On this interview, we communicate with Emilia Konert, the co-founder and CEO of Cultifutura, a pioneer in vertical farming know-how. Not too long ago, Cultifutura’s modern options had been carried out on the 1893 restaurant of EHL Hospitality Enterprise Faculty, marking a major step in direction of sustainable native meals provide. Emilia shares the story behind Cultifutura, discussing its origins, the challenges confronted, and the alternatives realized. She additionally highlights the advantages of this know-how for the EHL group, together with contemporary, locally-grown produce and hands-on training in sustainability. Be a part of us as we take heed to Emilia’s imaginative and prescient for the way forward for city farming and its influence on hospitality and sustainability.
Collaborating with EHL cooks has been an thrilling journey for us
Emila stated. Figuring out Prof. Markus Venzin [EHL Group CEO and Cultifutura CEO – Ed.], properly from our time in Milan, it feels nice to be a part of the EHL expertise. This partnership with EHL represents an important market check, and we’re desperate to observe their steering on materials utilization. We’re thrilled to share our story and imaginative and prescient behind Cultifutura.
What’s the genesis of Cultifutura?
Cultifutura was conceived simply earlier than 2020 by three co-founders: myself, Samuel Peabody (our head of design and my husband), and Markus. Whereas working in an innovation accelerator in Milan, I noticed the dearth of inexperienced areas in city settings. From a countryside background, Samuel and I missed our reference to nature and native meals. This eager for greenery in city life sparked our curiosity in vertical farming, aiming to introduce gardens inside places of work and concrete areas.
Our mission is to create know-how that reconnects folks with nature, permitting them to develop vegetation and meals in locations the place it was beforehand unimaginable. The identify “Cultifutura” embodies our aim of cultivating the longer term by making vertical farming easy, stunning, and accessible. Not like large-scale vertical farms, our focus is on creating know-how that on a regular basis folks can use, making it part of their day by day lives.
Are you able to share particulars concerning the modern CultEvo machine and its distinctive options?
Our flagship product, the CultEvo machine, is designed to be aesthetically pleasing and technologically superior. We aimed to create a product that individuals would like to have round, whereas additionally being a strong and easy-to-use device. The CultEvo machine is a complicated show for vegetation, combining magnificence and performance.
Design and performance
The design technique of the CultEvo machine concerned intensive analysis and studying from present merchandise. We centered on ease of use and making certain the vegetation’ optimum progress situations. The machine contains particular LED lights that mimic the solar’s spectrum, offering the required vitality for vegetation to develop whereas being comfy for folks round them. These lights eat minimal vitality, similar to a pc monitor, and function solely throughout the day.
The machine additionally options an environment friendly irrigation system that makes use of 97-98% much less water than conventional strategies. The biodegradable substrates comprise all the required fertilizers, and a air flow system maintains the perfect humidity and temperature. Whereas we opted to not embrace heating or cooling to maintain vitality consumption low, the machine adjusts parameters based mostly on the vegetation’ progress levels, making certain optimum situations always.
Adaptability and ease of use
The CultEvo machine is designed to be user-friendly, with a cell app that automates most processes. Customers can begin cultivation with a easy press of a button. Whereas the machine handles the technical elements, we offer academic supplies to assist customers perceive when and harvest their vegetation. As an illustration, video tutorials train customers reduce basil leaves to encourage regrowth correctly.
We provide totally different cultivation kits grouped by plant species to make sure compatibility and optimum progress. Our catalogue contains over 50 species and always expands by ongoing analysis and improvement. Whereas customers can develop a number of species collectively, we advocate grouping comparable vegetation to keep away from competitors and shading points.
Instructional outreach
Schooling is a vital side of our mission. We provide introductory classes and digital supplies to assist customers, particularly in company settings, perceive vertical farming and plant care. These classes usually embrace hands-on actions like seeding and studying about plant vitamin and sustainable native meals.
Along with company installations, we now have academic initiatives in colleges the place lecturers use the gadgets for numerous applications associated to biology, agronomy, and sustainability. We offer complete supplies to assist these academic initiatives, fostering a brand new era of city gardeners.
What’s the academic influence of vertical farming and native meals in colleges?
