Nov 12, 2020
CONTENT SOURCED FROM FOOD NATION DENMARK
In April the Danish company Nordic Harvest, who is engaged in vertical farming, raised nearly EUR 8,5 million in their first round of investments. Nordic Harvest can as a result look forward to establish one of the largest vertical farms in Europe.
Rethinking methods of producing food is a necessity as the world’s population is fast-growing and we face big, global challenges concerning sustainability. That is one of the key points from Anders Riemann, CEO and founder of Nordic Harvest, as he stresses how vertical farming can create a more sustainable food system with local production and at the same time offer higher quality and a better tasting experience than conventionally grown foods.
A sustainable food system
Vertical farming uses new technologies to reduce the load on the resources of the earth and uses only one fraction of land areal and water resources compared to traditional production methods. CEO of Vaekstfonden, Rolf Kjærgaard, says that the investments in Nordic Harvest will help to secure that Denmark can still be in the forefront when it comes to producing high-quality and sustainable foods. Consequently, the investments and loans from VF Venture and the Danish Green Investment Fund help Nordic Harvest to bring a sustainable food system with local produces quality greens closer to consumers.
“In Denmark, we grow world-class food, and we are known for our high quality. However, to create a sustainable food production we need to continuously develop and innovate. Nordic Harvest is a great example of exactly that, and therefore, we are happy to invest in them, as well as offering a loan from the Danish Green Investment Fund, and we look forward to following Nordic Harvest on their journey,” says Rolf Kjærsgaard.
Abundant greens at the 14th floor height
Different plants on shelves on as much as 14 floors, as far as the eye can see. This is what Copenhagen Markets, Northern Europe’s biggest wholesales market for food, will look like at the end of 2020. Nordic Harvest has already begun the construction of an indoor, high-tech production of locally grown greens, herbs and kale, which offers a shorter way from harvest to consumer. The big potential and benefits in vertical farming was so obvious that Nordic Harvest quickly landed big investments from several investors, including four landowners who also run traditional agriculture.
Vertical farming is a perfect match to Danish wind energy and shows how Denmark is now electrifying agriculture and the entire food sector to a much greater degree than before, and therefore fulfilling a great need in relation to making crop production more sustainable.
“Vertical farming helps Denmark to reduce CO2 emissions per unit of agricultural crop produced, and thus we at Nordic Harvest help agriculture with the green transition that is highly needed when Denmark has to deliver a 70% reduction in greenhouse gases in 2030,” says Anders Riemann, CEO and founder of Nordic Harvest.
FURTHER READING:
VERTICAL FARMING: HOPE OR HYPE?