Finnish vertical farming tech business iFarm says its responding to increasing demand for its 365-day vertical growing technology so its relocated its global base to the UAE.
Radical? No, just a strategic response to the fact the ME has some of the harshest growing conditions on Planet Earth and like other small nations with limited growing space, it makes sense.
If you are a follower of Finnish Netflix dramas you will know too that country has very harsh growing conditions.
FurtureFoodProduction.com reports: "The announcement comes as the Gulf region’s agtech industry experiences rapid investment growth aided by significant government support programs. The company is also planning to use this base to extend its reach into the Asia-Pacific region as well".
According to iFarm they already have their proprietary vertical growing platform operating in Indonesia and strong expressions of interest from the Philippines and Singapore.
“This is a goal, that we work from our headquarters in the MENA region and work with Asia Pacific also", says Maxim Chizhov, iFarm Co-founder.
Because of arid soil and low water resources, GCC countries rely on imports to feed their population’s growing demand for fresh, healthy food.
“I think this is the most important region in the world that requires indoor farming right now,” continued Chizhov. “There are a lot of potential clients here. However, we continue to operate globally, and our valued clients in Europe, the Americas, and other regions will not be affected.”
With massive changes occurring with Planet Earth's climatic conditions this form of crop growing adaptation is timely. The ME
and places like Singapore, Israel and Nordic countries rely very heavily on imported fresh produce. Combine climate changes with supply chain pressures and these forms of vertical growing technologies will have a growing influence on the way cities, in-particular, are even designed in the future.
Feeding their citizens is the key imperative for these smaller nations while larger nations continue to 'drag the chain' on scalable plant-based technologies in an attempt to relieve pressure on the Planet.
This week alone New Zealand, which boasts some of the most intensive industrial agriculture practices in the world has been inundated by flooding, destroying thousands of acres of cropland and intensive cropping such as orcharding, market gardening and grapes.
Will New Zealand and Australia have to consider the virtues of all year round crop production in order to secure future fresh food supplies?
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