An Agricultural Revolution - STAR Businessweek

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Argentina’s economic turmoil leaves small businesses reeling

AN AGRICULTURAL

REVOLUTION

How GreenTech is transforming the agricultural industry in Saint Lucia and beyond

BY CATHERINE MORRIS, STAR BUSINESSWEEK CORRESPONDENT

In the past, successful farmers relied on the land, the weather, their instincts and a little bit of luck. Thanks to a boom in ‘green technology’ there are now a lot more tools at their disposal.

The uptake of GreenTech among agricultural pioneers is helping to modernise the industry and streamline farming, as well as aiding the Caribbean in achieving its goal of food security.

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Like most other Argentine executives, Julian Groisman could hardly believe his ears when he heard that the central bank had raised interest rates to 40 per cent — higher than almost anywhere else in the world.

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Expat Americans given one-year reprieve on US repatriation tax Expatriate Americans have been granted a one-year reprieve from an unexpected levy on their overseas business interests, raising their hopes of Congress amending the tax reforms signed into law by Donald Trump six months ago.

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PREVENTING DISASTERS IN DISASTER RECOVERY

BY ED KENNEDY, STAR BUSINESSWEEK CORRESPONDENT

Yet the theft of up to $1.4 billion from the US government’s emergency disaster relief fund provided for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita shows this is not the case.

The tremendous generosity shown by good people donating $13.5 billion to Haitian recovery efforts after 2010’s horrific earthquake, has been undermined by clear mismanagement and inaction at the U.N.

WHAT PREVENTS MISMANAGEMENT?

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BY CHRISTIAN WAYNE – EDITOR AT LARGE

Can you imagine being a small business owner who’s just received news that the central bank has raised interest rates to 40%?

Well, that’s the reality that many Argentine small business owners are facing after the country recently signed a US$50bn deal with the IMF. It is interesting, however, how little private sector debt there actually is in Argentina so it’s somewhat debatable, though hard to imagine, that the 40% interest rates won’t hurt small business. Read more from the Financial Times on page 3.

On June 30th we’ll be publishing our special edition on Disaster Preparedness where we’ll be taking a focused look on what business owners need to know before a disaster strikes. As a primer, check out this page for Preventing Disasters in Disaster Recovery.

STAR Businessweek correspondent Catherine Morris is back with the second instalment of her GreenTech series, this time featuring the faces of entrepreneurship blazing the agtech trail in the Caribbean.

If you didn’t read that story last week, visit www.issuu.com/starbusinessweek to catch up on all our back-issues in amazing digital-format.

The STAR Businessweek Nothing Personal. It’s Just Business.

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Email: starbusinessweek@stluciastar.com

Bois d’Orange Bridge which sustained severe structural damage due to debris carried by the floodwaters of Hurricane Tomas in 2010

N

atural disasters are heart wrenching and expensive. Yet we can never shrink away from discussing them. Doing so only compounds their problems, but growing awareness and dialogue around them can help reduce their impact.

Dealing with the impact of a natural disaster involves two time frames.

The first is before impact, when the immediate safety of people and the securing of property are core goals.

Ultimately, despite everyone’s best efforts, there is a limited amount of control that human beings have over this stage as Mother Nature takes whatever course she decides on.

The second is dealing with the aftermath, the rebuilding of lives and communities, once the worst has passed.

Here it’s different, as human beings can exert more control over the efforts to begin anew. Nonetheless, recovery from natural disasters is rarely a smooth affair.

Alongside the size of a task, afflictions that can delay progress include corruption and waste. The costs of these unnecessary delays can be immense. Individuals lose livelihoods, neighbourhoods lose businesses that move away, communities lose families who lose hope and leave, vowing to never return. Reasons like these are why there is so much at stake in effectively recovering from a natural disaster, just as there is from withstanding one. It’s also

why now is a good time to review and detail what more can be done as writers and readers of local media.

WHY IS DISASTER RECOVERY SO DIFFICULT?

Recognising what has been done well globally in disaster recovery (and what has been done poorly) is essential to identifying real avenues for progress in the Caribbean community. Many people don’t recognise just how far the damage of a natural disaster spans. The Caribbean family has first-hand knowledge in this area that would outpace many other citizens of the world but, even locally, a full and complete picture of a natural disaster’s reach can still surprise.

The greatest challenges can be found once immediate needs are satisfied.

