Emirates opens $40m Vertical Farm to support its catering operations
Emirates, via its Flight Catering unit (EKFC), has just unveiled the world’s largest vertical farm in Dubai, constructed in collaboration with Crop One Holdings. Crop One is a US-based firm leading in the development of technology-driven indoor farming. The brand-new vertical farm built for the Emirati carrier is located in Dubai, near the Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), and is spread over 330,000 square feet.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said; “Long-term food security and self-sufficiency are vital to the economic growth of any country, and the UAE is no exception. We’ve specific challenges in our region, given the limitations around arable land and climate. Bustanica ushers in a new era of innovation and investments, which are important steps for sustainable growth and align with our country’s well-defined food and water security strategies.”
The new facility is named Bustanica, meaning ‘your garden’ or ‘your orchid’ in Arabic. Bustanica will also serve as the commercial brand name for the joint venture between EKFC and Crop One Holdings, also known as Emirates Crop One or ECO 1.
The 330,000 square-foot facility has been built with an investment of $40 million and spans three floors in height. It can yield over one million kilograms (2.2 million pounds) of leafy greens each year or over 3,000 kg (6600 lbs.) each day. At any given time, the facility will house over one million plants. The vertical farm is currently growing crops like kale, spinach, arugula, and mixed greens. Emirates plans to expand its crop range with new fruits and vegetables in the future.
Emirates said produce from Bustanica will be available on some EK flights starting this month. EKFC runs one of the largest flight catering services in the world, with over 100 airline customers. Chances are, Bustanica products will also be included in meals offered on some other airlines. In addition, the airline has said consumers in the UAE would soon be able to buy Bustanica produce at local supermarkets.
Vertical farming is a relatively modern concept and is developed using advanced techniques to make the process kinder to the polar bears. For example, the Bustanica uses hydroponic cultivation, which uses 95% less water than traditional farming practices. This is because the water is continuously recirculated in precise quantities to each crop in the building, thereby eliminating wastage.
Thanks to Crop One’s expertise in the world of vertical farming, Bustanica products will be grown without using any pesticides, chemicals, herbicides, or fungicides. This will pretty much eliminate the risk of foodborne and fungal diseases to consumers. In fact, the carrier says harvested produce does not need to be washed before consumption.
Bustanica uses modern technology such as machine learning and artificial intelligence to grow food hydroponically. The team consists of agronomy experts, engineers, scientists, horticulturists, and plant biologists. However, human contact with plants is limited so as to decrease the chances of contamination. Instead, digital methods are used to collect valuable data and control operations.
