Key Takeaways:
- Signify and Agtira are partnering to build a 3000 m² greenhouse in Haninge, Sweden, equipped with Philips GreenPower LED lighting.
- The facility will grow produce near a supermarket, reducing food waste and transportation emissions while offering fresher products to consumers.
- LED lighting technology allows for year-round vegetable production, even in Sweden’s low-light conditions, supporting local food supply.
- Agtira’s Farming as a Service (FaaS) model enables custom greenhouse solutions for retailers, offering fresh vegetables directly from harvest to shelf.
- This project follows previous successful collaborations between Agtira and Signify, including greenhouses in Harnosand, Birsta, and Östersund.
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the global leader in lighting, and Agtira, a Swedish urban farming specialist, have announced the construction of a new 3000 m² greenhouse in Haninge, Sweden, just outside Stockholm. This new facility will be equipped with Signify’s Philips GreenPower LED toplighting compact and interlighting, providing optimal lighting conditions for growing fresh vegetables year-round, even in Sweden’s challenging low-light environment. The greenhouse will be located adjacent to a supermarket, ensuring produce is delivered to consumers at peak freshness.
Year-Round and Sustainable Food Production
In Sweden, approximately 70% of vegetables are imported due to limited natural daylight, particularly during the winter months. However, advancements in LED lighting have made local production more feasible. Agtira and Signify are capitalizing on this with their greenhouse projects, where cucumbers, tomatoes, and herbs are cultivated. Philips Horticulture lighting provides the necessary micromoles for crop growth even during the darkest months of the year, allowing for continuous, sustainable food production.
“For much of the year, we only have a few hours of daylight in Sweden, and even that isn’t true sunshine,” said Dumitru Mititelu, Chief Operating Officer of Agtira. “Thanks to Philips Horticulture lighting, we can grow cucumbers year-round, which would otherwise be impossible in these conditions.”
The proximity of the greenhouse to supermarkets ensures that produce travels only a short distance, reducing the need for transportation using fossil fuels. This also enhances the freshness and shelf life of the vegetables, helping to minimize food waste. By delivering vegetables to shelves the same day they are harvested, consumers benefit from higher-quality, more nutrient-rich products.
Innovative Farming as a Service Model
Agtira’s Farming as a Service (FaaS) model provides custom-built greenhouse complexes tailored for supermarkets and wholesalers who want to offer fresh vegetables year-round. The Haninge greenhouse, for example, is located behind the ICA Maxi supermarket, allowing cucumbers to be harvested and stocked in the store on the same day. This model supports both retailers and consumers by offering fresh, locally-grown produce on a daily basis.
“Signify has been an essential partner in this effort,” Mititelu added. “When you’re working with a greenhouse inside an existing building, natural light is completely absent, and the relationship between lighting and ventilation is critical. We worked closely with Signify to develop a customized light recipe for this environment.”
A Strong Partnership
This project builds on the success of previous collaborations between Signify and Agtira in Harnosand, Birsta, and Östersund. Signify’s Philips GreenPower LED lighting has played a vital role in enabling year-round food production in Sweden’s demanding climate, offering energy-efficient solutions for indoor farming.
Udo van Slooten, Business Leader of Philips Horticulture Solutions at Signify, shared his enthusiasm for the partnership: “We are proud to support initiatives like this that bring fresh, locally-grown produce to markets, reducing reliance on imports and minimizing environmental impact. It’s rewarding to see how our lighting technology can make a difference in such challenging growing conditions.”
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