Vertical Farming: Addressing Urban Food Needs While Navigating Environmental Challenges Cities continue to grow. According to the UN, by 2050, two thirds of the world's predicted population (some 6.7 bn people) will be living in cities.[1] Doesn't it make sense to produce the food these people require in the cities where they live? Our food system generates a third of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.[2] While according to a recent study,[3] the amount of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emitted in the course of transporting the food is low compared to other factors in its production it still not negligible. In a nutshell, buying a local steak is just as bad for the environment as buying an Argentinian one. However, there are other factors contributing to the environmental footprint of food production, such as processing, packaging, and retail. One way of addressing these issues is vertical farming. One way of addressing these issues is vertical farming, i.e. the production of food in vertically stacked shelves. This is, of course, impossible in traditional farming, as the uppermost shelf would cast a shadow on the lower shelves. In vertical farming this problem is circumvented by artificial lightening, which brings us to a central aspect of vertical farming, namely controlled-environment agriculture (CEA). CEA is a set of technologies that aim to maximise yields while minimising system inputs. Here, system inputs refer to anything that makes a plant grow and bear fruit: sunlight, water, and nutrients. Here's a quick overview of some of the technologies used: Hydroponics [4] Growing plants in water instead of soil. The nutrients normally provided by the soil are added in the form of aqueous solutions. Physical stability may be provided in the form of inert gravel. Aeroponics [6] Growing plants in air, instead of water. The necessary water and nutrients are supplied in the form of sprayed mists. Technically, aeroponics is a sub-form of hydroponics. Aquaponics [5] Refers to the farming of aquatic animals such as fish or prawns. As everything, there are pros as well as cons. Pros include: Because these systems are highly optimised it is possible to obtain many times the yield that could be obtained in traditional agriculture. That is in terms of both surface area and mass of soil used. In addition, it is possible to obtain more yields per year than in traditional agriculture. The controlled environment aspect also protects the harvests from pests and/or invasive species. Another advantage is that it is possible to farm veggies in built up areas, e.g. in disused factories or warehouses. In addition, vertical farming can be done on any scale from warehouses down to a standard shipping container. A social aspect is the possibility of running smaller scale vertical farming units as neighbourhood projects which may add to social cohesion. Cons include: The disadvantages associated with CEA are two-fold. The first set of problems is economic in nature. Vertical farms are both expensive to set up and expensive to run. The second aspect is environmental. CEA units are somewhat difficult to set up, a task that requires specialist knowledge, and the people skilled in the art know their worth. The reason why CEA units are expensive to run is that while in traditional agriculture sunlight and rain come for free, here their provision requires energy, a) for pumping water, lightening and suchlike, and b) for transporting the necessary seeds and fertilisers to the vertical farm, i.e. from some industrial estate into the cities. The very aspect that makes CEA a potential winner is also one of its greatest problems, namely that excluded and isolated farms do not provide a habitat for insects an other animals. In these times of mass extinction of insects this is as serious problem. The absence of insects also causes another problem: Plants which rely on pollination for the production of seeds (and thus fruit) cannot be grown efficiently in CEA units. Plants like lettuce and peppers are suited for growing in CEA, while apples and blueberries are not. All in all, CEA is still a young technology. As with all technologies this is not a silver bullet (nothing ever is!) but it is worth investigating and using. If you would like to know more about vertical farming, listen to our podcast (Leaders in sustainability - episode 22): Podcast | Leaders in sustainability | Trianon Scientific Communication (science-by-trianon.com) 01) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/08/six-megatrends-will-shape-future-cities/, last accessed 2023.09.13 02) https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00225-9/, last accessed 2023.09.13 03) https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local/, last accessed 2023.09.13 04) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics/, last accessed 2023.09.13 05) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroponics/, last accessed 2023.09.13 06) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaponics/, last accessed 2023.09.13 07) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroponics/, last accessed 2023.09.13

Regenerative sustainability, the new sustainable? What if we could replace damaged body parts as easily as replacing car parts? What if we could restore eco-systems to their original state or create something new to replace what has been lost? The is the link between regenerative medicine and regenerative sustainability. Intrigued?

