Abu Dhabi University has launched a new portable farm, AirFarm, that can grow potatoes and tomatoes. Alberto Peralta, director of innovation at ADU, said the indoor container takes about 10 minutes to inflate and can be used to start a farm within a day.
"The AirFarm is not a new idea, and there have been other examples in the UAE. But the main difference is that this unit can be installed in a small space," Dr. Peralta told The National.
"They can also be stacked depending on the scope of production. The main objective here is to serve food security purposes." AirFarm was launched in collaboration with Midar, a Korean smart-ag technology company, and Rashed bin Khalfan Al Mutawa Dhaheri Holding Company.
AirFarm was launched in collaboration with Midar, a Korean smart-ag technology company, and Rashed bin Khalfan Al Mutawa Dhaheri Holding Company. The farm aims to reduce labor costs by up to 80%.
AirFarm is currently being used as an educational project for students and the wider UAE community to learn about sustainable solutions to overcome food security, with plans to launch an outdoor version that can work under the UAE's climate conditions.
"Every school, university, and institution could have something that can be folded and, when needed, can be unfolded and put to work in a matter of hours," Dr. Peralta said. "Rather than having expensive investments in creating new supplies and resources in a time of crisis."
Source: The National News