The world's largest vertical farm.

UAE 's Bustanica farm, part of Emirates Crop One, produces 3 tonnes of greens per day across its 10,000 m2 area.

Bustanica's vertical farms save more land and water compared to traditional farms. Photo: CNA — Bustanica's vertical farms save more land and water compared to traditional farms. Photo: *CNA*

Climate change is making traditional agriculture more difficult, forcing businesses to seek new solutions to address the root causes. Bustanica is the world's largest vertical farm in Dubai. Their produce is featured on Emirates flight menus, and their vegetables are also available in many supermarkets across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Bustanica's 10,000 m² facility produces 3 tons of greens daily in an environment with controlled temperature, humidity, water, and nutrients. The farm uses significantly less land and water compared to traditional farms, according to CNA .

"If you wanted to produce the same amount of leafy greens, you would need nearly 470,000 square meters of land, about twice the size of Dubai International Airport," said Feras Al Soufi, general manager of Emirates Crop One, the company operating the project.

The farm has been operating for almost a year, using 95% less water than a conventional farm. In a water-scarce country like the UAE, where much of the water supply comes from energy-intensive desalination plants, lower water consumption reduces the burden on electricity supply and limits emissions. "Normally, to produce one kilogram of lettuce, you need 370 liters of water. Meanwhile, at Bustanica, we only need 15-17 liters," Al Soufi said. He estimates Bustanica saves about 200 million liters of water a year.

This isn't the only company promoting indoor farming in the UAE. Agricultural technology company Alesca Life builds automated vertical farms that grow leafy greens and provides farm management solutions. The farms, equipped with LED lighting and various customized irrigation and monitoring systems, resemble shipping containers and feature a flexible, modular design. While its parent company is based in Singapore, Alesca Life also operates in China, Japan, and the UAE. Over the past decade, they have supplied technology to clients in those countries and Saudi Arabia.

A client company, Food Tech Valley, signed an agreement at the COP28 climate change conference to develop an 83,613 m2 "GigaFarm" that will grow 3 million kg of food per year, equivalent to 2 billion plants. Their closed-loop system is expected to eliminate food waste and conserve water to the point where it will not need to connect to the main water supply or use groundwater. Construction is scheduled to begin next year and be fully operational in 2026.

Both food security and sustainability are key concerns for the UAE, a Gulf nation that imports 83% of its food. The UAE aims to be a world leader in food security by the middle of the 21st century. They face some of the same goals and challenges as Singapore, a country that imports around 90% of its food and also relies on high-tech farms and advanced agricultural methods to boost production.

An Khang (According to CNA )

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