be on this podcast. Thank you very much.
Speaker 2:Absolute pleasure. And to everyone else who's tuned in, thank you for listening to another episode of the root of the podcast, with your girl and with an e. Until next time, goodbye.
