At the UNFCCC SB62 in Bonn, Canon Otto delivered a timely and thought-provoking intervention, urging the global community to embrace a circular approach to food security—one that moves away from ecologically harmful “greenfield” farming practices and toward regenerative, technology-enabled solutions rooted in circularity and sustainability.
He emphasized the environmental cost of greenfield farming, which involves clearing forested land—often through felling trees—to make way for agricultural activities. This outdated model not only accelerates deforestation and biodiversity loss but also undermines long-term soil health and climate resilience.
Instead, Otto championed the transition to brownfield farming, which repurposes abandoned urban buildings, warehouses, and disused spaces into productive agricultural zones. These brownfield sites can be transformed into controlled-environment farmhouses using innovative soil alternatives such as coconut fiber (coir), rice husk (scuff), and biodegradable mulching films to simulate fertile ground.
Highlighting cutting-edge sustainable practices, he called for the mainstreaming of aeroponics, hydroponics, and aquaponics—soil-less farming techniques that require less water, use vertical space efficiently, and can thrive in urban or semi-urban environments. These systems not only reduce the ecological footprint of food production but also open new pathways for year-round, high-yield agriculture in densely populated or climate-affected regions.
Canon Otto’s circular vision underscores the urgent need for policy frameworks, innovation funding, and public-private partnerships to enable a just, climate-smart transformation of food systems. His message: we cannot ensure food security by repeating the same extractive models that compromise the ecosystems we depend on. Instead, we must build circular, adaptive food systems that nourish both people and planet.
