Swedish startup uses hydroponics, AI to offer fresh, supermarket-grown vegetables

SweGreen, a Stockholm-based startup, has given a new meaning to the word farm fresh after bringing farms to the supermarket. The company has installations in Sweden and Germany and is showcasing a sustainable way to grow crops while also reducing food wastage and carbon emissions.

Estimates suggest that 16 billion pounds of food goes to waste every year in American supermarkets alone. As much as 30 percent of the food that reaches US stores is then thrown away as customers are offered the best-looking fruits and vegetables to pick from, while the rest land up in the bin.

With the global population likely to hit nearly 10 billion by 2050, shrinking agricultural land due to climate change, and increased risks of global trade due to geopolitical tensions, countries need to work now to ensure food security.

Swedish startup SweGreen offers an innovative solution to all this by bringing farms to the supermarket, where people pick their fruits and vegetables.

How does it work?

SweGreen uses a well-known method of soilless agriculture called hydroponics . In this, plants are grown in rock wool plugs instead of soil, and a continuous flow of water provides the nutrients for them to grow.

According to SweGreen’s website, this approach can use up to 99 percent less water, which is also further recycled. To cite an example, SweGreen says that growing a kilo of lettuce requires about 66 gallons (250 liters) of water. The company, however, achieves the same output in a quarter of a gallon (one liter) of water.

In addition to water savings, the approach also prevents emissions that would be released in transporting the crops from farms to supermarkets while also assuring pesticide-free produce. Since the crop is grown in a sterile and controlled environment, there are no pests or weeds that need to be contended with, thereby eliminating the need for dangerous sprays and chemicals.

The size of the setup depends on the size of the supermarket itself. A larger facility covering 485 square feet (45 sq m) can grow up to 300 crops per day, while a smaller setup of 130 square feet (12 sq m) can grow up to 118 crops a day.

SweGreen’s AI tool can help further

Currently, SweGreen installations are growing up to 100 crop species, including leafy greens like parsley, dill, mint, and lettuce. The company is also working on adding strawberries to its portfolio of products alongside microgreens and fruit-bearing plants.

But how will supermarket staff know how to grow them? This is where artificial intelligence (AI) will help.

The company has also developed an AI tool that can take into account seasonal crop demand, consumer preferences, and plant growth times to arrive at a to-do list for the staff. When the tasks are done, the system will produce the crops as per demand and ensure availability on the day.

Not just supermarkets but even hotels and restaurants are keen to source fresh ingredients and are using SweGreen’s technology to grow their produce. In addition to delivering on sustainability, the approach also delivers freshness and taste like never before.