BILLA has become the first food retailer to test vertical farming in Austria. Working in collaboration with Israeli agricultural technology company Vertical Field, herbs and salads are grown in the container and sold directly to the market once harvested.
The container lies outside of the BILLA Plus store in the 10th district of Vienna, with plans for the construction of a second already underway. Each container can produce between 2,000 and 3,000 units per month, so the market is supplied with fresh produce almost daily.
"Vertical farming is a pioneering idea to be able to offer food as fresh as possible. At BILLA, we are increasingly concerned with alternative concepts and ideas to support sustainable ways in food production or - as in this case - to follow them ourselves. Vertical farming means optimal harvest yields in the smallest of areas and only a few meters to the shelves. This increases security of supply and our customers can look forward to local product ranges: all year round and literally grown right on our doorstep," said Eric Scharnitz, BILLA Sales Director.
The vertical farming is made possible by 16-hour LED lighting lamps, climate control technology and separate water and nutrient supply lines. It requires 90 percent less water consumption, uses 30 times less space and produces 50 percent less carbon emissions than ground cultivation.
"I think we all have to think about how we can ensure that a growing world population is fed in the future while at the same time crop yields are decreasing due to soil sealing, monocultures, the use of chemicals and the consequences of climate change. The development of new agricultural land at the expense of our ecosystem and the climate cannot be the solution here, but vertical farming can - especially in urban areas," said Ronen Redel, VP of Business Development at Vertical Field.