Clean water is delivered, electricity is restored and temporary accommodation arranged for those in need. Immediate needs for people’s security and wellbeing today are met, and now there’s the task of providing for tomorrow. It’s here that the greatest risks in effective disaster recovery arise.

When people first contemplate the idea of theft or misappropriation in disaster recovery, two thoughts often loom large.

First, that those who engage in such crime are among the lowest of the low and that is surely true. Second, that such crime could only occur in nations already embattled by challenges with corruption, weakened law enforcement, and other maladies.

These episodes are just two of many, but illustrate two key truths about proper disaster recovery.

It’s an issue that impacts people locally and globally, whether in affluent or developing countries.

Also, those who would engage in criminal action, or would otherwise harm recovery efforts (whether through deliberate act or omission), can come from any nation or global institution.

So everyone near and far has a stake in ensuring the disaster recovery process improves.

The aftermath of a natural disaster is a prime breeding ground for crime. Besides the presence of genuine, well-meaning new individuals and groups, that bogus people may pose as humanitarian relief workers is to be expected. There will also be an absence of locals who may be assisting others elsewhere or have fled to safety.

An unfolding crisis is a fluid scenario, requiring many rapid decisions. This can dilute the chain of command and affect decisions taken. Growing accountability, transparency, and communication are central to improving disaster recovery processes.

READERS’ INPUT

Just as we continue to watch closely the disaster recovery efforts around the Caribbean, so, too, do we at STAR Businessweek always welcome hearing from our readers who’ve had direct experience with them.

On Saturday June 30th we’ll be publishing a special edition dedicated to Disaster Preparedness & Business Continuity. Be sure to look out for it.

Reach out to us direct via email or connect via Facebook. We are at the ready to hear from you and learn your story.

LATIN

AMERICA

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© The Financial Times Limited [2018]. All Rights Reserved. Not to be redistributed, copied or modified in anyway. Star Publishing Company is solely responsible for providing this translated content and the Financial Times Limited does not accept any liability for the accuracy or quality of the translation

ARGENTINA’S ECONOMIC TURMOIL LEAVES SMALL BUSINESSES REELING

Jump in interest rates leaves companies with restricted access to credit in vulnerable state

BY BENEDICT MANDER IN BUENOS AIRES, FT CORRESPONDENT

L

ike most other Argentine executives, Julian Groisman could hardly believe his ears when he heard that the central bank had raised interest rates to 40 per cent — higher than almost anywhere else in the world.

In one fell swoop, the bank’s response to the peso’s slide last month forced companies to rapidly re-evaluate their business plans. “There’s no business that can withstand interest rates at 40 per cent and operate normally in the long term,” said Mr Groisman,executive vice-president at Grupo Presidente, a leading real estate developer in the province of Mendoza.

But Argentina’s $50bn deal last week with the IMF has made clear that high interest rates are set to stay. The standby agreement demands greater independence for the central bank and makes fighting inflation a priority.

That makes day-to-day life intensely difficult for the businesses that the government and the IMF hope can bring the Argentine economy back to health.

Real estate companies will suffer from higher interest rates because of the impact on Argentina’s nascent mortgage sector. After the rate rise, Mr Groisman immediately set about putting longer term projects on hold to avoid the punitive local borrowing rates.

Other sectors are even more vulnerable. Among the worst hit is Argentina’s textile industry. Yeal Kim, who runs Fundación Pro Tejer, a nonprofit organisation representing textile manufacturers, said that half of the sector was operating at a loss.

“Companies are folding not because

Demonstrators bang drums while marching during a ‘Bread and Work’ protest in Buenos Aires. Argentines have been marching against the government’s economic policies and the decision of the IMF welcoming the country’s plan to cut its fiscal deficit at a faster pace after President Mauricio Macri announced steps to overcome a financial crisis.

they are unviable or uncompetitive, but because of the macroeconomic chaos; that is the worst possible reason,” he said. “Interest rates at 40 per cent are a clear disincentive to production.”

Andrés Borenstein, an economist at BTG Pactual, a Brazilian investment bank, said that the high interest rates, lower real salaries and the greater political uncertainty Argentina is going through means a “good chance” of a technical recession this year, although he predicts overall 2018 growth of 1.3 per cent.

Mr Borenstein also argued that the high interest rates also make banks less willing to lend to companies, not least because they can make better returns from profitable short-term debt

“For the last 70 years Argentina has lived off its fiscal deficit” Yeal Kim, Fundación Pro Tejer

instruments sold by the central bank.

