This micro vertical farm wants to revolutionize the supermarket

São Paulo - The idea is simple: a small facility for growing vegetables that guarantees always fresh organic food in large urban centers. But the goal is ambitious - to revolutionize the retail agricultural food in the world.

The startup InFarm developed a small unit for efficient production of vegetables and herbs that bring the field into the supermarket and allows the consumers to know the origin of their food. In Berlin, it works the first vertical microfazenda company, installed within a traditional network of European supermarkets.

Resembling a small greenhouse, the microfazenda was nicknamed Kräuter Garten (herb garden). Customers can pick and choose your own vegetables and herbs harvested directly from the foot.

For its compact size, it fits easily in any point of sale, narrowing the distance between the field and the city. When dispensing transport long distance, it also ensures a lower environmental impact of production.

According to its creators, the units can be configured for different crops, such as tomatoes or peppers, and thanks to its vertical nature, which allows "stacking" crops, it can produce much more vegetables per square meter, and all this taking up little space.

"Imagine a future in which cities become self-sufficient in food production, where the autonomous farms cultivate fresh produce at affordable prices, eliminating waste and environmental impact," suggests the company on its website.

Reducing waste is one of the coolest appeals of the contract. To get an idea, in developing countries, about two thirds of the food is lost after harvest and improper storage.

According to the website Fast CoExist, the pilot program InFarm has been operating for about six months in Berlin, and new units must be made by the end of the year.

No details were given on the cost of the units, but the co-founder Guy Galonska compared his business model to the model of the razor blade, "where we sell the technology at relatively low prices, then provide all additional supplies and services , such as software, for example. "