Ekthaar Agricultural LLC in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, receives the Sustainable Indoor Farming (SIF) Certification jointly administered by the Association for Vertical Farming (AVF) and Control Union United Kingdom (UK).
In designing and administering the SIF Certification, the AVF partnered with Control Union UK, which is globally respected for its independent services in auditing, certification, inspections, chain of custody assessments, and sustainability solutions – encompassing sustainability aspects of the supply chain in the agriculture, energy, feed, fisheries food safety and forestry industries, among others.
"Ekthaar" is Bin Dasmal Group's newly formed Sustainable Farming Solutions in line with the execution of the latest international green building standards and regulations. On July 5, 2022, in line with the "Save Soil" initiative, the Ekthaar team inaugurated its net farm by planting the first germination pods in the soil.
The SIF team audited Etkhaar's lettuce production on-site, and the criteria assessed were: Energy use (renewable and non-renewable); Energy use (renewable and non-renewable); Water use; Nutrient use; Substrate use; Crop protection plan; Space use; Food miles; Seeds and seedlings; and Waste.
"The SIF Certification represents a milestone, not only for the AVF but also for the global indoor/vertical farming industry as a whole. Since vertical farming constitutes an innovative and environment-friendly approach to food production, having the SIF Certification program in place is crucial to ensuring that Vertical Farms meet the highest standards of sustainability and quality," says Christine Zimmerman-Loessl, Chair Woman of the AVF.
According to the AVF, the SIF Certification is expected to help boost consumer confidence in produce grown in SIF-certified vertical farms and assurance that the production processes have met sustainability criteria. It also underscores the crucial role that the vertical farming industry plays in fostering sustainable food production both locally and globally.
For more information:
SIF Certification
www.sif-certification.org
Christine Zimmermann-Loesl, Chairwoman|
Association for Vertical Farming
czl@vertical-farming.net
www.vertical-farming.net