One executive at a foreign travel company said that Argentine banks had already slashed the amount they were willing to lend to his group by 25 per cent. “This has delayed the project considerably and things are currently on hold until the economy stabilises a bit,” the executive said.

Some companies congratulate themselves on having already obtained the funds they need.

Julian Cook, the chief executive of Argentina’s first low-cost airline, Flybondi, was relieved that he raised enough capital before starting out. “I’m certainly much more comfortable sitting on $75m than the $20m that some were saying we should raise to get going more quickly,” he said of the private equity funds Flybondi raised on Wall Street. “You need a cushion to weather these types of unexpected shocks in the market.”

But that is a luxury most small and medium-sized businesses in Argentina are unable to afford. Many groups are already suffering because of the impact of the peso’s devaluation on revenues when costs are linked to the dollar.

Guillermo Moretti of GM SRL, which makes construction chemicals and polyethylene water tanks, added that, like most SMEs in Argentina, his company is often paid with cheques post-dated by 90 days.

Some companies previously dealt with the cash flow problems such practices created by borrowing against post-dated cheques. But such a course of action is now prohibitively expensive, since banks are charging interest as high as 55 to 60 per cent.

Some have been left wondering whether a lifeline from the IMF is the answer.

“For the last 70 years Argentina has lived off its fiscal deficit,” said Mr Kim. “The previous government solved the problem [by] printing money, while this government is injecting capital through the IMF. Neither generates wealth, they just cover the hole and help to survive the moment.”

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AN AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION How GreenTech is transforming the agricultural industry in Saint Lucia and beyond

Continued from page 1

CREATIVE TECH

More than US$800m was invested in agricultural technology (‘agtech’) globally between 2012 and 2016, according to research group CB Insights.

“Technology has been the main driver of change in most industries, and agriculture is no different,” says Warren Kellman, Managing Director of Ino-Gro Inc, a hydroponic farm in Barbados. “New technologies are being created every single day around the world and people are coming up with creative solutions [to environmental challenges].”

Ino-Gro Inc is one of those creative solutions.

Launched in 2016 by Kellman and a friend, the farm is the first of its kind in Barbados and consists of a 40ft shipping container stacked with walls of leafy greens and operated through a fully automated, online system. Kellman and his team can monitor and control the environment - temperature, humidity, LED lighting - within the container through an app downloaded to their smartphones. Sensors, timers and alerts feed them information in realtime, with all data available via the cloud.

The vertical farming model allows Ino-Gro Inc to practise high-density farming in a relatively

small area. Kellman says the container is equivalent to one acre of farmland and produces around 40kg of produce a week, including three different types of lettuce, mint, basil and edible flowers. Demand is high and the produce sells out every week, with hotels, restaurants, chefs and the general public eager to buy local.

Ino-Gro Inc’s success, however, was not guaranteed. There were challenges along the way but Kellman says he was not just motivated by turning a profit. “When we started, we wanted to find a way to make money but also do something good. We import too much. The population of the Caribbean is only going to grow, we need to find more sustainable ways to produce enough food.”

PRECISION FARMING

One of the biggest obstacles for Ino-Gro Inc was the initial expense. “These are high tech systems; the main challenge is the cost associated with them. It is one thing to buy them in the United States, but then you have to get them to the Caribbean,” says Kellman.

Ino-Gro Inc’s computerised container was developed by US firm Freight Farms but Kellman would like to see the Caribbean

Ino-Gro Inc. uses high-density vertical farming techniques coupled with automation and remote monitoring software to create a climate-smart food production system

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develop its own agtech industry. He is working as a consultant with Saint Lucia’s TeleCarib Labs, Inc to help develop a model, climate-controlled, indoor farm. “We are working on being the first to create, design and build this type of model farm. We want to find a more affordable solution so we can overcome the challenges of cost and, from there, we can approach other countries who are interested. Our aim is to manufacture in the Caribbean, reduce the cost of these systems and enable a lot more people to grow their own food.”

A prototype for the farm will be established before the end of the year at the TeleCarib Labs’ campus, and will be “data-centred”, according to Kellman who says sensors will collect information that can be analysed to maximise productivity. “It allows for more accurate farming. We can analyse the data and make calculated decisions.”

is primarily aimed at buyers in the tourism industry. “Availability and consistency are very important in the tourism sector. Those buyers needed a tool that could predict what was coming on the market,” says Francis.

