On this interview, we communicate with Emilia Konert, the co-founder and CEO of Cultifutura, a pioneer in vertical farming know-how. Lately, Cultifutura’s modern options had been applied on the 1893 restaurant of EHL Hospitality Enterprise College, 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 neighborhood, together with recent, locally-grown produce and hands-on training in sustainability. Be part of us as we hearken 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. Realizing Prof. Markus Venzin [EHL Group CEO and Cultifutura CEO – Ed.], nicely from our time in Milan, it feels nice to be a part of the EHL expertise. This partnership with EHL represents an important market take a look at, and we’re wanting to observe their steerage 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 workplaces and concrete areas.
Our mission is to create know-how that reconnects folks with nature, permitting them to develop crops and meals in locations the place it was beforehand not possible. The identify “Cultifutura” embodies our aim of cultivating the longer term by making vertical farming easy, lovely, 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 system and its distinctive options?
Our flagship product, the CultEvo system, 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 robust and easy-to-use software. The CultEvo system is a complicated show for crops, combining magnificence and performance.
Design and performance
The design technique of the CultEvo system concerned intensive analysis and studying from current merchandise. We centered on ease of use and making certain the crops’ optimum progress situations. The system consists of particular LED lights that mimic the solar’s spectrum, offering the mandatory vitality for crops to develop whereas being snug for folks round them. These lights devour minimal vitality, corresponding to a pc monitor, and function solely throughout the day.
The system 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 mandatory fertilizers, and a air flow system maintains the best humidity and temperature. Whereas we opted to not embody heating or cooling to maintain vitality consumption low, the system adjusts parameters based mostly on the crops’ progress phases, making certain optimum situations always.
Adaptability and ease of use
The CultEvo system 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 features, we offer academic supplies to assist customers perceive when and how you can harvest their crops. For example, video tutorials train customers how you can 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 consists of over 50 species and continuously expands by means of ongoing analysis and improvement. Whereas customers can develop a number of species collectively, we suggest grouping comparable crops to keep away from competitors and shading points.
Instructional outreach
Training is an important side of our mission. We provide introductory periods and digital supplies to assist customers, particularly in company settings, perceive vertical farming and plant care. These periods usually embody hands-on actions like seeding and studying about plant diet and sustainable native meals.
Along with company installations, we’ve academic tasks in colleges the place lecturers use the units for varied packages associated to biology, agronomy, and sustainability. We offer complete supplies to assist these academic initiatives, fostering a brand new technology of city gardeners.
What’s the academic influence of vertical farming and native meals in colleges?
Integrating vertical farming into colleges affords a large number of academic advantages. Rising crops touches on varied topics, offering alternatives to create complete packages 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 reinforce 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 crops are harvested reside, making certain superior style and dietary worth in comparison with saved produce. This follow 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 reside crops 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 number of plant varieties includes person suggestions and proactive analysis by the Cultifutura workforce. Initially, we centered on standard species corresponding to varied 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 helpful 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 prime cooks.
How do you deal with sustainable native meals issues?
Seasonality and sustainability
Vertical farming permits for year-round cultivation, nevertheless it enhances somewhat than replaces seasonal menus. Cooks can nonetheless give attention to 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 varied 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
Vegetation grown in managed environments with robust LED lights have increased dietary values, particularly leafy greens. Instant 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 robust software 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 constantly nutrient-rich produce. This methodology ensures that important nutritional vitamins and minerals, usually misplaced in degraded soil, are current within the meals we devour.
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 means of discussions with the sensible arts aspect 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 inspiration 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 employees. The optimistic suggestions highlights the advantages of recent, reside substances. This collaboration enhances the restaurant’s sustainability. It additionally gives a singular eating expertise for friends, 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 means of 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 powerful complement to their culinary practices.
Suggestions and preliminary success
The set up befell in early January, and regardless of some operational disruptions, the suggestions has been overwhelmingly optimistic. 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 models that may be organized in varied configurations. This permits for extra custom-made installations, whether or not below a bar, hanging on a wall, or forming a standalone tower. The up to date design consists of proprietary electronics and improved mild boards, making it an much more superior and versatile software for rising crops.
How is Cultifutura increasing its use circumstances 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 recent, unique substances for cocktails. This introduces new flavours and permits bars to create stand-out signature drinks. For example, Brazilian press flowers, that are expensive 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 recent, uncommon herbs, our vertical farming know-how helps the creation of modern mocktails and low-alcohol drinks. This aligns with present market traits 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?
Deal with high-end gastronomy and training
Our rapid focus is on the B2B market, significantly high-end eating places and bars. We goal to work carefully 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 models tailor-made for residences and particular person customers. 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 consists of 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?
Power effectivity and photo voltaic integration
One space of curiosity is enhancing the vitality autonomy of our machines. Whereas integrating photo voltaic panels immediately into the models poses challenges, particularly for indoor use, we acknowledge the significance of vitality effectivity. Our merchandise already devour minimal energy, equal to a couple pc screens, however we’re frequently optimizing to cut back vitality and water utilization additional.
Recognition and certification
As we transition from the testing part 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 methods by way of sustainability and worker well-being in company environments. This consists of 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 atmosphere?
Sustainability metrics and knowledge focus
One in all our main targets at Cultifutura is to collect correct knowledge on the sustainability of our merchandise. We goal to measure and quantify the varied advantages, corresponding to lowering 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 probably 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
Now we have begun evaluating the CO2 emissions of our crops with these of conventional cultivation strategies. This evaluation consists of 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 luggage, 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 known as Beelong, based by EHL alumni, which focuses on 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, may yield helpful 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 suppleness
Launching our new modular product is a key focus for this 12 months. The up to date model can be extra versatile and customizable, becoming varied 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 carefully with trade professionals, we will 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 models. This transfer would make vertical farming accessible to a broader viewers, selling sustainable dwelling practices. Growing small-scale vertical farms for academic functions may also present hands-on studying alternatives in sustainable agriculture, fostering a deeper understanding of contemporary farming strategies.
Power effectivity and autonomous methods
Enhancing the vitality effectivity of our merchandise is an ongoing precedence. Though integrating photo voltaic panels immediately into our machines poses challenges, we proceed to optimize vitality utilization by means of superior software program that minimizes energy consumption. Our upcoming product updates will characteristic fewer LED lights, additional lowering vitality utilization with out compromising plant progress.
What recognitions and certifications is Cultifutura pursuing for its vertical farming know-how?
Quantifying influence and attaining certifications
As we transition from the testing part to market availability, we’re working in direction of attaining certifications that acknowledge the sustainability of our merchandise. We goal to measure the influence on worker well-being in company environments and the general environmental advantages. This consists of evaluating the oxygen manufacturing of our crops and their potential as a CSR initiative. Establishing these metrics will assist us place our know-how as a helpful addition to sustainable practices in varied sectors.
Continued collaboration with EHL
Our collaboration with EHL continues to be 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 carefully linked with EHL and different companions, we be sure that our know-how evolves according to trade wants and sustainability targets.
This interview highlights the modern journey of bringing Cultifutura vertical farming to city environments. Their know-how, now applied at EHL’s 1893 restaurant, guarantees to revolutionize culinary practices with recent, 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, corresponding to lowered plastic use and transportation emissions. Emilia’s imaginative and prescient integrates superior know-how with on a regular basis life, making certain accessibility to recent, locally-grown meals. This dedication to sustainability and innovation units new requirements in city farming and the culinary world.
EHL Hospitality Enterprise College
Communications Division
+41 21 785 1354
EHL
View supply
