DUBAI: Bronte Weir, Managing Director of Abu Dhabi based Below Farm, said the company is the world’s first agritech player specialized in end-to-end mushroom farming solutions in arid climates, employing the latest tech innovations to cultivate mushrooms following circular farming practices.
Speaking on the sidelines of her participation at the Food Innovation Conference 2024, Weir said: ‘Below Farm is on a mission to create a climate smart food system designed for arid climates, coupled with our commitment to providing healthy, sustainable products. Participating at this international gathering of over 150 experts, academics, businesses and farmers, allows us to share knowledge and ideas and build new partnerships that help drive innovation in the field of mushroom cultivation and the UAE’s food industry in general.’
‘The UAE’s strong focus on food security and advanced infrastructure made it an attractive place to launch this company with the aim of offering locally sourced, healthy foods at high quality
and reasonable prices. I strongly believe in the role of innovation in sustainable food production, and the need for advanced new technology to increase productivity and enhance quality,’ she added.
Below Farm has managed to adapt technology to overcome climate conditions in the UAE, where temperatures are high during the day, creating an unfavorable environment for cultivating mushrooms that require cool, damp and dark conditions.
Although indoor mushroom farming was initially developed to suit the climate in the USA and European countries, Below Farm succeeded in cultivating specialty mushrooms including Oyster, King Oyster, Shiitake and Lion’s Mane Mushrooms by localizing the value chain from seed to fruit, and establishing the region’s first commercial mycelium laboratory
The company overcame the challenge of high temperatures by establishing a farm made up of four climate-controlled chambers, insulated to keep temperatures cool. Crops are grown in a manner that uses no pesticides or fertilizers, and r
elatively low water impact – mushrooms require 10% of the amount of water to grow vs. tomatoes. Below Farm has also applied innovative technologies to control light, temperature and humidity levels, creating the favorable conditions ideal for cultivating mushrooms.
In addition to offering a high quality, reasonably priced produce, Below Farm is committed to sustaining the environment by recycling date palm waste and spent coffee grounds into the specialized mass on which mushroom grows. Below Farm offers a wide range of products including mushrooms, mushroom growing kits as well as mushroom powder and mushroom extract drops for health and wellness.
The Food Innovation Conference 2024 is hosted in Dubai from 13 to 15 May. Organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) in cooperation with the World Economic Forum (WEF), the event is held under the theme ‘Reimagining Future Food Systems’.
Source: Emirates News Agency