The Promise of Vertical Indoor Farming

The Promise of Vertical Indoor Farming

This article will be featured along with other articles addressing investment opportunities in Australasian agriculture in Volume 5, Issue 3 of the GAI Gazette which will be distributed in conjunction with Global AgInvesting Asia 2018, held in Tokyo on 2-3 October 2018.  Join us in Tokyo to hear valuable insights and best practices for investment strategy from the expert speaking faculty.  Learn more and register.

1. The global vertical farming market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.76 percent between 2018-2023.

2. Anticipated market size is US$7.461 billion by 2023 from a market size of US$2.289 billion in 2017.

3. Production levels on five acres of indoor farming equals 2,400 acres of conventional farming.

4. Vertical farming requires 70-95 percent less water than normal cultivation.

5. Investment rounds in vertical farming companies abound: San-Francisco-based Plenty ($200 million); New Jersey’s AeroFarms ($50 million); and BrightFarms ($30.1 million), Gotham Greens ($29 million), Bowery Farming ($20 million), all of New York.

6. The world’s largest vertical farm is being built in Dubai, funded by a $40 million joint venture between Crop One Holdings and Emirates Flight Catering.

7. The first commercial vertical farm called Sky Greens opened in October 2012 in Singapore.

8. The stackable shipping container method of vertical farming was pioneered by Boston-based Freight Farms.

9. Being densely populated makes Asia a key region for vertical farming solutions; Japan boasts about 450 indoor farming operations.

10. The first commercial vertical indoor farm in Europe opened in 2017 in the Dutch town of Dronten.