Over 20 vertical farming companies set industry standards

According to a joint press release, over 20 vertical farming companies have signed what they say is the first Vertical Farming Manifesto and Identity. Signed at the Vertical Farming World Congress in Brussels, the manifesto, they say, sets 'clear and bold industry standards.'

The signing companies are as follows:80 Acres, AeroFarms, Bowery, Crop One, CubicFarms, Elevate Farms, Fifth Season, Fischer Farms, Freight Farms, Infarm, Infinite Acres, Jones Food Company, Kalera, La Grangette, Ljusgårda, N.THING, Plenty, Stacked Farm, Urban Crop Solutions, Urban Harvest, Vertical Future, YesHealth Group and ZipGrow.

"We believe that everyone deserves access to sustainably grown produce that gives more back to our planet than it takes," said Katie Seawell, Chief Commercial Officer at Bowery., per the release "We are proud to come together as an industry to build a global food supply chain that is transparent, agile and resilient so that consumers know where and how their food is grown."

"Indoor vertical farming will - and must - transform our food system. For that to happen, we must work together as an industry to align on a shared vision and standards," said Dana Worth, SVP of Commercial at Plenty. "We look forward to working with others in the industry and our key stakeholders to define those standards and deliver products that are great for consumers, profitable for retailers and good for the planet."

“As a purpose-driven company, we have always been driving and advocating for the change of the current food systems," Erez Galonska, CEO of Infarm said per the release. "Coming together as an industry and collectively expressing our shared values in a joint identity and manifesto is truly powerful. Together, we can really make a difference and this is just the beginning. Infarm is proud to work along with industry peers on a new food system."

The full manifesto can be read online here and the identity here.

"The planet is under pressure," the identity reads. "The consequences of climate change, biodiversity loss, the collapse of ecosystems, and the depletion of natural resources are clear. Providing food for all, while the world population continues to grow to 10 [billion] by 2050, in a resource-efficient manner is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity."

"Current food systems cannot serve the ever-growing demand and ensure reliable access to food. We believe that vertical farming can make an important contribution to transforming our food systems and to making them future-proof. By decoupling ecosystem destruction from food production through technological means, we reimagine farming from the ground up and are part of the solution to one of humanity’s toughest challenges, while reducing the negative impact on the planet."