As climate change, urbanization, water shortages and population growth impact food production worldwide, communities are turning to urban agriculture as a local, sustainable solution.

In October 2023, the Sustainability Pod — part of SAIT’s MacPhail School of Energy — co-hosted a Water Innovation Lab with Canadian non-profit Waterlution, sparking creative ideas for advancing urban agriculture initiatives in central and southern Alberta.

Sponsored by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, and part of SAIT’s research into innovation in climate adaptation, the Water Innovation Lab featured a panel discussion with experts from diverse sectors and industries in Calgary and Edmonton. It brought together more than 80 participants from across Canada.

While traditional agricultural methods often require large amounts of land and natural resources such as sunlight and water, urban agriculture can thrive in retrofitted greenhouses, modular buildings or repurposed commercial spaces.

“There’s value in being at the forefront of innovation,” says Michelle Anderson, Research Analyst in Sustainability Sciences at SAIT. “The success of the 2023 Water Innovation Lab has paved the way for future conversations that will likely be focused on the monitoring and assessment of new technologies, initiatives that address water shortages, and policy change to welcome capital investment.”

Opportunities for economic investment and growth are demonstrated by companies like NuLeaf Farms, an industry leader in urban agriculture whose president, Ryan Wright, was a panel member at the Lab.

“We want to help create businesses and employment, then add value by helping to build unique brands incorporating these products,” he says.

“The Water Innovation Lab was a great opportunity for businesses trying to solve food insecurity through economic development and environmental stewardship,” Wright says. “Our focus is more on growing farmers than growing produce.”

Karen Kun, founder and president of Water Innovation Lab co-host Waterlution — a non-profit working to solve complex water challenges — says urban farming offers excellent opportunities for Alberta companies exploring climate resilience initiatives. One reason for this is because urban farming typically operates with about 95% less water than traditional agriculture.

“We’ve hosted more water innovation labs in Alberta than anywhere else in Canada because we can access everything within a tight geographic scope,” Kun says.

“For example, Calgary is an energy hub with substantial traditional agriculture and pronounced water issues. Many ideas explored in Alberta can be scaled to areas with similar climates.”

Waterlution and the Sustainability Pod are planning future Water Innovation Lab panel discussions and workshops for Calgary and Edmonton this summer.