What is vertical farming?

Instead of spreading plants across a field, a vertical farm stacks them. Each layer gets its own lighting, and the whole space is climate-controlled. Plants usually grow hydroponically, with roots fed by nutrient-rich water instead of soil.

Advantages

• Much more food per square metre of floor.
• Year-round harvests, independent of weather and seasons.
• No pesticides needed when pests are kept out.
• Recirculating water uses a fraction of field irrigation.
• Farms can sit in cities, close to consumers.

Trade-offs

• Electricity for lighting and climate control.
• Upfront equipment cost.
• Best suited to fast, compact, high-value crops such as leafy greens and herbs.

Many vertical farms are big warehouses. Akar took a modular route instead: small, stackable units placed directly in shops, hotels, kitchens and homes and rented as a service. See why modular.