Bustanica in Dubai – this is what the world’s largest hydroponic farm looks like from the inside

Fresh lettuce has been growing and thriving in the middle of the desert since July 2022. The world’s largest hydroponic farm is located in Dubai, 70 kilometers from the city on the outskirts of Dubai World Central Airport, and has recently been producing up to three tons of food per day. Arugula, spinach and lettuce grow on several floors in the 200 meter long, windowless building.

This vertical indoor farm called “Bustanica”, a joint venture between the US company Crop One and Emirates Flight Catering, can only be entered with protective clothing, mask, hairnet and previously disinfected shoes.

So far, Dubai has had to import up to 90 percent of its food from abroad. “We want to become less dependent on imports and be closer to the consumer,” says Robert Fellows, Bustanica’s production director during the tour. “Here, the plant gets what it needs at the right time.”

In one part of the building, the seeds for the lettuce are placed by hand in foam cubes a few square centimeters in size. 162 pieces per pallet germinate for three days in the dark and with water supply, before the small plants are transferred to the shelves of the growth chambers after two weeks. Computers control room temperature, lighting, nutrient and moisture addition. In technical jargon, this is called “controlled environment agriculture”.

Reduction of water consumption by 95 percent

The next room smells of parsley, the fans are whirring, the plants are shaking in the gentle breeze. The first harvest can take place after four weeks, another one every two weeks, up to eight times, regardless of the season. The one advantage of hydroponic cultivation without soil: only 15 liters of water are needed for one kilogram of vegetables compared to 317 liters in traditional agriculture.

In this greenhouse of the future, the water circulates through the plants in a closed circuit system, reducing water consumption by 95 percent. Another advantage in the simulated nature is year-round harvests, free from pests, pesticides, herbicides and chemicals.

The lettuce leaves are harvested by hand with a knife, weighed and packaged in the cold room at 4 degrees Celsius. A day later, the transparent packages end up on the supermarket shelves in Dubai.

“Our main customers are wholesalers, hotels, restaurants and 10 percent airline kitchens,” says Robert Fellows. “In the near future we also want to grow herbs and tomatoes”. All food leaving Bustanica is “ready to eat”. Washing is no longer necessary.

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