A startup in Israel has developed an innovative system for indoor saffron cultivation that uses AI(Artificial Intelligence) but not also genetic manipulation.
This is a promising project, thanks to which it will be possible to increase the availability of the so-called red gold on international markets and develop research into its health-promoting virtues.
1) Saffron, cultivation and production
Saffron(Crocus sativus) is a purple-flowered plant of the Iridaceae family, cultivated in Asia Minor and some Mediterranean countries including Italy, where Zafferano dell’Aquila DOP is famous. It blooms once a year for three weeks in late autumn.
The stigmas, its precious red filaments, should be harvested by hand early in the morning, before they bloom.
Three stigmas for each flower, 300 stigmas (from 100 flowers) for 1 gram of saffron, 300 thousand stigmas from 100 thousand flowers-for 1 kg of saffron.
Annual global saffron production is estimated at about 178 tons. Ninety percent comes from Iran and is sold in stock to other countries, Spain in the lead, which provide packaging and distribution.
2) Market
Minimal supply and the enormous labor required for saffron production meet significant demand. This explains the price of a spice-approximately €30-50/g, close to that of gold (€54/g euro as of 12/14/22)-which is therefore referred to as ‘red gold.’
The food sector absorbs about 70 percent of production. Saffron is a prized ingredient in some traditional dishes-‘paella’ in Spain, ‘risotto alla milanese‘ and ‘arancini alla siciliana,’ in Italy-and in haute cuisine. The remaining 30 percent is for cosmetics and dietary supplements.
3) Counterfeit risks
The high price of saffron has always stimulated the cravings of swindlers and organized crime. In each transaction, the risk of adulteration may occur, which may also impact food safety:
– saffron powder can be adulterated with less valuable spices (e.g., turmeric, safflower, calendula) as well as inedible substances (e.g., wood sawdust), (1)
– whole stigmas can themselves be sophisticated and their weight altered by various stratagems.
After all, analysis of market data offered by TradeMap shows how Spain in 2021 imported 76 tons of saffron to export 396 tons. (2)
4) Saffron-Tech, an innovative system for indoor saffron cultivation.
Saffron-Tech
, an Israeli startup founded in 2020, promises to revolutionize the saffron market through an innovative indoor growing system that applies a vertical farming model. The group of agricultural experts found the formula for saffron to bloom four times a year instead of once, thanks to a combination of factors.
All conditions of temperature, humidity and irrigation are adjusted in accordance with the needs of the plant using AI(Artificial Intelligence). Without resorting to either genetic engineering, fertilizers or pesticides. With the prospect of increasing productivity up to 50 times, compared to traditional open field cultivation.
5) Perspectives
Indoor cultivation has its costs between hi-tech plant, its management and labor. A 40 sq. m. container, moreover, has a yield equivalent to 0.1 ha. of land, Saffron-Tech declares, with ‘tremendous savings in water, fertilizer and electricity.’ And the global saffron market is estimated to reach 1.6 billion by 2027, with an annualCompounded Average Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.3 percent.
Increased availability could also allow the health benefits of Crocus sativus, whose use is rooted in Chinese medicine, to be explored. And it is among other things one of the richest foods in carotenoids (zeaxanthin, lycopene and alpha-beta carotenes), as well as containing about 150 volatile aromatic substances. (3) Further clinical studies may confirm its potential contribution, in particular, in the prevention and treatment of anxiety, depression and ADHD(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
Dario Dongo and Alessandra Mei
Notes
(1) Marta Strinati. Contaminants and allergens in herbs and spices. The European Commission’s investigation. FT (Food Times). 26.11.21
(2) Organized crime in the saffron trade. Shirin Persia. 23.5.20 %C3%
(3) Xing B, Li S, Yang J, Lin D, Feng Y, Lu J, Shao Q. (2021). Phytochemistry, pharmacology, and potential clinical applications of saffron: A review. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 Dec 5;281:114555. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114555
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Graduated in Law from the University of Bologna, she attended the Master in Food Law at the same University. You participate in the WIISE srl benefit team by dedicating yourself to European and international research and innovation projects.
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