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Emirates Flight Catering acquires world’s largest vertical farm: Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) — the catering solutions provider of Emirates Airlines — has fully acquired the world’s largest vertical farm from Dubai-based agritech company Emirates Bustanica, according to a statement. Emirates Bustanica — formerly a JV between EKFC and US-based Crop One — will now be a fully UAE-owned company as part of the country’s plans to shore up local food supplies.
The details: The 330k sq foot hydroponic farm produces 1 mn kgs of leafy greens per annum while consuming 95% less water than conventional agriculture, the statement notes. Aside from servicing over 100 airlines, Bustanica sells its crops to UAE major retailers including Spinney’s, Waitrose, Carrefour, and Choithrams.
The UAE has been ramping up investments in vertical farming: Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City launched a new indoor vertical farm in collaboration with Singaporean agritech firm Alesca Life earlier this month. The companies will use automated monitoring systems and machine learning to grow 7.8k kg of crops annually inside two repurposed shipping containers. Dubai-based vertical farming startup Crysp Farms also secured USD 2.25 mn in a pre-series A funding round last month, planning to channel the capital towarding establishing new facilities domestically and expanding into KSA, the Seychelles and the Maldives.
