Sustainability Talks #01 — Vertical Farming with MicroFlavours
In conversation with Brussels’ most impressive indoor vertical farm
High-tech vertical farms use cutting-edge technology to make food production completely independent of external climate conditions, as well as removing the need for long-distance transport. The lack of farmland in densely populated cities means that these environments rely almost entirely on food imports. Vertical farming can provide a degree of resilience and independence to a number of urban areas.
In todays show we are joined by Dario Vunckx, a 24-year-old serial entrepreneur and co-founder of MicroFlavours. He tells us all about microgreens, urban farms and their role in enhancing environmental and social sustainability. We’ll also get some insights on his journey as a young green entrepreneur.
Listen to the podcast episode and full interview below. You can also find us on Spotify and will launch on other platforms soon.
“Every day at this farm is a perfect sunny day for our small green vegetables to grow.”
MicroFlavours is a brussels-based urban indoor vertical farm located in the heart of the city in the basement of a former brewery. The farm is indoor, uses artificial light and climate control systems which makes this farm independent of external influences. Every day at this farm is a perfect sunny day for the small green vegetables to grow. This means that MicroFlavours has the power to grow the perfect vegetable every day of the year, which in turn gives their customers (restaurants, hotels and supermarkets) a great deal of certainty on quality, quantity and price. Of course, the rent in the city centre is much higher than outside the city. By stacking 5 layers on top of each other, Dario and his team optimise the use of space and are able to produce 5 times more per square meter than on a traditional farm. On the other hand, being inside the city means transport costs and the associated carbon footprint can be minimised.
That MicroFlavours would become what it is now, is beyond Dario’s expectations. Three years ago, he and his co-founder Tom Wilgos were confronted with the issues in our existing food systems: issues with pesticides and vegetables coming from the other side of Europe with a low shelf-life, poor quality and a relatively high price. Agricultural practices these days are polluting both for the environment and for us. “We wanted to change things for ourselves first. We started growing our own basil plants and other herbs in a very small rooftop garden in a Brussels rooftop apartment. It was not easy at the start, but a few YouTube videos got us going” Dario explains. “We were still studying back then, in our final year. Initially, we grew microgreens for friends and family. But suddenly we had our first customer. At a certain point, we had about 25 customers and a steady production of microgreens. So why not make the jump, create a start-up and be pioneers in Belgium.” Back then the microgreens scene in Belgium was quite small. Today, MicroFlavours is the second-largest microgreen farm in Belgium and the largest indoor one. And the popularity of microgreens is on the rise. There’s increased awareness about how food is grown, about pesticides and bad farming practices. This sprouts demand and interest in products like the ones of MicroFlavours.
Organisations like The Planet Life are coming to talk to us. They’re telling the story of how we’re changing the food system and it’s going faster and faster.
The benefits of indoor farming
Why indoor farming? Growing indoors gives a higher yield and has more long-term potential. On traditional farms, climate change is a very real thing: summers are drier and hotter; winters are colder. Farmers are really experiencing difficulties. There’s a need to adapt, otherwise, Climate Change will make it impossible for some crops to grow outdoors. “We use a technique called hydroponics”, says Dario “using huge waterbeds to drown the seeds. Our water doesn’t run off like on a field, but we filter the water not used by the plants to use it again. We save 95% of water in our production. Combining these new techniques with existing ones creates a hybrid model which we believe is the future of our food systems.”
Why microgreens? If you tried microgreens, you know that they’re very tasty, with very punchy flavours. This is because they’re harvested after about 2 weeks instead of when they’re fully grown vegetables. Microgreens are the first leaves of the seed, it’s the first stage. This means the tastes are much more concentrated, as are the nutrients. For example, a microgreen of red cabbage contains 40 times more vitamin E than a mature red cabbage, because everything to survive for the small seeds is contained inside. From a business perspective, growing microgreens was very appealing to MicroFlavours, as they were quite new on the market.
Microgreens won’t feed the rising population.
Even though microgreens are delicious and full of vitamins, a light salad won’t satisfy your hunger. It’s not rich in calories. Dario explains that microgreens are only one part of the solution to feeding a rising population. Vertical farming will offer a lot of possibilities. Many other vegetables like potatoes can grow perfectly indoors. But most of the more complicated vegetables are not yet economically viable for urban farmers. “Investment costs are too high and vegetable prices are too low”, Dario tells us. “Some countries in the Middle East where vegetable prices are higher, have much higher investment potential. With more R&D put into urban farming, investment costs will come down and more solutions will be appearing.” Not only farming vegetables but also farming insects will be part of the solution according to Dario. Start-ups on insect farming are popping up and gaining market share. Ultimately, we will have to change our diet if we want to feed the planet. This means eating less meat. But a change of diet doesn’t happen overnight.
Maximising impact along the way
MicroFlavours believes they should have more than just a positive impact on the environment. MicroFlavours work with people with mental or physical disabilities helping in the production of microgreens, from sowing to harvesting. This work provides a good structure for them and allows them to be part of the labour market.
We’re a start-up and need to make money, but along the way we want to create as much positive impact as we can, both on a social and ecological aspect.
The last mile: Farm To Table
Besides the resource-efficient farming practices and social contributions, MicroFlavours also put a lot of effort into limiting the environmental impact of the last mile with Dario’s other start-up: BruFresh Food. BruFresh Food helps MicroFlavours to distribute 95% of their products with e-bikes, reducing the carbon footprint of transporting the microgreens. “We started with MicroFlavours 3 years ago, but our team is very ambitious and skilled. Where there’s a challenge, we try to find a solution. Like us, we saw many other start-ups, with mushrooms, edible flowers and other beautiful products that could be used in restaurants in Brussels, struggling with the logistics of their products.” That’s where BruFresh Foods comes in. By sharing the network, knowledge and infrastructure for eco-friendly and food-safe distribution, other producers can contribute to a more sustainable food chain as well.
A collaborative future
Dario and his team at MicroFlavours are very ambitious, but can’t save the world by themselves. “We hope we can motivate people to make a positive impact like us. People from other countries come to MicroFlavours to learn from us, with dreams to create an urban farm themselves. This can help us reach our goals: more sustainable cities and a more sustainable food chain. Everyone working in food and agriculture, logistics etc. should work together to accelerate growth and create a bigger impact.”
In Brussels, the home of MicroFlavours, 30% of the food should be produced in or around the city by 2050, which MicroFlavours is contributing to. Next year MicroFlavours is launching a new urban farm in a different city, producing on a larger scale than in Brussels. It’s inspiring to see young talent like Dario make such a big impact in such a short time. It makes you curious to see what else he’s got in store for a better future for our planet.
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The Sustainability Talks Podcast investigates exciting solutions to the global environmental challenges we’re facing today.
The Planet Life is a community & learning platform that connects citizens to climate solutions and makes climate action accessible to everyone. We’re on a mission to unlock the world’s knowledge and turn a sustainable society into a reality.