Integrating vertical farming into colleges affords a mess of academic advantages. Rising vegetation touches on numerous topics, offering alternatives to create complete applications round it. This method educates college students about sustainability and enhances their total well-being, fostering collaboration and sharing amongst friends.
How does Cultifutura’s know-how empower cooks, and what particular advantages does it provide to boost their culinary creations?
Enhancing gastronomic experiences
Within the culinary world, the influence of vertical farming extends past sustainability. By enabling cooks to develop native meals, the know-how empowers them to manage the standard and look of their substances. Freshness is assured as vegetation are harvested stay, making certain superior style and dietary worth in comparison with saved produce. This apply reduces plastic waste and carbon emissions related to transporting microgreens and herbs, contributing considerably to environmental sustainability.
Creating distinctive culinary experiences
Vertical farming additionally transforms the eating expertise. With stay vegetation rising within the restaurant, diners witness the farm-to-table journey firsthand. This aligns with the rising pattern of sourcing native meals and substances, or ‘kilometro zero’, making the eating expertise extra genuine and sustainable. Cooks can experiment with distinctive microgreens and herbs, introducing flavours not generally present in conventional suppliers’ catalogues. This innovation results in the creation of recent dishes and enhances the general gastronomic expertise.
How does Cultifutura method the choice and sourcing of plant varieties, and what standards do you employ to make sure optimum progress and flavour?
The method of discovering distinctive seeds
The collection of plant varieties entails person suggestions and proactive analysis by the Cultifutura workforce. Initially, we centered on widespread species similar to numerous basil and salad greens. As we collaborate extra with cooks, we establish new varieties based mostly on their requests and preferences. Discovering these seeds is a meticulous course of dealt with by our agronomy division, which checks seeds for suitability in small areas and optimum style.
The function of EHL in seed choice
EHL serves as a testing floor for brand new plant species. Cooks and college students present invaluable suggestions on style and high quality, serving to us refine our choices. This collaborative method ensures that we frequently enhance our seed catalogue, introducing varieties that meet the excessive requirements of high cooks.
How do you handle sustainable native meals considerations?
Seasonality and sustainability
Vertical farming permits for year-round cultivation, nevertheless it enhances somewhat than replaces seasonal menus. Cooks can nonetheless deal with native meals, seasonal produce whereas enhancing their dishes with distinctive microgreens and herbs grown sustainably. This method maintains the integrity of seasonal eating whereas introducing modern flavours.
Seed sourcing and environmental influence
Sourcing seeds from respected European suppliers, primarily in Italy, ensures prime quality and reduces environmental influence. Educating customers about seed origins highlights that many seeds utilized in native farming already come from numerous international locations. This consciousness is essential for understanding the broader context of sustainability in agriculture.
What are the dietary benefits of vertical farming and sustainable native meals?
Superior dietary worth
Crops grown in managed environments with robust LED lights have greater dietary values, particularly leafy greens. Fast consumption after harvesting preserves nutritional vitamins and minerals, which degrade over time and thru processes like refrigeration and washing. Freshly picked greens can have as much as 90% extra vitamin C than these saved in a fridge, making vertical farming a strong device for sustaining nutrient-rich diets.
Addressing soil degradation
Soil degradation reduces the nutrient content material of historically grown greens. Vertical farming affords an answer by offering persistently nutrient-rich produce. This methodology ensures that important nutritional vitamins and minerals, usually misplaced in degraded soil, are current within the meals we eat.
How did the collaboration with the 1893 restaurant at EHL come about, and what has been the influence of integrating Cultifutura’s know-how on sustainable native meals provide?
Initiating the collaboration
Our partnership with the 1893 restaurant at EHL started by discussions with the sensible arts facet of EHL. Preliminary conversations with Patrick Ogheard [Dean EHL School of Practical Arts – Ed.] and subsequent visits by EHL cooks and professors to our Milan workplace laid the muse for this collaboration. This initiative has been well-received, with important curiosity in integrating vertical farming into the restaurant’s operations.
Implementation and suggestions
Implementing the know-how concerned shut coordination with EHL cooks and workers. The constructive suggestions highlights the advantages of contemporary, stay substances. This collaboration enhances the restaurant’s sustainability. It additionally supplies a singular eating expertise for visitors, showcasing the modern potential of vertical farming.
