Dubai: The Saudi agritech startup Red Sea Farms is expanding into the US. Where the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (UA-CEAC) will evaluate its technology and potential to produce crops in resource-limited environments.
The initial study will integrate the Red Sea Farms’ technologies onto existing facilities for a Phase One year-long project so that benefits can be fully assessed before further deployment. UA-CEAC is the first institution in the US to investigate the viability of the technologies, in line with the commitment to facilitate programmes for the industry to learn about the importance ‘controlled environment agriculture’ (CEA) has in meeting current and future problems with practical, and highly successful solutions.
“The University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center has a history of designing, implementing, and researching controlled environment agriculture systems for temperate to extreme climates, including both frozen and hot arid deserts,” said Murat Kacira, Director of the University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center and professor of Biosystems Engineering in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Red Sea Farms’ systems can be easily scaled in harsh environments, including in parts of the US that are water-scarce and where conventional farming methods are either not possible or not cost-effective. The company is developing its technology in-house to grow and sell fresh produce in Saudi Arabia.
Ryan Lefers, CEO of Red Sea Farms, said: “Many parts of the US are water-scarce with seasonal harsh climates, making it a challenge to grow fresh produce year-round. However, the breakthrough technologies Red Sea Farms has created could help address the reliance on freshwater consumption in food production and improve food security.”
UA-CEAC is positioned to evaluate this technology’s viability given its current research, including wavelength shifting technology, semi-transparent and photovoltaic integrated films to help enhance crop productivity, resource use efficiency, and sustainability of food production within controlled environments. The Center is also investigating the development of advanced environmental control applications to support resource savings in indoor vertical farming systems.
