Solar sharing helps farmers in Japan adopt sustainable methods — and earn additional money. Presented by Cummins.
In 2012, Yoshiaki Hattori was itching for a change. His family business, Hattori Tea Farms, situated in the Shizuoka prefecture in Japan, had been growing sencha green tea for over a century.
Traditionally, this shading is achieved by wrapping the trees in a cover. There are limits to this, though: It increases the risk of disease and damages the leaves. The alternative is constructing a roof over the tea trees. But, Hattori told Insider, this can be very expensive.Around the same time, the Japanese government was re-assessing its approach to energy. The Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 prompted a shift away from nuclear power.
This method of farming is called 'solar sharing', or 'agrivoltaics.' The concept is simple – solar panels and farming take place on the same plot of land. Crops can be grown under the panels, or livestock like sheep and cows can graze in between them.
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