World’s biggest R&D vertical farm opens in Abu Dhabi to seed the future of food – The National

World’s biggest R&D vertical farm opens in Abu Dhabi to seed the future of food – The National

Eighteen months after breaking ground in Abu Dhabi, US vertical farming company AeroFarms has opened its 6,000 square-metre research and development centre, the largest of its kind in the world, with the aim of advancing sustainable agriculture in arid climates.

UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri called the opening a great achievement for the region, noting that 80 per cent of the nation's food is imported and less than five per cent of land is suitable for farming.

Advancing indoor vertical farming, which relies on precise environmental control systems, less water and none of the pesticides used in traditional farming, could transform the region's potential as an agricultural producer.