Championing Gender Equality Together: Engaging Men as Allies. This speeach has opened the event that revealed the results of the survey "Allyship: engaging men in gender equality" on November 7th, 2023 by the Brussels Binder. Tonight, we embark on a journey that highlights the profound impact of volunteering. The former US-President Bill Clinton once said: "Volunteering is an act of heroism on a grand scale, and it matters profoundly. It does more than help people beat the odds; it changes the odds." These words are the guiding light of the Brussels Binder. As a volunteer myself, and now, as the President of BB for the past 18 months, I've always envisioned that fostering men allyship becomes one of the cornerstones of our strategy. With the unwavering dedication of incredible individuals like Rodica Avornic, Indre Krivaite, Aimée Duprat-Macabies, and their devoted team of volunteers, we've set in motion a plan, a vision for change. From left to right: Indre Krivaite, Rodica Avornic, Aimée Duprat-Macabies Our journey unfolds in three essential parts: Part 1: Find a partner that is already working with like-minded organisations, and who is talking with men to understand why they are not advocating for more gender equality and even more gender diversity more loudly. And we found Robert Baker, CEO of Potentia Talent Consulting Limited, Vice-Chair of European Women on Boards, trustee of UN Women in UK, our moderator tonight. Part 2: We convened workshops to craft compelling arguments, not only to encourage more men to participate in events like tonight but also to empower them with the knowledge that gender diversity is not fundamentally a women's issue, it is also a men’s issue. Our partnership paves the way for enlightenment. Part 3: We listened to the voices of men. And a survey was launched, last summer for 6 weeks. The results of which we will unveil tonight. The survey's analysis and the subsequent report were crafted independently by our remarkable volunteer’s team, under the expert guidance of Robert. While we express our heartfelt gratitude to Google for their support in making this event a reality, it is vital to emphasize that the results we present are the product of dedicated independent volunteer efforts. But before we delve further, let's clarify what it means to be an ally. Remember that men and women can be allies, to men or women. But today, we will focus on men allyship. 5 big steps are necessary to become a true ally. Step 1: To become an ally, we must acknowledge our privileges. Privilege is not something we earn, but a status inherited at birth. Privileges have nothing to do with what you do, but everything to do with who you are. It is not something you worked towards, it is something you get because of whom and where you are born. But what we do with that privilege is crucial. Step 2: To become an ally, you must recognize inequities and take concrete actions to level the playing field. To show up as ally require an active and consistent effort to use your privilege and power to support and advocate for people with less privilege. Sometimes, taking action may sound tricky or uncomfortable but not taking action sends a signal that you are not aware of the injustice around you, or that you think it is OK, or even that you don’t care. If you are not sure what to do, ask yourself: Is there an action I can take that is responsible even if it is not perfect? Step 3: To be an ally, be consistent. Allyship is not about getting one action perfectly right. It is about acting consistently in ways that add up over time. It is about committing in acting in the long terms. Step 4: To be an ally, focus on impact. Allyship is about supporting and advocating for people with less privilege, it does not mean talking for the people with less privilege but taking an initiative to make things fairer. That means that you need to focus on impact, and not on how your actions make you look or feel. Step 5: To be an ally, listen. The most difficult when you are an ally is not to push for solutions that sound right to you, but the most difficult is to listen to people with less privilege and following their lead. It is also acting on how you want to be perceived, such as posting on social media that you are supporting people of colour and not acting when you see racism in your daily live. It isn’t always easy or straightforward. You won’t get it right all the time. But it is so important that you continue to try because allyship really matters. On the other hand, one of the most powerful allyship actions are the one no one sees. Like privately recommending a colleague with a traditionally marginalized identity for a job or a promotion. I see in this room men and women that I know for a fact are allies of other men and women. And I want to tell you that I see you. Thanks to you a ripples-effect has started. Because you step up, other people from your network have stepped up too. By practising allyship, you motivate others to do so, and if we have more allies in the world, I am sure we can shift towards a world with more equity. Today, our focus is on men's allyship towards gender diversity, and we are honoured to have a distinguished panel of speakers, including: Ꭓ Marc Angel, Vice-President and ‘Champion of Equality’ in the European Parliament Ꭓ Gail Rego, Social justice activist, intersectional storyteller, trainer, career coach and ex co-founder of Work Ally Ꭓ Aurélie Mulowa, Founder of Belgian Entreprenoires Ꭓ Thierry Geerts, Country Director Google Belgium and Luxembourg Each of these panellists brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the event, making them invaluable contributors to the discussion on allyship and gender diversity. Together, their diverse backgrounds and insights will help shed light on the multifaceted nature of the challenges and opportunities in this critical endeavour. The results of the survey were presented by Rodica Avornic, Indre Krivaite... ...And the discussion was a success!!! You can download the survey results here:

From Green Chemistry to Sustainable Chemistry to Regenerative Chemistry? Chemistry in general has got a very bad reputation, partly deserved, partly not. When people are asked what they associate with the terms chemistry and physics two very different images manifest themselves. Whereas physics is associated with high-tech computers, shiny spaceships, and Albert Einstein's friendly face [1], chemistry is generally associated with disasters (Seveso [2], Bhopal [3], etc.) and environmental contamination and the suffering of humans and animals alike resulting from these. That physics is also responsible for nuclear disasters (Chernobyl [4], Fukushima [5], etc.) not to mention nuclear weapons is another matter. Life, as we know it, is chemistry. A rather complex kind of chemistry perhaps but chemistry nonetheless. Put the other way 'round: Our way of 'doing' chemistry is rather crude compared to what nature has evolved over many hundreds of millions of years. This brings about numerous hazards and the disasters mentioned above testify to that. However, just as life is chemistry, so our 'human' chemistry is (and will remain!) part of everyday life, from pharmaceuticals over clothes to plastic bags to... It is therefore imperative that we make our use of chemistry as safe and benign as possible and this has been realised in the chemical world (both industrial and academic) for quite a while now. The idea that chemistry has to become more benign and safe formed in the 80s. In particular, the visible effects of chemical pollution and the experience of resource depletion made chemists think about safer and more efficient ways of doing things. In 1998, two American scientists, Paul Anastas and John Warner, summarised these ideas under the heading of "The twelve principles of Green Chemistry".[6] In somewhat abridged form these are: I - Prevention of waste is better than cleaning up waste. II - Waste reduction. Synthetic methods should aim at every atom in a molecule of starting material ending up in the desired product. (Atom economy) III - Synthetic methods should avoid using or generating toxic substances. IV - Safer chemicals. A substance having the same effect while being less toxic than another is preferable. V - Safer solvents and auxiliaries. Auxiliary substances should be avoided wherever possible, and as non-hazardous as possible when they must be used. VI - Efficiency. Energy requirements should be minimized, and processes should be conducted at ambient temperature and pressure whenever possible. VII - Use of renewable feedstocks VIII - Reduce derivatives. Unnecessary generation of derivatives - such as the use of protecting groups - should be minimized or avoided if possible. IX - Use catalytic reagents instead stoichiometric ones. X - Design for degradation. Chemicals should be designed in such a way that they degrade at their end of life. XI - Real-time analysis for pollution prevention XII - Inherently safer chemistry for accident prevention A more detailed version illustrated with examples may be found on the pages of the American Chemical Society (ACS). [7] Some of these points may not mean a lot or may sound repetitive to the layman but they are important. Green Chemistry has quickly become a well-established field. The Royal Society of Chemistry, [8] the British equivalent to the ACS, has duly launched an entire journal devoted to the field, aptly named Green Chemistry.[9] So, that was some 25 years ago. And today? If you take a closer look at the 12 principles you will find many important aspects, however, one of the most important aspects of what we now call sustainable development seems to be missing, namely circularity. Nowadays, principle number ten seems almost problematic because it stipulates that chemicals should degrade, thus releasing the material that has gone into these chemicals back into nature, albeit in a non-toxic and even benign form. That is linear, not circular. Indeed, the term Sustainable Chemistry makes the rounds as a distinct concept which is different from and more encompassing than Green Chemistry. Green Chemistry is primarily concerned with reducing the inherent dangers. Sustainable Chemistry, on the hand, is concerned with reducing the overall effect of the chemistry we perform on the environment, including the use of the finite resources we take from our planet. Nowadays, the chemical world embraces not only changes in chemistry itself, but also changes in the way the chemical industry works. An example would be chemical leasing, a business model in which chemicals are not sold but leased, just as in leasing a car. For example, a company might lease solvents to degrease sheets of metal. Another novel business model is to change the basis on which chemicals are sold. Conventionally, chemicals are sold by weight or by volume. However, they might also be sold according to their use. Consider a paint manufacturer producing paints for, say, the hulls of ships. Selling the paint for the ship according to the area that has to be painted, would put the onus on the paint manufacturer to develop paints which can cover a bigger area per unit weight of paint. So, where is Chemistry heading? The word is that chemists have to become molecular managers. Just as managers in a company have to deploy resources according to the project at hand and differently once the next project comes around, chemists will need to use molecules this way in one context and that way in another, just as a manager doesn't hire a completely different set of people for every different project. The methodologies for this approach will have to be developed. 01) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Einstein_tongue.jpg, last accessed 2023.08.29 02) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seveso_disaster, last accessed 2023.08.29 03) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster, last accessed 2023.08.29 04) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster, last accessed 2023.08.29 05) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster, last accessed 2023.08.29 06) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Chemistry, last accessed 2023.08.29 07) https://www.acs.org/greenchemistry/principles/12-principles-of-green-chemistry.html, last accessed 2023.08.29 08) https://www.rsc.org/, last accessed 2023.08.29 09) https://pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/journalissues/gc/, last accessed 2023.08.29