“There is no reason why the hotels should be importing any produce that can be grown locally.”

There are now around 80 farmers registered with Tri Farms’ eCrop service. The company is looking to acquire more capital so it can scale up operations to make the system more intuitive and offer users an app. Francis says: “As with any tech company, capital is our biggest restriction, but this product has so much potential. There is quite a bit of focus now on building these platforms to create linkages. That is the future of agriculture - the availability of information through the use of technology. I anticipate a huge buzz and some creativity coming out of the Caribbean.”

VIRTUAL HUB

THE NEXT GENERATION

When the TeleCarib Labs farm becomes operational, it aims to sell directly to consumers through a virtual platform created

by Tri Farms Ltd, a Saint Lucia company founded by local entrepreneur Garvin Francis.

Tri Farms’ eCrop is the region’s first virtual agricultural hub where producers and buyers can connect online. Producers simply log on, create a profile for their farm and let potential buyers know what they are selling and when it will be available. This direct service allows farmers to pre-sell their goods and gives buyers certainty so they can plan their purchases and minimise supply chain risks.

The system, which went live in January 2017, is used by the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association to host its Virtual Agricultural Clearing House (VACH) which encourages hotels, restaurants and food and beverage distributors to buy local. Francis says that helping Saint Lucia limit its food import bill was the impetus for Tri Farms Ltd when he first began brainstorming the idea over a decade ago. “Agriculture has been lagging in Saint Lucia and tourism provides an opportunity for local producers,” he says.

“It sounds simple on paper but it’s not that easy - the market is so fragmented. There was a disconnect in terms of information; you could have a glut of one item one week and the next you might not find it on the island.”

Francis, who has previously worked in both the tourism and agricultural sectors, teamed up with Melvin Felicien whose background is in IT. Together they developed Tri Farms’ forecasting tool which

“They come to our farm so they can get introduced to this new technology and become familiar with the way farming will be in the future. That is part of our mission - to not only grow and supply food, but also to educate people and let them know the importance of food security.”

It’s also the goal of TeleCarib Labs, which aims to launch its Future Farmers Entrepreneurship Programme next year. This initiative will give students the opportunity for

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hands-on experience at the model indoor farm, as well as skill development workshops and online learning.

“TeleCarib Labs will transform farming by linking innovation with education,” says Kellman. “There is plenty of opportunity in the agricultural industry. I would encourage young entrepreneurs to never settle, never give up and keep up to date with the technology that’s out there, not just in their own country but all over the world.”

If the agricultural industry is to reach its potential, however, the next wave of entrepreneurs has to be engaged. “The awareness is there but it’s not where it needs to be, especially when it comes to the younger generation,” says Kellman who wants to see more technology in schools and regularly invites kids to Ino-Gro Inc to show them how the system operates and spark their interest.

Ino-Gro Inc is one of those creative solutions. Launched in 2016 by Kellman and a friend, the farm is the first of its kind in Barbados and consists of a 40ft shipping container stacked with walls of leafy greens and operated through a fully automated, online system Warren Kellman, founder and Managing Director of Ino-Gro Inc., standing in front of his computerized container farm which is housed inside of a 40ft shipping container

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DEVELOPMENT

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SUSTAINABLE CITIES: GATEWAY TO HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN JAMAICA Caribbean Dev Trends blog – InterAmerican Development Bank

BY JASNETH MULLINGS AND RAINFORD WILKS

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he United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 11 focuses on making cities and communities safe and sustainable, especially against the background of rapid increases in urban populations globally. Through the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Program (ESC) the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) provides technical assistance to governments. Beneficiaries include Jamaica where just over half of the population resides in urban spaces.

Mrs. Therese Turner Jones, General Manager of the Country Department Caribbean Group, IDB underscores her institution’s commitment to economic and social development through the transformation of cities in Jamaica. The Citizen Security and Justice Programme III is among the programmes supported by the IDB which aims to mitigate individual and community risk factors in urban marginalized areas. The IDB’s investment in building its own offices in Jamaica signals a long term commitment to maintaining a presence in the country and the region.

In exploring the health effects of neighbourhood environments, the book ‘Going Crazy in the City: Neighbourhood Context and Mental Health’ shares the findings of data from the Jamaica Health & Lifestyle Survey

2007/08 where exposure to marginalized environments increased the risk of depressive symptoms in urban settings.

