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Vertical Agriculture a proven way of creating new, innovative solutions to feeding world – Interview with Guy Elitzur, Head of Vertical Field
Oct. 23, 2019
Vertical Field
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Israel
In a world where the total population is growing rapidly, expecting to reach 10 billion people in middle of the century, and where natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce, agriculture is a proven way of creating new and innovative solutions to feeding the world.
In a time when most of the world’s population are aware of what they are eating, with increasing demand for healthier and safer foods, agriculture needs to reinvent itself to be fit for purpose.
Vertical agriculture is one of the hottest topics in the Agtech sector and is an industry that is expected to grow to US$13 billion by 2024, with a CAGR of roughly 28% (according towww.gminsights.com), in light of new production methods and the fact that over $1 billion has been invested in the space sector in the last few years.
One of the leading companies in this sector is Vertical Field, an Israeli company founded in 2006 that produces many varieties of vegetables vertically. While most companies in the industry are growing products vertically through hydroponic technologies, Vertical Field has developed a unique growing method that utilizes soil beds with a proprietary mix of minerals and nutrients. Their crops are grown in a unique platform comprising a container with its own sensors, irrigation system and unique monitoring software, which automatically manages all growth phases and significantly reduces the need for manual maintenance.
The vertical growing method provides many benefits, such as using land and resources more efficiently. It also consumes 90% less water, requires no pesticides, and lowers logistical costs while maintaining quality, making it a potential future solution to the issue of how to feed the world’s growing population. Bringing food closer to the market also produces diverse benefits to end consumers, such as fresher produce, shorter transport distances, healthier non-toxic and pesticide-free crops, and longer shelf lives.
Vertical Field is headed by Guy Elitzur, a veteran CEO who successfully made STK Bio-Ag Technologies one of the leading companies in the biological crop protection industry. We recently spoke to Elitzur about Vertical Field's vision, activities and future plans.
Hello Guy. With regards to the vertical farming sector, what are the similarities between STK and Vertical Field?
Both companies aim to bring innovative solutions to the agriculture sector in response to the latest developments, such as a growing population, the need to supply quality food, the demand for healthy, fresh and pesticide-free products, and to lower our environmental footprint. I believe that both companies are pioneers in their sectors, through their fantastic products and solutions.
Tell me about the Vertical Field's establishment and history.
The company was established by Mr. Bar-ness in 2006, based on his personal passion and ambition to restore the role of nature in the urban lifestyle. Over time, he developed a few solutions using cutting-edge technology to interact with both indoor and outdoor environments, to improve human health and environmental conditions in urban settings. Over the last few years, the company’s accumulated knowledge has developed natural solutions to improve the accessibility of vertical agriculture and the quality of agriculture products.
What is the vision and concept of Vertical Field?
In Vertical Field, we aim to lead the transformation of the urban ecosystem by integrating natural values with human life. We develop and market propriety nature-based products that provide vertical agriculture solutions and improve environmental and human health conditions.
We also aim to shorten the agricultural supply chain and grow fresh and healthy products as near as possible to their places of consumption.
Do you have any new products that are ready to be launched?
Yes, we will soon launch VboX®, which is a portable farm built within a recycled shipping container. It can be located anywhere and can grow over 200 different crops. We can place VboX® near supermarkets, in the parking lots of restaurants, or on hotel roofs. With this technology, our customers can easily grow hundreds of different crops that can be harvested and served on the same day. Products are, therefore, fresh, healthy, pesticide-free and tasty. VboX® also consumes 90% less water than conventional agricultural methods and consumes less electricity than any other vertical farming solution.
There are many vertical farming companies, so what is special about what you are doing?
We are one of the few companies that grow products based on a special geoponic method while most other companies use hydroponics. Our products have many comparable advantages in terms of yield, quality and cost. They are easy to use and monitor and ensure consistent quality and yield around the year.
What are your future plans?
We intend to launch additional products based on VboX® technology in 2020 and 2021 that focuses on various food chain stakeholders. We believe that vertical agriculture is a real alternative to certain types of traditional agriculture and brings innovation to the urban ecosystem, creating new jobs and offering a new approach to food production.
Source: AgroNews
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