Billa Plus, an Austrian supermarket chain that operates in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe has recently partnered with Vertical Field, an Israeli Ag-Tech designing modular indoor/ vertical farms. Originally established in 2006, the company designed integrated vertical platforms for the indoor and outdoor smart landscaping sector and quickly grew to international success.
The supermarket chain has initiated the growing process using Vertical Field’s landmark containers to sell them in their supermarket after harvest. With the possibility to grow up to 3,000 crops per month, the vertical farming container will initially produce parsley, basil, coriander, oak leaf lettuce, and lotto lettuce.
This container serves as a test for the supermarket before purchasing others and installing them, a second container is planned for this year in the Vienna area.
“Vertical farming is a pioneering idea to be able to offer food as fresh as possible. At Billa, we are increasingly concerned with alternative concepts and ideas to support sustainable ways in food production or – as in this case – to follow them ourselves. Vertical farming means optimal crop yields in the smallest of areas and only a few meters to the shelf,” says Eric Scharnitz, Sales Director at Billa in an interview with trendingtopics.eu
Over the past two years, the company has signed new deals all over the world:
- In November 2020, Vertical Field began working with Israeli supermarket chain Rami Levy, opening up a vertical farm in their Bnei Brak store.
- In January 2021, it signed an agreement with Emirates Smart Solutions & Technologies (ESST), an agricultural developer in the Persian Gulf, to deploy its proprietary vertical farms in the United Arab Emirates.
- In May 2021, the company signed a deal with Carlson Management to supply assisted-living homes in California with on-site vertical farming units, starting with a demo unit at the Glen Cove senior living lodge in Vallejo.