Sustainability consulting services Your guidance has been a beacon, illuminating the path ahead. Your encouragement to step out of my comfort zone has enabled me to envision and articulate the potential of my business in ways I had not imagined before. I am immensely grateful for your mentorship and look forward to continuing our collaboration in the future. Sanghmitra B., CEO

Public speaking services (environmental & social sustainability) Over the past year I had the opportunity to attend several events organised by Dr. Audrey-Flore Ngomsik, none of which disappointed. She has a knack of bringing together people from different walks of life, and a way of speaking to and about our different realities. Her views on sustainability are inclusive and wholesome - taking a multi dimensional approach to the topic, but never unnecessarily judgmental. Without being shamed or judged - your takeaways will always be self reflection, perspective and manageable tips on how you could bring about a change. I strongly recommend her events, they are interactive, insightful and very inspiring! Radhika S, Founder

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Environmental and social sustainability public speaking services What can I say about Dr. Audrey-Flore Ngomsik? She's truly one of a kind. Every event on Sustainability, DEI or Entrepreneurship you'll go, there's a very high chance that you'll see Audrey on the stage sharing her experience and expertise. She has an incredible energy, drive and confidence which inspires me to do more and be more. Her impressive curriculum and expertise speak for itself. We need more disruptors and innovators like her who are not afraid to challenge the status quo to help minorities to reach equity and create a more sustainable world. Christine R, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Specialist

Corporate Social Responsibility Executive training services I have the regular pleasure to assist to events organised by Dr Audrey-Flore in her role of the club's Advisory Board Member. Audrey's smart tips and advices on diversity & inclusion have helped me in my own role in the finance sector, to keep being confident as a woman in a managerial position, in a predominantly masculine and conservative scene. Her events give me the energy to even go further in my own path of promoting diversity & inclusion, but also sustainability and ESG within the corporate world, by active advocacy or silent leadership. Indeed, Audrey shows that there are many ways to advocate for what we believe in, while being empathic of everyone's journey, without judgement or shaming, but by communication, information and education. I also wish I will become one day a great Master of Ceremony like her, as Audrey leads events with the perfect dosage of fun and intellect, so that the keys ideas are saved in our brains. In other words : she's a great mentor even without mentoring ! Astrid H, Head of compliance

Corporate Social Responsibility consulting services "It is often hard to open up and listen to what somebody else is saying. I got the opportunity to start a dialogue with Audrey more than a year ago (...). We reviewed strategies, opportunities and threats. I loved her passion for any activity she set her sight on and the persistence she displayed to keep it in target and execute. She challenged me to come up with alternative options and to prepare for any conversations we would have and often caught me off guard forcing me to rethink some scenarios and explore together alternative solutions. It has been a pleasure to interact with her and would totally recommend anyone to explore potential opportunities to do the same. Beware she might surprise you with her laugh and it will be hard not to reciprocate!!" Ricardo B., Senior Leader

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Public speaking services (Social Responsibility) "Dr Audrey-Flore Ngomsik gave a very engaging post show talk for my NGO The Bridge Theatre Brussels’ own production of Lungs by Duncan Macmillan. This is an internationally renown play about a couple’s decision whether or not to have a child, against the backdrop of a looming climate catastrophe. Audrey as a scientist not only brought an interesting overview of research, but also managed to connect to the human story behind what we saw on stage and put it into a scientific and also practical context. Hers was one of the most engaging of our talks and the audience was really appreciative of her experience and insights." Éva K, Senior Manager