Swedish company revolutionises urban agriculture inside supermarkets

SweGreen, a pioneering Swedish company, is transforming supermarkets into green farming hubs in a bid to revolutionize urban agriculture and tackle environmental challenges.

This innovative in-store farming solution leverages hydroponics to cultivate plants without soil, using rockwool plugs and water. A Swedish company, SweGreen, is pioneering this approach by building farms inside supermarkets, offering an eco-friendly alternative for growing fruits and vegetables, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

SweGreen’s technology, already operational in Sweden and Germany, addresses critical issues like water scarcity, limited agricultural land, and reliance on global supply chains. By growing produce locally, the company aims to cut transportation emissions, extend shelf life, and enhance flavor. Each cultivation unit can produce as much food as three hectares of traditional farmland. Customers can watch the greens grow and be harvested, then pick fresh produce directly from the shelves. "Supermarkets have bakeries, and now they're growing food instead of baking," says Sepehr Mousavi, Chief Innovation Officer and Head of SweGreen X. Currently, SweGreen cultivates up to 100 different crop varieties, including lettuce, dill, mint, and parsley.

The company is expanding its offerings to include microgreens and testing fruit-bearing plants like strawberries. AI plays a crucial role in SweGreen's vertical farms by predicting consumer trends. For instance, Sepehr notes, "During summer festivals in Sweden, dill is in high demand, while mint becomes popular during midsummer festivals." Plant growth cycles, seasonal variations, and shifting consumer preferences present ongoing challenges, leading SweGreen to integrate artificial intelligence into their farming operations. "This is one of the practical applications of AI in agriculture," explains Sepehr Mousavi. SweGreen utilizes an AI tool that provides tailored growth recipes to their growers. 

This system ensures that supermarket staff receive a precise to-do list for cultivating the exact products needed each day. Depending on the supermarket's size and requirements, SweGreen offers two main options: a 45-square-meter unit capable of producing up to 300 crops per day, and a smaller 12-square-meter unit that can yield up to 116 crops daily. The interest in local, eco-friendly farming solutions extends beyond supermarkets. Restaurants, hotels, universities, and property owners are also exploring these options.