This story is part of our continuing coverage of CES 2020, including tech and gadgets from the showroom floor.
Indoor gardens seem like something more at home at CES 2000 than CES 2020. But electronics maker LG doesn’t think the idea of indoor gardening is past its prime and is showing off an indoor gardening system that can be attached to the side of its refrigerators.
The unit can grow up to 24 seeds — six on each of its four shelves — in a controlled environment. The seed pods already include the necessary fertilizer and peat moss, and the gardening system itself will water the trays automatically, with LED lights providing the correct amount of light to encourage growth and prevent wilting.
Of course, you’ll be able to monitor and control your indoor grow, and the greens grown will be enough to feed a family of four. The company says it will offer about 20 different seed pods, including romaine and other types of lettuce, arugula, chicory, and basil.
As yet, LG has not announced a release date or a price on the gardening appliance. Instead, it appears that the company is using CES to gauge interest in such a device by showing off a working concept at its booth. LG says another reason for its development is consumers’ increasing interest in healthy lifestyles.
“With more and more consumers these days living vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, it was important for us to contribute to this trend,” LG’s home appliance division vice president Dan Song said.
LG’s move is part of a more significant trend over the past several years at CES surrounding food. While TVs and super high-tech gadgetry still reign supreme, food tech seems to have a more substantial and significant presence at the show as time goes on.
There’s a good reason for it too: Food supply is expected to become an increasingly important issue as humans move into the mid-21st Century thanks to changing climates and continued population growth worldwide. Tech companies large and small are showing increasing interest in solving one of this century’s most pressing problems.
“Our first indoor gardening solution represents a new paradigm for LG in home appliances, offering a way for consumers to eat well while providing the joy of growing their own food,” Song said.
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