Holandeses testam fazendas 'flutuantes':áo real bwin

The story…

Can floating farms help us cope with climate change?

Learn language related to…

cows

Need-to-know language

dairy products – foodstuff made from or containing milk

milked – drew milk from a cow or other animal

manure – animal excrement used as a fertiliser

herd – large group of animals of the same species that live together

animal welfare – care for the physical and mental needs of animals

Answer this…

What's the advantage of floating farms in a world facing climate change?

Watch the video online: https://bbc.in/2KLnbg1

Transcript

Fresh milk - within touching distance of the city. These cattle have been recruited as part of an experiment to show rapidly growing urban populations how to produce our meals closer to home.

Peter believes this is the future of milk and cheese.

Peter van Wingerden, 'floating' dairy farmer

You see a huge migration from the countryside towards cities and the other thing is we have [a] climate change going on. So we were looking also for what we call a climate-adaptive location. So no matter how much rain falls, no matter how high sea level goes, we can always produce our life essential[s] - healthy food.

The floating pontoon is built on three levels. In the basement they're growing fruit to flavour the dairy products, which are processed in the middle. And on top, 32 native Dutch Meuse-Rhine-Issel cows.

The cows are milked by robot machines. Their manure is collected by pooper-scooping robots. They're fed by robots too.

The farmer lives nearby, but he can keep an eye on his herd remotely via apps on his mobile phone. The cows seem to be adjusting to this hands-free approach.

And on the question of animal welfare…

Minke van Wingerden, 'floating' dairy farmer

We try to make them happier on [a] floating farm than in a regular stable.

This living lab will help to determine whether floating farms make enough environmental and commercial sense to expand and export them.

Did you get it?

What's the advantage of floating farms in a world facing climate change?

They say floating farms can continue operating no matter how high sea levels go.