There was a higher rate of depressive symptoms among women who appeared to be more affected by spatial disorder, while men were more affected by the failure to achieve their goals including financial success and material possessions.

Through narratives the book provides insights into the lived experiences of Jamaicans and health and well-being in

Life in Bottom River © Clovis Brown

diverse neighbourhood environments. These include Bottom River (an informal/squatter settlement), Middle Ground (a middle-income community), Hill Drive (an affluent community) and Country Road (a rural community).

The book highlights themes including urban blight and the impact on the family and youth; climate variability/climate change and the impact on infrastructure and people’s lives; and loss of basic services and the social and economic impact on the household.

“The scenes in Bottom River became all too familiar to Beverly: drugs, graffiti, gangs, a pensive mood and apprehensive community members. Beverly saw the growing signs of the decline for the past two years and while she had not noticed them all, looking back she could see the cumulative cascading decline . . . Sick with fear, Tina [Beverley’s sister] had become a regular visitor to the health centre. On her last visit the nurse advised that she may be depressed but would need further examinations to confirm.” [pg 75 – 76] Mrs. Turner Jones notes the value of the study’s findings to informing community development programming. She proposes a multi-sectoral national conversation to explore the gender and socio-economic divide in the urban space and the impact on health and development.

Depreciated infrastructure and community services place a heavy burden on economies, communities, households and individuals, with health implications. The authors underscore the critical value of citizen action and community agency in responding to the health challenges of the environment. A multi-sectoral ‘whole-of-society’ chain of dialogue should consider the need to bridge the inequities in agency to facilitate more creative responses as we chart our way to improved social conditions, improved health, wealth and sustainable community development.

The Saint Lucia Government Gazette Company Registration Name: JH Inc.

Name: Caribbean Events Services Ltd.

Description: Property Holding

Description: Event Management and Promotions

Directors: Jermaine Hunte

Directors: Andie Wilkie

Date Incorporated: Monday, May 28, 2018

Date Incorporated: Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Chamber: Brickstone Law, Saint Lucia

Chamber: Gordon, Gordon & Co., Saint Lucia

Name: Azure Beach Reach Ltd. Description: Property Holding Directors: Michael Chastanet

Name: Viband Medical Services Ltd. Description: Medical Services Directors: Arlette Charles

Date Incorporated: Monday, May 28, 2018 Date Incorporated: Tuesday, May 29, 2018 Chamber: Du Boulay, Anthony & Co., Chambers, Saint Lucia

Chamber: Yarde & Associates Chambers, Saint Lucia

Name: Belle Coco Ltd. Description: Property Holding

Name: Devi Car Rental Inc.

Directors: Abjet Holdings Ltd.; PIF Corporate

Description: Vehicle Rentals

Services Inc.

Directors: Julian Adjodha; Beaunka Latehman

Date Incorporated: Monday, May 28, 2018

Date Incorporated: Tuesday June 5, 2018

Chamber: Peter I. Foster & Associates, Chambers,

Chamber: Jennifer Remy & Associates Chambers,

Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia

INTERNATIONAL

TAX

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EXPAT AMERICANS GIVEN ONE-YEAR REPRIEVE ON US REPATRIATION TAX

Levy aimed at encouraging multinationals to bring back profits would have affected 1m citizens

BY ANDREW EDGECLIFFE-JOHNSON IN NEW YORK, FT CORRESPONDENT

Expatriate business owners in London and elsewhere outside the US with net tax liabilities of less than $1m for 2017 will no longer face penalties

E

xpatriate Americans have been granted a one-year reprieve from an unexpected levy on their overseas business interests, raising their hopes of Congress amending the tax reforms signed into law

by Donald Trump six months ago.

The one-off “deemed repatriation tax” of 15.5 per cent that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act imposed was intended to persuade multinationals such as Apple and Google to bring back profits they had built up in other countries, but caught many far smaller business owners in its net.

An estimated 1m US citizens and green card holders owning more than 10 per cent of a “controlled foreign corporation” and living overseas were facing the prospect of having to pay the tax in stages over eight years, the full amount payable upfront if the initial payment was missed.

On Monday, however, the Internal Revenue Service issued new guidance, saying that expatriate business owners

“Now, we have a year to continue to fight, to make the point about how damaging this is” Carmelan Polce, Democrats Abroad

with net tax liabilities of less than $1m for 2017 would no longer face penalties or the risk of the full eight years’ worth of payments being accelerated.

