Professor Dickson Despommier, Columbia University, is awarded the Plantagon Award 2013 for his contribution to the field Urban Agriculture

LINKÖPING (January 30, 2013) - This is the first time excellence in urban agriculture is recognized publically. The Award is given out by the Plantagon Non Profit Association with the objective to underline the food security and safety issue. The awards are presented at the Urban Agriculture Summit in Linköping, Sweden. This is also the first time that professionals from all over the world gather to recognize the merit.

Criteria for the award in the category Individual: “The person must have contributed significantly to either increasing the interest for urban agriculture, developing new innovative technology in urban agriculture, establishing efficient and constructive networks in urban agriculture or in some other ways facilitate the development of urban agriculture.”

The jury's motivation statement: “Professor Dickson Despommier, Columbia University. Authority: For his early and assiduous engagement for vertical farming: Despommier's concept of "The Vertical Farm" emerged already in 1999 at Columbia University. It promotes the mass cultivation of plant and animal life for commercial purposes in skyscrapers. Using advanced greenhouse technology such as hydroponics and aeroponics, the skyscrapers could theoretically produce fish, poultry, fruit and vegetables.”

Nominated for the award were three cities, three individuals and three organizations. The Jury consist of the members of the Plantagon Advisory Group: Mats Hellström, Fredrik Billing, Richard Von Essen, Mikael Kullman, Thomas Malmer, Mats Rönne, Madeleine Cæsar, Mia Kristiansson. Keywords in the evaluation process were: transformative solutions, politics, innovation and market.

Nominated in the individual category were Mr. Stefan Jakobsson, Tekniska Verken, for being a groundbreaking facilitator at Tekniska Verken, as Head of Business Development, and Mr. Åke Olsson, Sustainovation. Innovator: For his ground breaking and genius ideas, persistent field work and visionary drive during many years, already in the 80’s - when few others realized that vertical farming was even worth reflecting upon.

The winner of the Plantagon Awards in the category City is Linköping, Sweden, and in the category Organization, the Dutch network for developing new agricultural ideas the InnovatieNetwerk.