• UNS farm is an indoor facility housed in a large warehouse in the UAE ’ s Al Quoz Industrial area . It began operating in September 2018 and harvests between 1,000 to 1,500 kg of vegetables every day supplying gourmet chefs , hotels and restaurants . The entrepreneur , Mustafa Moiz , invested $ 10 million in this project .
UNS Farm Distribution Model
• SPREAD Co was set up in Japan in 2006 in response to water shortages , the impact of natural disasters and the long-term environmental impacts of pesticide and fertilise usages . Its Keihanna farm produces 230,000 heads of lettuce per day .
Australia is a “ little slow off the mark ”, according to Jack Ellis of Agfunder News , ( 6 ). That said , local players include :
• Green Camel an organic indoor hightech hydroponic farm in Cobbitty in Sydney ’ s south west . Its production of greens totals over 130,000 kg per 0.4 ha and the farm also grows barramundi , with the capacity to produce 12,000 fish per year .
Green Camel
• Sundrop farm a $ 175M operation in the South Australian desert produces 350 tonnes of tomatoes each week in 20 ha glasshouses powered by a 15 ha array of mirrors and solar power ; the company is now producing 10-15 % of Australia ’ s truss tomatoes .
• Sprout Stack grows micro greens in recycled shipping containers in Brookvale on Sydney ’ s Northern beaches supplying Harris Farm Markets directly . The company uses 95 % less water and its organic waste is used to grow mushrooms or given to chicken farmers .
• Modular Farm Co is the first portable vertical farming system in Brisbane and is embedded in the Eat Street Precinct . The farm supplies local restaurants with fresh produce on demand and in doing so reduces food waste and food miles .
• Cultivate , a joint Mirvac and Farmwall venture , has established two urban farms in Sydney ’ s CBD ( prior to COVID ).
The company says their microgreens are grown naturally , sustainable and “ still alive ” when delivered to their expanding local customer base .
What do all these global companies have in common ? A desire to be more sustainable and machination to stimulate a circular economy . With capabilities to bring food production closer to consumers CEA is also gaining popularity with consumers , urban planners and city dwellers .
SO WHAT IS DRIVING INVESTMENT IN CEA ? First , world population growth and mass migration towards the cities . The United Nations estimates that by 2050 around 68 % of the world ’ s population will be living in urban areas and this means an additional 2.5 billion people to feed . ( 7 )
Singapore has set aside 18 ha for the Agri-Food Innovation Park at Sungei Kadu and is seeking to meet the demands of a growing world population through the establishment of indoor plant factories , insect farms and animal feed production . ( 8 )
Second , scarcity of resources . The world has finite natural resources and access to arable land , water and critical fertilisers can be constrained . Phosphate use , for example has quadrupled in the last 50 years due to population growth and in many countries social and political events impact the availability of agricultural inputs . ( 9 )
Third , food security , and it ’ s not just about the production of calories and the impact
Photo credit : Western Sydney University at Hawkesbury
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