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FEATURE
IN-STORE VERTICAL FARMS
Francois vd Merwe, CEO of CAN-Agri, and Liz van Niekerk, Pick ‘n Pay’s head of produce and horticulture
Pick ‘n Pay is the an der Merwe says that his company stores and the first to pilot the vertical
farms. Van der Merwe says the in-store
had been supplying Pick ‘n Pay for a
first South African Vfew years and he invited them to his initiative is a great platform to create more
retailer to launch in- farm to show them the benefits of farming awareness of vertical farming and educate
in a different way. “We wanted to show that
customers about this innovative farming
store vertical farms there’s no need to use pesticides when method.
growing fresh produce in a controlled
to show customers a environment; this is safer for customers Liz van Niekerk, Pick ‘n Pay’s head of
sustainable and locally and not harmful to the earth. We don’t produce and horticulture, says the
displays should appeal strongly to
use fertiliser or pesticides and the only by-
grown modern farming product from our farm is compost,” he says. environmentally-minded customers and
especially the youth, who will be able to
solution. The initiative Explaining further, he states that vertical see first hand how produce grows and
help them connect more to farming.
farming is not sustainable due to its
is a partnership with high energy consumption, but CAN-Agri Van der Merwe adds that this is vital to
Francois van der Merwe, has found a way to undertake it so that ensure the ongoing sustainability of food
energy consumption is kept as low as
security. “We can’t continue to farm the
CEO of CAN-Agri, a possible, and cost-competitively. Their way we’ve been doing for the past 40
years; going forward, farming needs to
growing operation has been designed to
hydroponic greenhouse use natural sunlight as much as possible be a combination of current methods and
farm in Pretoria and LED lighting will only be used to modern technology in order to enhance
supplement natural light in areas where
production. The in-store initiative is a
specialising in vertical this is limited. Grow lights are used for the great platform to create more awareness
of vertical farming and educate customers
in-store displays due to the absence of
growing. natural light. about this method.”
Stores and labels He states that whereas previously,
Pick ‘n Pay on Nicol in Johannesburg and customers were concerned about price
Constantia in Cape Town are the flagship and whether the produce was organic,
10 Landscape SA • Issue 113 2022
