Overview
A supermarket in Germany is cutting through the supply chain and giving a whole new meaning to the concept of farm-to-table. Located in the Friedrichshain district of Berlin, a store in the METRO Cash & Carry chain is now home to the first in-store farm in Europe.
The Kräuter Garten (herb garden) is a walk-in vertical farm built by Berlin-based startup INFARM. Resembling a small greenhouse, it utilises hydroponic technology to grow herbs and vegetables in a compact space. Shoppers are then able to pick the best looking greens straight from the growing plants. Good luck finding produce fresher than that.
"This type of cultivation, which is termed hydroponics, enables customers to receive the freshest possible goods without any use of pesticides. In addition, METRO's carbon footprint benefits because of the absence of a transportation route," reads a statement on the METRO website. "The vertical cultivation saves space in terms of floor area. In METRO's Berlin-Friedrichshain store, various types of herbs and vegetables thrive on around five square metres of space. The high-tech facility supplies each individual plant with the optimum amount of nutrients and light."
Given the high economic and environmental cost associated with transporting food, it seems like METRO could really be onto something with this idea. Hopefully someone at Woolies is paying attention.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldJ66k2MPdQ
Via Vice.