Industry News
Looking up
The UK has a £ 6 billion deficit for fruit and vegetables , but vertical farming infrastructure promises to reduce the burden . Intelligent Growth Solutions ( IGS ) claims that indoor farms , which are shielded from weather and disease , could futureproof food production and end the UK ’ s mammoth reliance on expensive imports .
The technology , which offers eightto-12 times more growing space , can currently produce more than 200 varieties of fruit and vegetables . Each crop will also grow six times quicker .
“ The UK has hit a breaking point ,” said Andrew Lloyd , COO at IGS . “ Integrating vertical farming into current food production systems will make the UK more resilient to import variations , staffing problems , disease , and climate or weather events .” foodchainmagazine . com 35