Thanks to the Infarm start-up in Berlin, the first vegetable gardens have reached the
supermarkets: a brand new version of the urban vegetable garden concept, and of
km0 agriculture.
Inside the Metro supermarkets of the German capital the first vertical farms – the only
possible in small spaces – have in fact been created, to cultivate salads and aromatic
herbs.
The project, started by a group of very young people, aims at expanding such culture
to new vegetables in the next future.

– Pick and pay!

The customers of the supermarkets hosting vertical farms, that will hopefully keep
growing, pick their own vegetables and then go and pay as for any other products
bought at the supermarket.
This represents a real innovation in terms of km0 consumption, in particular for
those who live in big cities, far from rural areas, and cannot not easily purchase
products directly from farmers.

– From plants to plates

Vegetable gardens inside supermarkets are not the only recent novelty in terms
of local fresh food consumption, with a short or no production chain.
Just think of the purchasing groups, where several households group together to
buy bio produce, cultivated in their own area, or the massive spread of urban
farms in gardens, on terraces, balconies, or even cultivated fields next to
restaurants, where clients can eat fresh and controlled products.
All this gives us reason to hope in a future where the origins of the food we eat
are controlled, certified and… at a short distance.

– And you? What do you think about this?

Would you like to pick you own vegetables and fruit in the neighbourhood
supermarket?
Post your comment here

by Livia Martini