The provision had been due to take effect in March, and had already been delayed once, to mid-June. The one-year extension has given campaigners hope that Congress will amend the legislation.

“We have bought time,” said Monte Silver, a US tax attorney with Silver & Co in Israel, who had warned in an International Tax Review article that the tax was “a growing concern for expats who may be driven out of business or forced to become tax evaders”.

“This was better than I expected,” he said on Monday, saying there was support from both Republicans and Democrats for a “fix” to the tax legislation. “It’s not easy, but look what we’ve done in three months and we now have a year,” he said.

Groups representing overseas voters of both major parties had petitioned Congress to review the repatriation tax, with Republicans Overseas warning of its “severe and unintended consequences” on small businesses.

Democrats Abroad, in a submission to a House Ways & Means Committee hearing in May, estimated that 1m Americans abroad were exposed to the repatriation tax, describing it as “a horrific surprise for Americans living abroad who own businesses in the countries where they live”.

Carmelan Polce, chair of the group’s taxation task force, said on Monday that its members had moved from anxiety to anger over the levy but were now hopeful of a “legislative fix”.

“Now, we have a year to continue to fight, to make the point about how damaging this is and to make the broader point that this keeps happening to the Americans-abroad community, without a thought as to how it’s going to impact this cohort of citizens,” she said.

Groups such as American Citizens Abroad, an advocacy group in Washington, have long argued for a system of residency-based taxation rather than the current citizenshipbased system.

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THIS AI IS WORKING WITH A FLEET OF DRONES TO HELP US FIGHT OCEAN PLASTIC

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BY WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

n army of drones is joining the fight against plastic pollution. Why? Because to fix a problem, you first need to understand it. Photos taken by the drones are being used by machine-learning algorithms to remotely detect plastic waste hotspots.

The world has been producing plastic since the 1950s, with extremely rapid growth in the amount of waste generated from the 1980s onwards. And yet it was not until the 2010s that governments and other international bodies really began to address the problem of plastic pollution. A recent UN report shows a huge spike in laws to limit single-use plastics in 2014, with very limited regulations before this.

Part of the problem was that many people were unaware of the scale of the problem.

It was not until social media users shared pictures of “plastic soups” in the ocean, together with television documentaries like Blue Planet, that many people realized the full extent of the devastating damage being done to our planet.

As the world now comes together to address this problem, ongoing monitoring of the scale of the problem – together with an understanding of how progress is being made – is vital.

SCANNING THE SEA FLOOR

Plastic Tide’s director, Peter Kohler, developed his vision for the company after a sailing trip in the South Pacific in 2008. Despite being miles from anywhere, the sea around him was full of rubbish. And since it is almost impossible to track marine litter, it was impossible to work out where it was coming from.

Since then Kohler has tried to harness technology to measure the scale of the problem, as well as monitor the success of initiatives to limit plastic.

The idea is to use drone-mounted cameras to take thousands of aerial photos.

These photos are then used to train an AI algorithm to recognize images of plastic trash and distinguish between shells,

Plastic Tide’s director, Peter Kohler, developed his vision for the company after a sailing trip in the South Pacific in 2008. Despite being miles from anywhere, the sea around him was full of rubbish

Accurate, up-to-date information will be a key tool in the fight against the world’s ocean plastic problem

jellyfish or plastic bags or bottle tops.

Many volunteers and citizen scientists are involved in the project, including some to tag plastic they find on coastlines, and others to help the machine learn how to correctly identify plastic.

The end result will be an accurate, opensource map of the worst-polluted coastlines.

The technology is also scalable, and although the project has started in the UK, it has global ambitions. It also aims to monitor the seabed and the sea surface.

TARGETED EFFORTS

The map can be used to focus attention where it is needed most.

“In the short term, this can be used to help with clean-up events by making us aware of the worst-impacted areas for humans, marine life and bird life,” Kohler told Digital Trends.

In the longer term, the hope is for Plastic Tide to build a system which can document the spread of plastics in something much closer to real time.

And it will also provide a way to assess the impact of policies – for example a ban on plastic bags.

The build-up of plastic in our oceans is a complex problem that needs coordinated change on many levels. Increased and accurate information about the problem will be a significant step towards tackling it.

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