Growing Fresh Perspectives: Urban Deli’s Vertical Farming Talk with KTH and IVL
Earlier this month, Urban Deli Hagastaden hosted its second Breakfast Talk, spotlighting the innovative and evolving field of vertical farming. Attendees gathered for a morning of fresh insights, engaging discussions, and a closer look at cutting-edge research led by KTH and IVL researchers Michael Martin, Loris Mazzaferro, Elisabet (Lisa) Henriksson, and Maria Bustamante. The event also highlighted the collaborative experiment between KTH, IVL, Urban Deli, and Vegger, showcasing the Vegger system as a key component of this exciting project.
The Rise of Vertical Farming: Opportunities and Challenges
The event opened with an introduction by Fanny Sturén, Urban Deli’s Project Manager for Sustainable Development, who set the stage by sharing her curiosity and enthusiasm for sustainability-driven innovations. The morning centered on exploring the potential of vertical farming to transform urban food systems, reduce transportation needs, and optimise space for year-round production. As Lisa explained, vertical farming enables crops to thrive in controlled environments, such as unused urban spaces or rooftops, reducing food miles and creating opportunities for hyper-local produce.
However, the speakers didn’t shy away from addressing challenges. Loris outlined the significant costs associated with vertical farming—both in terms of setup and operation. From energy-intensive lighting systems to high urban labor costs, scaling vertical farms sustainably and affordably remains a key hurdle.
KTH’s Research and Vegger’s Role
The team emphasised their focus on optimising vertical farming through research into energy efficiency, resource circularity, and innovative crop selection. Vegger’s vertical farming system, used in these experiments, exemplifies many of the sustainable solutions discussed:
1. Circularity in Action: Unlike many traditional systems, Vegger’s vertical farms incorporate biodegradable PlantPods and engineered airflow that minimises waste. This aligns with Mike’s emphasis on reusing materials, such as turning spent growing media into substrates for mushroom cultivation or compost.
2. Energy Efficiency: Vegger’s energy-efficient LED grow lights and advanced ventilator systems echo the discussion on reducing operational costs through innovative lighting techniques and heat reuse.
3. Local Production: Vegger’s systems are designed to thrive in urban settings, enabling businesses like Urban Deli to grow fresh herbs and greens on-site. This supports the vision of shortening supply chains and fostering self-sufficiency.
Vertical Farming’s Broader Impact: A Market Perspective
Maria brought a commercial lens to the discussion, emphasizing the importance of sustainable business models for vertical farming’s growth. She highlighted the need for collaboration across industries, including retailers, policymakers, and investors, to overcome scalability challenges. Vegger’s plug-and-play FlaxFarm systems offer a potential solution by reducing setup complexity and encouraging adoption in urban environments.
Maria also touched on the disconnect between consumer interest in sustainability and purchasing behaviours. This underscores the value of systems like Vegger’s, which not only deliver environmental benefits but also create visually appealing, interactive experiences for customers—an asset in hospitality and retail settings.
Takeaways from Urban Deli’s Breakfast Talk
The Breakfast Talk underscored the potential for vertical farming to redefine urban food production, provided challenges like energy use and scalability are addressed. With systems like Vegger’s already contributing to research and commercial settings, the future looks promising for this innovative approach.
Urban Deli’s experiment with KTH and Vegger is a step toward integrating vertical farming into everyday life. As Fanny aptly put it, showcasing both successes and failures in research fosters a better understanding of what’s possible. Whether it’s growing exotic crops like Salicornia or enhancing the aesthetics of indoor spaces, vertical farming is poised to bring fresh perspectives—and fresh produce—to cities worldwide.
Stay tuned as we follow the progress of this collaboration. Read more about the project here.
Links
