The future of agriculture: A Kickstarter insight

Innovation. Change. Disruption. It starts at the edges of categories. At Brand Genetics we constantly look to the edges to uncover insights and innovations that change the mainstream. We use Crowdsight to analyse crowdfunding sites (like Kickstarter) to identify emerging, validated trends (i.e. those that have gained investment).

In food, there has been a perpetuating trend for natural, no chemical produce: we see this in the increasing rise of organic, free range food on the shelves of supermarkets and in the proliferation of farmers markets.

Still, for the majority of us, the food we buy is removed from our control – we don’t truly know how it’s produced. But for those at the edges this is changing.

As technology changes people are finding easier ways to take back the control and contact they have with their food: from seed-to-spoon. Two of the most funded food projects on Kickstarter are Home Aquaponics Kits (which have raised over $400,000 in investment and been overfunded 200%).

Aquaponics is a food production system that combines conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. Whilst the principles have been established in some commercial settings it is only now entering the in-home market.

The crowdfunding success of Aquaponics hints at a consumer desire to be more in control of their food – a start of democratised agriculture – in a modern, simple and convenient way.

Check out the Kickstarted Aquaponics here and here.

Brand Genetics are pioneers of Crowdsight; a proprietary tool for analysing crowdfunding sites to identify emerging trends with real traction and apply the learnings to help brands innovate in more insightful, impactful, ways.