Foresight Group has agreed with Harvest London, a UK-based controlled environment agriculture company, to help the vertical farming industry expand. Harvest London has built two farms using hydroponic vertical farming techniques and grown over 100 crops. Its partnership with Foresight will allow the company to increase its production capacity and expand into vital retail markets. With growing concerns about the sustainability and security of food systems, new farming methods are necessary to decrease the negative environmental impacts of food production.
Harvest London’s indoor vertical farming approach delivers crops all year round of consistently high quality, using no chemical pesticides and significantly reducing the amount of fertilizer needed. This approach reduces agricultural pollution of rivers and dramatically shortens supply chains, reducing emissions from the transportation, processing, and refrigeration of food, increasing shelf life, and reducing waste. Vertical farms are controlled environments that help to reduce negative environmental impacts while improving productivity per square meter compared to traditional agriculture, thus strengthening food security in the UK.
The investment in Harvest London follows Foresight’s previous investments in greenhouses in the UK and a land-based sustainable aquaculture farm in Norway. The investment will allow Harvest London to expand its current operations and supply a range of salads and herbs to customers in London and beyond. In addition, the company has secured a 140,000 square feet unit in Beddington, South London, and is developing a vertical farm for that space. According to Chris Davies, founder of Harvest London, this investment is a sign that the vertical farming sector in the UK is maturing, and he hopes to make the UK a world leader in this exciting new industry.
Image provided by Harvest London
1 Comment