Vertical farming is on the rise, and not just in upscale urban areas. Instead, this sustainable farming practice is coming to grocery stores.
Outbreaks of E. coli, contaminated salads, and other recent food concerns have fueled demand for more fresh and more traceable produce.
One way companies are responding to this demand putting vertical farms right in the produce section. These farms are standalone, modular units.
In 2019, InFarm, a German startup, partnered with major grocery chain Kroger to put 15 of these units in stores.
Another method is to shorten the distance that food needs to travel to get to stores. Square Roots builds farms near or on Gordon Food Service distribution centers. This helps reduce the likelihood of greens losing freshness before reaching the store. Transporting the produce is also less costly this way.
Vertical Farms For Your House
Companies are also creating smart vertical farming units as part of your own kitchen at home.
In one case, the appliance store Miele acquired Agrilution, creator of the Plantcube. This is an automated farm that fits in kitchen cabinets. fit directly into kitchen cabinetry. LG is also planning on introducing a similar product at CES 2020.
Getting a vertical farm unit for your home kitchen will be costly. Plantcubes cost roughly €2,979 (~$3,300 USD), not including energy and water costs. As with all new innovations, prices will likely gradually drop as more companies get into the market.
Reference:
Vertical Farms Will Become Key Parts of Your Grocery Store and Your Kitchen Cabinets in 2020
