Greeneration says its participation at Gulfood 2026 reflected a shift in how vertical-farm produce is being evaluated by the UAE hospitality market, with discussions increasingly focused on procurement, operational performance, and repeat supply.
According to Daria Shchurik, VP of Growth, the commercial value of Gulfood 2026 came from direct engagement with decision-makers from hospitality groups and high-volume food operators. "Gulfood can be pure visibility if you treat it like a billboard," Shchurik says. "For us, 2026 was commercial because we left with a pipeline we can quantify: trial requests, menu tests, and conversations that were already framed in volumes, specs, and procurement timelines."
She explains that discussions centered on weekly volumes, product specifications, delivery cadence, consistency, and shelf life, indicating that products were being assessed as part of kitchen operations rather than as sustainability-led additions.
© Greeneration
Demand for local produce enters a more mature phase
Founder and CEO Roman Ulyanov observed a similar change in tone during conversations with chefs and buyers. "The shift this year was operational," Ulyanov says. "Chefs and buyers weren't asking 'why vertical farming?' They were asking 'how fast can you supply, how consistent is the product, and what does it do to waste and shelf life?' That's when it stops being promotional."
According to the company, having culinary and procurement stakeholders in the same space helped shorten the path from tasting and trials to menu testing and concrete supply discussions. From a growth perspective, Greeneration says Gulfood 2026 confirmed that demand for locally grown, vertical-farm produce in the UAE HoReCa sector is evolving beyond early-stage curiosity. "What we saw at Gulfood is that 'locally grown' is no longer just a message but a performance requirement," Shchurik says. "Kitchens want supply they can plan around, and vertical farming delivers consistency when it's done at the right standard."
Ulyanov adds that conversations are increasingly focused on reliability across multiple venues. "The UAE hospitality market is past the curiosity stage," he says. "The discussions were about reliability at scale. Can we supply every week, across multiple outlets, with the same quality?"
© Greeneration
Greeneration's stand at Gulfood 2026, featuring edible flowers, speciality leaves, and microgreens
Deciding what scales and what remains niche
Greeneration uses these demand signals to determine which products are suitable for scale and which remain niche offerings for fine dining.
"We scale what kitchens reorder in bulk. Products that fit many menus, hold up operationally, and have predictable economics," Shchurik says. "Niche products remain important, but they're driven by chef creativity and premium positioning rather than broad procurement."
Ulyanov notes that products addressing daily kitchen requirements are prioritized. "If a product solves a daily kitchen problem such as consistency, yield, and shelf life, it's a scale candidate in our portfolio."
© Greeneration
Investor discussions and next steps for 2026
Beyond commercial discussions, Greeneration says Gulfood 2026 also enabled more structured conversations with investors focused on execution and scale. "This was valuable for us because it created a direct channel to investor conversations that are hard to replicate in day-to-day operations," Shchurik says. "The Gulfood concierge helped us connect with relevant investor profiles, and the investor lounge gave us a focused setting to discuss concrete opportunities, timelines, and what scale could look like beyond general introductions."
In the coming months, the company plans to expand local production through partnerships with UAE farms, with a focus on operational involvement and consistency. "Our priority for 2026 is to expand local production through partnerships with UAE farms where we can actively participate in operations, improve consistency, and help raise output quality to hospitality-grade standards," Shchurik says. "A key focus is bringing locally grown, highest grade premium cucumbers to the market."
For more information:
Greeneration
Daria Shchurik, VP of Growth
[email protected]
www.greeneration.ae
