Upward Farms ceases all vertical farming operations

As vertical farmer Kalera files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, indoor aquaponic vertical farming company, Upward Farms, has announced with a "heavy heart" that it is closing its Brooklyn Headquarters Farm and will cease to operate in the vertical farming sector. "We want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has been a part of this journey, including our colleagues, investors, customers, partners, families, and friends," suggested a statement from the company's co-founders, Jason Green, Ben Silverman and Matt La Rosa, on the company's website. Although Upward Farms is closing its doors, a small portion of the company's team will continue working to unleash the magic of the microbiome. "In the coming months, we’ll have more to share," the statement noted.

The environmental benefits of vertical farming are well documented, albeit the economic feasibility remains a key barrier. Although efficient in its use of water and land, the beneficial impacts of vertical farming on the environment are limited by the quantity of energy required to control indoor climate and power artificial lighting. These high energy costs surpass those of conventional farms, even when taking into account differences in the transportation of crops and water irrigation. Upward Farms is not the first to fail recently and will not be the last, but we must remember that this is still a nascent industry and the overarching problem remains and is drawing closer. The world population is estimated to rise to 9.7 billion by the year 2050, and as urbanization and soil degeneration continues to adversely impact farmland, and natural resources become ever-more scarce, continuing on this unsustainable path is simply not an option.

"Ten years ago this month, we started what would become the most impactful work of our lives. The three of us came together initially because we wanted to build, grow, and eat. We were also unified by a larger purpose: growing higher-quality food where people live and eat and improving the connection between food and environment at a critical time for our planet. We feel a sense of awe that so many talented people chose to join us in expanding and realizing this vision.

"We found that vertical farming is almost infinitely complex – as we tackled challenges, new ones emerged. Our team faced these challenges head on, humbly asking ourselves, 'If not me, who, and if not now, when?' Although we are closing a chapter, we are celebrating the remarkable accomplishments of our hardworking team, the delicious products we brought to consumers, and the positive impact we had on the food industry at large.

"A decade in, we still believe that solving the tension between food and climate is one of the most important challenges of the 21st century and, as a result, one of the biggest opportunities for value creation. Many diverse solutions will be needed to adapt food production to our new global and market realities, and we are hopeful that an exchange of ideas between controlled environment agriculture and traditional agriculture will produce exciting outcomes. Indoor growers have much to learn from regenerative agriculture and soil stewardship, while broadacre farmers can benefit from many of the technologies and approaches developed by companies like ours.

"Our goal in indoor farming was always to harness, not mimic, the nuance and harmony of natural ecosystems. That’s why we chose aquaponics as our production system – because it integrates plants, animals, and microbes. We at Upward Farms have come a long way, together with the rest of the world, in understanding the microbiome as the regulatory system of the natural world. Improving the soil microbiome, perhaps one of nature’s most awe-inspiring achievements, may be the key to unlocking new levels of fertility and growth in plants and addressing myriad other global challenges.

"Famed futurist Arthur Clarke observed that 'any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'. The science of microbiomes is an incredibly exciting field, and it feels like we’ve only just peeked behind the curtain.

Vertical farming remains an industry for the future. In the upcoming decades, competing firms must greatly reduce costs, maximize efficiency and develop a dominant design for vertical farming to become part of mainstream agricultural methods.

"For now, we want to sincerely thank all of you for your support and loyalty. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve such an amazing group of individuals dedicated to the existential question of how we can continue to nourish a changing world. We may be signing off, but we’re nothing but optimistic about the future."