Dubai: Masdar City, an Abu Dhabi-based sustainability and innovation hub, has partnered with Alesca Technologies, an agricultural technology company to launch Masdar City’s first vertical smart farm.
The farm will generate 650 kgs of ready to eat produce every month all year long using 90-95 per cent less water than a conventional farm.
Masdar City said it is dedicated to tackle climate change through its support to start-ups that establish innovative solutions for climate change.
“Partnership and experimentation are key to unlocking innovative climate change solutions, and foundational to who we are at Masdar City,” said Sebastien Miller in a press release, Masdar City’s manager of public realm. “We’re glad to be partnering with a company like Alesca, which is known as a test bed for the localization of food production and producing high-quality food—both of which play a role in addressing food security and related climate change challenges.”
With the latest farming technologies, Alesca uses automated equipment and AI software to grow a variety pf ready-to-eat leafy greens which are free of harmful chemicals.
The farms will have two full-sized commercial farming containers and will be placed in shipping containers near Masdar City’s Eco-Plaza.
The farm’s highly controlled and automated monitoring process helps maximize food production and minimize food waste. Using urban land for more than one purpose reduces costs and makes better use of limited space, which is crucial in high-density cities.
“In the case of a vertical farm, the greenery can also contribute to improved air quality and reduced urban heat island effect—that is, it assists with cooling, which is particularly important in this part of the world. It’s a project with so many benefits.”
Alesca Technologies is part of Masdar City’s growing agri-tech cluster; “Transforming the agricultural industry requires collaborating with innovators across dozens of sectors, and we’re excited to accelerate our tech development and global impact by actively engaging with the Masdar City community,” said Stuart Oda, Alesca’s founder.
Masdar City is hosting visitors, including students, to educate them about food security issues and the potential of indoor vertical farming, which makes fresh, post-organic produce available locally—even in a harsh climate such as the UAE’s—while reducing carbon emissions related to the supply chain.
