TerraFarms Reduce Food Miles by 93%, Nix Supply Chain Risk
Product Announcement: TerraFarms Reduce Food Miles by 93%, Nix Supply Chain Risk
A Los Angeles start-up aims to revolutionize the food industry by eliminating supply chain risks for mass market grocers, big box retailers, universities, hospitals and medical centers, food service distributors, and more, by delivering a “farm” for vegetable crops right to the company’s door. The company says that by bringing the farm closer to the consumer, it reduces food miles by up to 93%.
How? Local Roots retrofits shipping containers to create a TerraFarm – an indoor growing system that yields predictable harvests and volumes, 365 days a year, the company says. The shipping containers are outfitted with sensor systems to create the right climate, LED lighting, and efficient irrigation systems. The company delivers the TerraFarm to wholesalers, restaurant chains and the like, and provides a farming team to manage the entire growing and harvesting process. “This farming solution allows us to grow consistent yields, eliminating supply chain volatility while maintaining excellence in quality and taste,” according to the company’s website.
Local Roots buys 40-foot long shipping containers from the Port of Los Angeles for about $5,000, then retrofits them and contracts them to clients for a set period of time, according to Bloomberg. A single TerraFarm can produce up to 4,000 heads of lettuce every two weeks, growing from seed to maturity in 30 days, compared to the 60 days or more than it takes in an outdoor farming environment.
“We believe the key to a more sustainable future requires eliminating supply-chain risks and undoing the commoditization of the food industry,” the company says. Local Roots hopes to do so by building its distributed network of farms throughout the word to grow fresh and healthy food.
Crops are grown with up to 99% less water than conventional agriculture, with no pesticides or herbicides, and no agricultural run-off.
Categories Environmental Management, Feature, Sphera Must Read, Transportation, Water
Tags agriculture, farming, food industry, supply chain, Sustainability