Key Takeaways
- Harvest London and Crate to Plate have received funding through DEFRA's ADOPT programme to deploy Ani, a production planning platform built by Harvest London that links confirmed customer orders to crop scheduling in real time.
- The deployment runs across Harvest London's Canada Water and Lea Bridge sites and Crate to Plate's Canary Wharf operation.
- Unlike most vertical farms, which plan production against forecasts, Ani works backward from confirmed orders to set planting schedules and manage growth cycles for delivery commitments.
- Early estimates point to resource savings of around 10% across operations, alongside reduced waste and lower working capital needs.
- ADOPT funding will support wider deployment of Ani across the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sector and the sharing of findings across UK agriculture.
Harvest London and Crate to Plate Awarded DEFRA ADOPT Funding
Harvest London and Crate to Plate have been awarded funding through DEFRA's ADOPT programme to deploy Ani, a production planning platform developed by Harvest London that connects confirmed customer orders to crop scheduling in real time. ADOPT, which supports collaborative practice and knowledge-sharing across UK agriculture, backed the project as a model for how smaller controlled environment agriculture operators can improve efficiency and resilience through shared technology.
How Ani Connects Orders to Crop Scheduling
Most vertical farms plan production against forecasts. Ani instead works backward from confirmed orders, using operational data to determine what to plant, when to plant it, and how to manage growth cycles to meet delivery commitments. The platform integrates with existing farm management databases and generates automated recommendations for planting schedules and crop allocation. Early estimates point to resource savings of around 10% across operations, along with reduced waste and lower working capital requirements.
Deployment Across London Growing Sites
The deployment is running across Harvest London's Canada Water and Lea Bridge facilities and Crate to Plate's operation in Canary Wharf.
“Linking demand signals directly to production planning represents a major step toward more responsive and efficient food systems. At Harvest London, we are delighted to be at the forefront of innovation in Vertical Farming,” said Chris Davies, CEO of Harvest London.
“By implementing the ANI software package, we hope to be able to streamline operations, grow profits and improve our sustainability. Cooperation on best practice is the way forward for all Controlled Environment Agriculture and being part of DEFRA's ADOPT programme is an important part of that work,” said Daniel Tristao, CEO of Crate to Plate.
Harvest London's Ani Platform Explained
Ani is system-agnostic and is being developed for wider deployment across the CEA sector. Access to reliable production planning tools has been a limiting factor for smaller operators, and Harvest London said ADOPT funding will help share findings from the deployment across the UK agriculture industry.
Wider Rollout Across the CEA Sector
The project adds to a broader push within UK controlled environment agriculture to close the gap between production and demand data, an area smaller operators have historically struggled to address without dedicated tools or funding support.
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