Led by a team of four professionals, including CEO Abdulla al Kaabi, Director Sean Lee, Lead Project Manager Aphisith Phongsavanh, and Farm Ops Manager Vishakh Nath, Smart Acres looks to improve food security in the region, as well as offering a viable longer-term solution to growing a sustainable, reliable crop.
Hydroponic vertical farming has become more known and established in the region thanks to the support of the government and the success of this kind of farming method. What does Smart Acres add to this growing industry?
Aside from adding value to the local agricultural landscape as another tech-based vertical farm, a large component of our organization involves establishing a research and development institute in Abu Dhabi that will work towards developing local potato seeds for commercial use. With these potato seeds, we intend to partner with neighbouring countries that rely on European/Asian potato imports. This will support food security, enhance West Asia’s economies, reduce global transport emissions, and spur the growth of local consumer purchasing trends.
How does the technology work?
Our technology works by efficiently growing crops 365 days of the year, balancing humidity, temperature, nutrient-water delivery, and light via LED by using our IoT-based control system. Mature crops can be seeded, transplanted, grown, and harvested within 6 weeks. Whenever there are anomalies and changes in our internal environment, our system notifies us via our digital platform and we can make the necessary changes remotely. There are also many cameras throughout the farm that allow us to monitor operations 24/7. Our farm is sealed off from external threats such as pests and environmental changes. Inside of our operations is extremely hygienic as every team member and visitor must wear PPE and enter via an air shower.
What are some of the benefits of this kind of farming to the environment?
There are plenty of benefits to this kind of agricultural farming including the reduction of carbon emissions from fresh produce imports, a 90% decrease in water usage for the growth of crops, a substantial decrease in the land required to cultivate produce, a reduction in land surface construction to preserve biodiversity, and the halt of pesticide usage to protect the environment during waste removal. One of the biggest and long-term benefits to the environment involves social reform and consumer behaviour. As more people support vertical farming techniques, agricultural companies will begin to see the demand and will adjust their operations to suit changing attitudes. Yes, there are substantial upfront costs involved when starting out, but over time, we’ll begin to see a positive cash flow due to sales and controlled cultivation. With controlled cultivation, we’ll see better yields (less wastage), cost-savings from not using pesticide, cost-savings from not using as much water, and an increase in vertical farm affordability as climate change will affect traditional agriculture methods, making those practices more expensive to sustain as arable land becomes threatened.
Will Smart Acres mainly serve the UAE market?
First and foremost, our goal is to ensure that the UAE’s food security system is well-supported.
Does the current situation hinder or enhance this kind of business?
With more consumers deciding to cook at home, we’ve noticed that there’s been an increase in demand for fresh produce and more awareness towards nutrient-dense foods. This situation has slightly enhanced the vertical farm business. As well, with global logistics and transport of goods being scrutinized moreso during this pandemic, long-haul fresh produce may take longer to arrive to their destinations, causing minor supply interruptions.
What are some of the implications for vertical farming for the near future, with respect to the pandemic?
It’s noted that although retail food sales have increased during the pandemic, wholesale partnerships with restaurants and hotels have experienced a negative impact. This is due to lockdown measures, social distancing, and more people choosing to stay home and cook rather than dine-out.
Is lettuce the main crop? What else is being grown?
At the moment, we have four varieties of lettuces being cultivated with potato seeds on the horizon.