A few weeks ago, leafy greens were growing in a brand new vertical farm in an industrial area in the west of Amsterdam. This is the Groy Vertical Farm, currently one of the few vertical farms actively producing in the Netherlands, Trouw reported during a visit to Amsterdam.
The newspaper speaks to practical farmer Ard van de Kreke about the hype and now the “valley of disappointment” the sector finds itself in, future plans and the potential of vertical farms in the Netherlands. “The tech giants have invested hundreds of millions in this type of company. They wanted to build something huge and futuristic, but we are only talking about power cards.”
In the paper, Leo Marcelis, David Katzen, and Luc Gramans also highlight recent developments. Katzen and Gramans criticize this, in part because of the well-known argument about “free sunlight” being missed in a vertical farm.
Grower Ard emphasizes the advantages of having more control over growing factors than in a greenhouse. WUR scientists mention this as well. They see opportunities for a hybrid form, with vertical farming and finishing in a greenhouse.
Source: Trouw (€)
Index image: Growy multi-layer farming, which is also active outside the Netherlands in Singapore, Kuwait and others.
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