The hydroponics industry is booming, right? We’re led to believe that it’s the future of food, a green panacea to nourish an expanding global population. $25 billion by 2034, they say. Less water use, reduced land use, room for pesticide-free produce – it just sounds incredible. Before we congratulate ourselves...

Is Africa on the cusp of quietly transforming its food systems for the better? Say goodbye to dusty fields and hoping for a shower. Instead, picture high-tech greenhouses and sky-high vertical farms, where a new generation of farmers will be armed with data, not just hoes. The global hydroponics market...