"The technology for vertical farming is not that exciting at all. It can make production more efficient, but the real disruption lies in how it can be used to decentralize our food system," Camilla Enge, CEO of Refarmed says.
Camilla Enge is changing the traditional approach to food logistics with her company Refarmed, which collaborates with Jespers Torvekøkken. The 43-year-old entrepreneur puts her ambition into words. "We have a business completely driven by demand. What we sow is also what we sell. Globally, 14% of all crops grown are wasted before they reach the sales channel. In horticulture, it is estimated that around 10% of the produce ready for sale is also lost."
"The core of our business is to produce for local demand. It is no secret that vertical farming is a climate culprit with its high energy consumption. Therefore, it is super important to have a business model around it so that it is used in a sustainable context. We save the planet 1.9 kg of CO2 per kilo of green we produce." Refarmed's mission is not to get more vertical farming out into the world or produce more in less space. The company wants to produce what's needed, where it's eaten, according to Camilla.
Refarmed has a basement of 250 sqm at its customer Jespers Torvekøkken in Søborg. It is a basement with 4 meters and 66 cm to the ceiling. Here the company grows in a five-layer, fully automated system. "We also have another room where we grow microgreens like cress on racks. We grow lettuce, watercress and chives to match their consumption," Camilla adds.
The company doesn't use packaging, whereas it only takes them five steps until the produce ends up in the kitchen. "When kitchen staff checks-in at 5 in the morning, they'll find what we've harvested the night before. By lunchtime, it's on the plates of around 200 businesses and public institutions."
Read more at Børsen (K. Raun) (In Swedish)