Why UAE’s first vertical farm could be a gamechanger

ABU DHABI: When people picture the United Arab Emirates, what likely comes to mind are desert sands, skyscrapers and a blue sea under a shimmering sun.

Agriculture does not. There are good reasons for this: the federation of seven emirates is hampered by high temperatures, a lack of arable land, salty soil and steep production costs. And that is without accounting for the occasional voracious locust swarm.

So it is hardly surprising that the UAE imports nearly 90 percent of its food needs, according to the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative, a data research organization. This reliance on the global food trade brings opportunity, said Saudi Arabian entrepreneur Omar Al Jundi, who has built the Middle East´s first commercial vertical farm in Dubai.

Badia Farm - the word means ´oasis´ in Arabic - grows greens like radish, kale, mustard, basil and arugula in a controlled, indoors environment using hydroponic technology and LED lights.

"As a region that has struggled to grow crops due to largely hostile desert landscapes, our farm offers a viable solution to farming that produces harvests 365 days of the year," he said. "The produce will not only be cheaper than imported goods, but fresher too, as the farms will be producing all year round.

"The farm, which began production late last year, is on an 800-square-metre plot of land in one of Dubai´s main industrial areas, and produces two hundred boxes of green vegetables a day.

Though this pales in comparison to the world´s largest vertical farm - which operates on 6,500 square metres of a former steel factory in New Jersey in the United States - it marks a big step for alternative farming in this region.

Vertical farming is taking off elsewhere too: Europe´s first commercial farm opened near Amsterdam last year, and Shanghai will next year start a 250-acre agricultural district with skyscrapers dedicated to growing fruit and vegetables. Vertical farming brings some important benefits, said Al Jundi: because produce is grown in a controlled environment there is no need for pesticides or chemicals.

And they use much less water - 90 percent less than open-field farming. Growing food locally for the firm´s 30 UAE clients - mainly restaurants and hotels - means a smaller carbon footprint, and saves on transport costs.

"It makes no sense to order produce that arrives in boxes in the back of a ship from as far tens of thousands of miles away when it can be grown at home," he said. Even though the UAE imports most of its food, the emirates are food secure, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

However, its food security is not without risk, said Hina Kamal, a research analyst at the UAE University´s College of Food & Agriculture, as it is reliant on vulnerabilities in supplier countries and on the international food trade market.

Another concern is climate change, which is likely to increase food prices in the years ahead, said Majid Sultan Al Qassimi of the UAE´s ministry of climate change and environment.