Converting spaces into vertical farms, INFARM builds super-efficient modular farms right in the heart of the city. These ‘farms’ are responsive to the growing demand of local, transparent food production. So, who are the brains behind this innovative concept? A team of plant scientists, roboticists, industrial designers, IT gurus, futurists, chefs and architects – all who share a passion for helping to shape the cities of the future.
INFARM’s headquarters in Berlin is a hybrid research lab, vertical farm and culinary event space – it’s the field test area for all new models of food consumption. It’s a space that regularly hosts groups to experience the future of urban farming.
Working alongside global design company IDEO, who creates positive impact through design, INFARM is realising its longstanding futurist dream of vertical farming. Think crop growing in stacked units or on inclined surfaces under controlled light, moisture, temperature and nutrient distribution. Basically, a small-scale modular greenhouse designed to fit small, urban spaces perfectly and to, more importantly, provide a sustainable and efficient solution to an ever-growing demand for food.
As Prof. Dickson D. Despommier of Columbia University puts it:
“If every city on earth were to grow 10 per cent of its produce indoors, it would allow us to take 340 000 square miles of farmland back to the forest. That, in turn, could absorb enough carbon dioxide to bring the level in earth’s atmosphere back to where it was in 1980.”
Created from a vertical farming experiment in a Berlin apartment, and with a view to develop a system that would afford people an opportunity to grow produce in confined spaces without the need for much soil or water, Erez, Guy Galonska and Osnat Michaeli started INFARM. Since the days of the humble Berlin apartment, the start-up has created tailored growing systems for clients such as Airbnb, Mercedes-Benz, Weber and Metro (German supermarket chain).
INFARM lets you grow where you are while reducing your carbon footprint by cutting food transportation and still being able to enjoy fresh, nutrient-dense food. Truly, a way humans can discover the beauty of growing a perpetual supply of non-GMO, pesticide-free premium produce. The way of the future.
