Oakland, Calif.-based vertical farm operator Crop One Holdings won the Best Innovation in Indoor Farming Award at the 2019 Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The company, which also owns FreshBox Farms in Millis, Mass., was recognized for being a leader in confronting core environmental, economic and social issues, including combining spatial optimization with resource efficiency to grow leafy greens year-round, according to a Crop One news release.
In 2018, the company announced a $40 million joint venture agreement with Emirates Flight Catering to build a vertical farming facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The controlled environment facility will be 130,000 square feet and use much less water than outdoor farms use to produce three tons of herbicide-free and pesticide-free leafy greens daily, according to the release.
“This award is a testament to our commitment to responsibly feed our planet’s 7.4 billion people,” Crop One Holdings CEO Sonia Lo said in the release. “We are firm believers in building a more sustainable world and aim to continue being a thought leader in this industry.”
The company’s patented grow process allows its farm to grow 400 acres worth of outdoor-grown produce in 1 acre of warehouse space, according to the release.
Environmental sustainability, innovation, productivity and impact was the global conference’s judging criteria.
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