Technology has begun to penetrate every aspect of our food system. With these technologies, we can produce better quality production and better quality food by using less resources. We really need this in a sustainable world.
Today, with these technologies, controlled production is carried out under LED lights, with less water and fertilizer use, in less area than traditional agriculture, in vertical farming farms.
Vertical agricultural farms produce in many geographies from the Far East to America, from England to Europe.
In the Taastrup region near Copenhagen, Denmark, the first phase of the construction of Europe's largest vertical farming farm, which will make a great contribution to the sector, has been completed.
In this facility, which was established on an area of 7000 m2 with the partnership of Danish food technology company Nordic Harvest and Taiwanese vertical agriculture company YesHealth Group, production will be carried out on shelves stacked on 14 floors with more than 20,000 LED lights.
The robots to be used are ahead of other technologies in the facility. Small robots with wheels that can move between the growing racks will be able to distribute the seeds to different rows of the racks.
Sensors integrated into smart software will be able to monitor and process more than 5,000 different data points. For example, the system monitors the light intensity during the growing period of the plant and can intervene in light intensity when it deems necessary.
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In the greens to be produced, approximately 1 liter of water is used by providing 250 times water savings compared to traditional agriculture, and also the LED lighting used in plant production works with electricity from wind energy. Almost half of Denmark's total electricity needs come from wind power, and the farm's creators consider this sustainable energy source the most viable choice.
Today's consumers are accustomed to buying and eating the fruits and vegetables they desire at any time of the year, even out of season. These fresh foods are brought from point A to point B through a serious supply chain. The chemicals used to keep fruits and vegetables fresh for a longer time and to protect them from pests during the journey put a great burden on both the environment and these foods.
By changing this cycle, vertical farming farms will be able to bring the products produced to the consumers in the local markets in a very short time, without the use of chemicals and at the highest freshness level, even in the off-season.
Of course, not every crop grown in open field can be grown from vertical farms for now. In this cultivation, which is limited to greens for now, it is expected to increase in the variety of products that can be grown in parallel with the developing technology.
The plant, which will harvest 15 times a year for 1000 tons of product, is expected to reach full capacity by the end of 2021.