Vertical farming, looking beyond the start-up hype. In some regards, vertical farming seems to be the "Siliconvallization" of agriculture: newcomers, high investment in new technologies & business models, uncertain profitability. There certainly is some of this start-up hype & venture capital craze but vertical farming is tackling some real issues in agriculture such as water scarcity, pesticides and local food systems. This keynote speech will give an industry & technology overview, address the challenges faced by vertical farmers and look into the next generation of vertical farms.

Eric Dargent is the CEO of REFARMERS, a leading vertical farming solution provider based in France. A graduate from Paris-Dauphine & Exeter MBA, Eric has a background in entrepreneurship & sustainability. He was Environmental Manager for Rip Curl, the surfing company, and worked for WWF on business innovation & sustainability. He founded REFARMERS in 2015 and has been involved with major urban & indoor farming projects in Europe & beyond. 

Food production is responsible for nearly 27% of greenhouse gas emission globally. Thus, it is necessary to delve into the possible roles of indoor farming as means of decreasing the food imprint of our cities on the planet. During this session, we assess the challenges that conventional food production faces in a changing climate and what can be done in order to fix our broken food systems.

By 2050, we will have 2.5 billion more people living in urban areas and they need fresh, safe and nutritious food. Let’s come together in SIVAL to show that climate action can be a way of life: a way of innovating, a way of designing, a way of planning, and a way of thriving.

Let’s explore our responsibilities together.

Further information about Association for Vertical Farming