Vertical farms to end soft fruit and herb imports to UK

Two scientists, an agricultural economist and a farmer are on a mission to eliminate imports of soft fruits, herbs and salads to Britain within a decade.

The team at Jones Food Company already supplies nearly a third of the UK's fresh-cut basil to major retailers, grown in Europe's largest vertical farm in Lincolnshire.

But it is now testing how to also grow soft fruits, cut flowers and vines vertically at scale in an experimental centre in Bristol, and hopes eventually to be able to grow produce in bulk at a new site in Gloucestershire that will open this autumn.

When built, the site is expected to be the world's largest vertical farm - the growing space of which will equate to 96 tennis courts stacked in vertical layers.

The company aims to reduce the carbon footprint of food consumed in the UK, eliminate the limitations of the seasons and boost the country's food security, all while turning a profit.

In 2020, nearly half - 46 per cent - of the food consumed in the UK was imported.

"It won't be long in the future that it will become unacceptable to air-freight fresh herbs into the country," said Glyn Stephens, who was once a dairy farmer in mid-Wales before becoming the company's head of growing. "In my head it will become like smoking, it will just become socially unacceptable."

Mr Stephens, 56, said that over time he had become increasingly concerned about human impact on the planet, including climate change, and was pleased to be involved in something that he felt was doing some good.

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Photo Courtesy of Kalera

Source: Agritech Future