The world population has already exceeded 7 billion. How can we find enough space to grow food for that many people? One possible solution is hydroponics. Hydroponics uses water with nutrients to grow plants, instead of soil.

Rachel Sparks wants to figure out how to produce enough crops to support a growing population when there’s not enough fertile land. She thinks hydroponics systems might be part of the answer.

Rachel is a graduate student in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University. She received a student innovation grant from the Global Center for Food Systems Innovations to test the feasibility of a hydroponics system in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Photo: Rachel Sparks