How is Cultifutura enhancing culinary training and the eating expertise at EHL?
Preliminary engagement and set up
Our collaboration with the 1893 restaurant at EHL began by discussions with Patrick and different cooks and professors from EHL. They visited our Milan workplace, the place they realized about our know-how and tasted the greens grown in our merchandise. The cooks had been impressed and determined to combine the vertical farming know-how into the 1893 restaurant at EHL, seeing a robust complement to their culinary practices.
Suggestions and preliminary success
The set up passed off in early January, and regardless of some operational disruptions, the suggestions has been overwhelmingly constructive. Cooks and college students alike have proven curiosity and appreciation for the prime quality and style of the produce. We plan to proceed supporting them, addressing their questions, and exploring their preferences to refine our choices additional.
What future developments and modular options is Cultifutura planning to introduce?
New product launch
This 12 months, we’re launching a brand new model of our product, designed to be extra modular and versatile. Not like the present mannequin at EHL, the brand new model will include single, stackable items that may be organized in numerous configurations. This permits for extra personalized installations, whether or not underneath a bar, hanging on a wall, or forming a standalone tower. The up to date design contains proprietary electronics and improved mild boards, making it an much more superior and versatile device for rising vegetation.
How is Cultifutura increasing its use instances in gastronomy?
Mixology and modern substances
One thrilling software past conventional culinary use is in mixology. Uncommon and distinctive herbs like Brazilian press and Japanese shiso may be grown in our system, offering bartenders with contemporary, unique substances for cocktails. This introduces new flavours and permits bars to create stand-out signature drinks. As an illustration, Brazilian press flowers, that are pricey and tough to supply, may be grown abundantly and utilized in syrups and garnishes, providing a singular style expertise.
Creativity in low-alcohol and natural drinks
The pattern in direction of low-alcohol and herbal-infused drinks presents one other alternative. By offering entry to contemporary, uncommon herbs, our vertical farming know-how helps the creation of modern mocktails and low-alcohol drinks. This aligns with present market developments and enhances the inventive potential of bartenders.
What’s Cultifutura’s long-term imaginative and prescient, and the way are you working in direction of market acceptance?
Give attention to high-end gastronomy and training
Our rapid focus is on the B2B market, significantly high-end eating places and bars. We purpose to work intently with cooks and mixologists to grasp their wants and combine our know-how seamlessly into their operations. Collaborations with Michelin-star cooks and establishments like EHL are essential for gaining acceptance and demonstrating the worth of our know-how within the gastronomic world.
Enlargement into residential markets
Whereas our present merchandise are appropriate for house use, we plan to develop smaller, extra reasonably priced items tailor-made for residences and particular person shoppers. This may make vertical farming accessible to a broader viewers, selling home-grown meals and sustainable dwelling practices.
Growing vertical farms
Along with our merchandise, we additionally develop small-scale vertical farms. This initiative contains potential collaborations with academic establishments like EHL, offering hands-on studying alternatives in sustainable agriculture and superior farming strategies.
How is Cultifutura exploring sustainable and autonomous options for vertical farming?
Vitality effectivity and photo voltaic integration
One space of curiosity is enhancing the vitality autonomy of our machines. Whereas integrating photo voltaic panels instantly into the items poses challenges, particularly for indoor use, we acknowledge the significance of vitality effectivity. Our merchandise already eat minimal energy, equal to a couple laptop displays, however we’re frequently optimizing to scale back vitality and water utilization additional.
Recognition and certification
As we transition from the testing section to wider market availability, we’re starting to hunt certifications and recognition for our merchandise. We’re exploring methods to quantify the influence of our vertical farming techniques when it comes to sustainability and worker well-being in company environments. This contains measuring oxygen manufacturing and different environmental advantages to place our merchandise as viable CSR initiatives.
How does Cultifutura measure the influence of vertical farming on sustainable native meals manufacturing and the setting?
