Today (22 February), Emirates Flight Catering announced that it has acquired Emirates Bustanica (formerly known as Emirates Crop One) and its consumer brand Bustanica, the world's largest indoor vertical farm. The acquisition makes Bustanica a 100% owned agricultural enterprise in the United Arab Emirates.
Located near Dubai World Central (DWC) Al Maktoum International Airport, Bustanica covers an area of 330,000 square feet and can grow more than 1 million kilograms of high-quality leafy greens per year, equivalent to a daily production of 3 tonnes, while using 95% less water than conventional agriculture.
According to reports, these agricultural products are all branded as Bustanica and are sold at all major retailers in the UAE such as Spinney's, Waitrose, Carrefour and Choithrams. Since its launch in July 2022, Bustanica's products have been grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides. Bustanica mainly produces a variety of lettuce, spinach, parsley and kale. These vegetables can be eaten right out of the box and don't even need to be rinsed with running water. More recently, Emirates Bustanica has also become the preferred agricultural product merchant for COP28.
Emirates Airline Catering (EKFC) operates the world's largest in-flight catering facility at Dubai International Airport, offering services including in-flight catering, airport catering, private and event catering, horeca and hospitality food**, as well as laundry. In the future, Emirates and other airlines will be able to enjoy Bustanica brand produce in salads and meals.
Text: Beijing Youth Daily reporter Lin Lishuang.
Edited by Fan Hongwei.