Vertical Farming in Amsterdam

Vertical Farming in Amsterdam

From London, we traveled to Amsterdam to slip on lab coats, hair nets, and sanitize our shoes to tour the most innovative growing system yet. Growy is nestled in an industrial complex just outside the city center, and touring this advanced facility with Laura van de Kreeke left us impressed.

In just four years, Growy has developed a proprietary process for vertical indoor hydroponic microgreen cultivation that uses minimal energy and water, within the cleanest and most pristine growing facility we’ve ever seen. Almost fully automated, they’re striving for a production process free from human contact. Substantially reducing growing variables (and risk) associated with soil, climate, pests, disease, and water insecurity. They’re also conducting in-house research to identify the optimal growing parameters for the varieties they cultivate, to maximize yield potential in this climate-controlled environment.

This cropping method represents the greatest level of control for growers, the greatest reduction of variables. Also (potentially) the most significant investment. Could this be the future of farming: taking greenhouses and hydroponics to the next level with automation, and reducing risk and labor challenges? It could represent the upper echelon of food production, the assurance of food security for most-developed nations in a changing climate. We believe there is opportunity to complement this type of solution with less capital-intensive options, including Cloudseed Inc.'s CropRank technology, increasing accessibility for both developed and developing populations to pursue agriculture resilience.