The World's First Floating Dairy Farm Could Revolutionize Milk Production

Giving Compass' Take:

• Dutch port city, Rotterdam, is testing the world's first floating dairy farm that will house 40 cows and be milked by robots and hopefully change the face of dairy farming and food production. 

• There is some criticism of this plan regarding the potential negative environmental impact that it could have concerning water pollution and transportation-related emissions.  How can innovators address these concerns? 

• Read about how a cheese byproduct presents social entrepreneurship opportunities. 

The Dutch port city of Rotterdam will test out the world's first floating dairy farm this fall, NBC News reports.

Cities around the world are experimenting with urban agriculture and seeking space-efficient ways to grow food locally. But Rotterdam is taking these efforts to the next level. The Dutch company, Beladon, has designed a dairy farm that will float on the river.

"With increasing demand for healthy food, fast-growing urbanization, and climate change, we can't rely on the food production systems of the past any more," he said.

Consisting of three levels, the farm will grow grass on its roof, house cattle on the second floor, and utilize the bottom level to process the dairy products.

In the beginning, the float will house 40 cows that will be milked by robots, but it could be "easily scalable," said Van Wingerden. Designed to be a largely self-sustaining system, the floating farm will grow grass to feed the cows and sell their manure as fertilizer. And robots will be tasked with all of the poop-scooping. Cattle will primarily feed on grass grown aboard the farm and used grain from local breweries, but they will also occasionally be able to graze on nearby land. Around 80% of the cows diet will be food waste.

The dairy farm, which plans to deliver 200 gallons of milk and yogurt to consumers each day, would bring urban dwellers closer to the source of their food production. Raw milk would be sold at a public "milk tap," Western Producer reports. Processed products would also be available at vending machines, as well as local hotels and businesses.

While the invention could be a glimpse into the future of food production in cities globally, the floating farm has also been met with some skepticism.