In Dubai, a “huge hydroponic farm” in Bustanica, near Al Maktoum International Airport, includes 27 rooms for a total area of 30,000 square meters. Such a surface has made this installation “the largest vertical farm in the world”, according to the Emirati daily Gulf News, relayed by Courrier international.
At present, only four varieties of lettuce grow within this complex: romaine lettuce, frisee, batavia and lalique, but also kale, spinach and arugula.
According to Bustanica’s production manager, Robert Fellows, “the facility is designed to produce over 1 million kilos per year,” he told Gulf News.
The farm ensures that this quantity does not compromise the quality, which would be “beyond organic” thanks to advanced technology. The vegetables are ready to be eaten once they have reached maturity, without pre-washing. “Vegetables are grown indoors using ultra-precise methods in a controlled environment that does not require pesticides and drastically reduces sources of contamination,” says Robert Fellows.