Sustainability metrics and knowledge focus
One in every of our main objectives at Cultifutura is to collect correct knowledge on the sustainability of our merchandise. We purpose to measure and quantify the varied advantages, similar to decreasing plastic utilization, transportation financial savings, vitality and water consumption, and oxygen manufacturing. Understanding these metrics is essential as vertical farming know-how turns into extra widespread and doubtlessly topic to official certifications. Though particular certifications for vertical farming are nonetheless rising, we’re dedicated to adhering to future tips and requirements.
Environmental influence and comparisons
We’ve got begun evaluating the CO2 emissions of our vegetation with these of conventional cultivation strategies. This evaluation contains components like water consumption and the conservation of fertile soil. Utilizing substrates from agricultural waste merchandise like coconut fibres, we keep away from soil degradation and promote sustainable farming practices. Moreover, our calculations present important financial savings in plastic packaging and transportation emissions. For instance, a single-cell rising basil can save as much as 200 plastic baggage, though this determine varies with totally different species.
How is Cultifutura collaborating with Beelong to evaluate the environmental influence of its vertical sustainable native meals?
Calculating eco-scores
EHL has partnered with an organization referred to as Beelong, based by EHL alumni, which makes a speciality of calculating eco-scores for meals merchandise. This system assesses the environmental influence of meals manufacturing, offering a sturdy framework for comparability. Collaborating with Beelong to judge the influence of our vertically farmed merchandise in opposition to conventional cultivation strategies, together with these in EHL’s pedagogical backyard, might yield invaluable insights. This comparative research would assist quantify the advantages of our know-how in real-world settings.
What are the longer term instructions and improvements that Cultifutura is planning to pursue?
New product improvement and adaptability
Launching our new modular product is a key focus for this 12 months. The up to date model shall be extra versatile and customizable, becoming numerous areas and configurations. This development goals to cater to the particular wants of cooks and mixologists, making certain our know-how enhances their culinary creativity. By working intently with business professionals, we are able to refine our merchandise to serve high-end eating places and bars higher.
Increasing into residential and academic markets
Whereas our preliminary focus stays on the B2B market, we envision increasing into residential areas and providing smaller, extra reasonably priced home-use items. This transfer would make vertical farming accessible to a broader viewers, selling sustainable dwelling practices. Growing small-scale vertical farms for academic functions also can present hands-on studying alternatives in sustainable agriculture, fostering a deeper understanding of contemporary farming strategies.
Vitality effectivity and autonomous techniques
Enhancing the vitality effectivity of our merchandise is an ongoing precedence. Though integrating photo voltaic panels instantly into our machines poses challenges, we proceed to optimize vitality utilization by superior software program that minimizes energy consumption. Our upcoming product updates will characteristic fewer LED lights, additional decreasing vitality utilization with out compromising plant progress.
What recognitions and certifications is Cultifutura pursuing for its vertical farming know-how?
Quantifying influence and reaching certifications
As we transition from the testing section to market availability, we’re working in direction of reaching certifications that acknowledge the sustainability of our merchandise. We purpose to measure the influence on worker well-being in company environments and the general environmental advantages. This contains evaluating the oxygen manufacturing of our vegetation and their potential as a CSR initiative. Establishing these metrics will assist us place our know-how as a invaluable addition to sustainable practices in numerous sectors.
Continued collaboration with EHL
Our collaboration with EHL continues to be very important to our improvement course of. We’re planning additional engagements, together with a photograph shoot on the 1893 restaurant and potential testing of our new product model. By staying intently linked with EHL and different companions, we be sure that our know-how evolves consistent with business wants and sustainability objectives.
This interview highlights the modern journey of bringing Cultifutura vertical farming to city environments. Their know-how, now carried out at EHL’s 1893 restaurant, guarantees to revolutionize culinary practices with contemporary, sustainable produce. Cultifutura focuses on creating modular, versatile options for high-end gastronomy, residential, and academic markets. Collaborations with EHL and Beelong assist quantify the environmental advantages, similar to decreased plastic use and transportation emissions. Emilia’s imaginative and prescient integrates superior know-how with on a regular basis life, making certain accessibility to contemporary, locally-grown meals. This dedication to sustainability and innovation units new requirements in city farming and the culinary world.
EHL Hospitality Enterprise Faculty
Communications Division
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EHL