Vertical farms were introduced by Babylon who built “The Hanging Gardens of Babylon” in 605-562 BC. The modern version was first proposed by Dickson Despommier, a Public and Environmental Health professor at Columbia University in 1999.
Now, the world’s largest facility is ready to produce more than 2 million pounds of leafy greens every year.
Bustanica was built by Crop One Holdings in collaboration with Emirates Flight Catering. It recently opened its doors in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, near Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central. The facility is as big as 330,000-square-foot and spans over 175 yards.
The crops produced here will be clean and not require pre-washing as they will grow without pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals. The facility uses 95 percent less water, unlike traditional farms, and will produce three tons of output per day while wielding machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.
The facility makes use of a closed-loop system that circulates water through plants to use water efficiently. Water vaporizes during the watering process and is recycled into the system, which saves 250m liters of water every year compared to conventional outdoor farming producing the same output.
The leafy greens produced by Bustanica will be served to Emirates’ and various airlines’ passengers working with Emirates Flight Catering. Additionally, the products will also hit local stores under the Bustanica brand.
“We are proud to bring Crop One’s best-in-class technology to this innovative food production facility alongside our joint venture partner. ECO 1 will address growing supply chain challenges and food security issues, while introducing millions of new consumers to the benefits of vertically farmed produce,” said Craig Ratajczyk, Chief Executive Officer at Crop One. “It’s our mission to cultivate a sustainable future to meet global demand for fresh, local food, and this new farm is the manifestation of that commitment. This new facility serves as a model for what’s possible around the globe.”