Agri-Food Tech News

MENA — Daria Shchurik, Head of Marketing and Growth at Greeneration, joined leading experts at Agra Middle East 2025 to discuss the economics, scalability, and future trajectory of vertical farming across the Middle East and North Africa.

On 7th October, Greeneration participated in the region’s premier platform for sustainable agriculture and agri-tech innovation. Representing the company, Daria contributed to the panel “Vertical Farming and the Rise of Layered Agriculture”, moderated by Luke Hutson, Chief Editor at New Ag International, UK. She highlighted how advanced CEA systems are transforming food production in urban and desert environments.

The session explored how controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) is becoming essential to meet food demand amid shrinking arable land, water scarcity, and rapid urbanization. Vertical farming now offers a scalable way to grow more food using fewer resources—strengthening food security and resilience across the Middle East.

Panel Highlights:

• Innovative methods in hydroponics, aeroponics, and multi-tier systems
• Techniques to maximize yields while reducing water use and eliminating chemical inputs
• Operational efficiency, energy management, and achieving strong ROI
• Success stories from urban and desert-based vertical farms across the MENA region
• Policy frameworks and partnerships enabling large-scale CEA adoption

Daria shared insights from Greeneration’s journey in sustainability, innovation, and growth, emphasizing how vertical farming has progressed from concept to commercially viable infrastructure. She also highlighted the growing leadership of women in agri-innovation.

Quote from the Panel:
“The future of farming lies in precision, collaboration, and innovation for ultra fresh locally grown food available to everyone,” Daria noted. “As a high-end vertical farm for luxury HoReCa, we are focused on addressing the import-reliance challenge of the region, one restaurant at a time.”

Market Insight:
Although rising global energy prices have challenged some vertical farms, the successful players fall into two categories:

1. Those achieving economy-of-scale equilibrium—large enough to optimize fixed costs and energy rates.
2. Those producing premium, high-margin crops suited for fine dining and specialty markets.

AgraME 2025 brought together global experts, investors, and policymakers committed to shaping the region's transition toward climate-resilient agriculture. Greeneration’s participation reinforces its role in advancing smart farming systems and driving meaningful dialogue on the future of food production in the UAE.

About Greeneration
Greeneration is a high-end vertical farm based in Dubai, specializing in premium edible flowers, specialty leaves, and microgreens tailored for the luxury HoReCa sector. Funded by Roman Ulyanov, the company provides hyper-local, same-day-harvested produce grown using hydroponics and soil-free controlled-environment systems.

More than just a supplier, Greeneration collaborates closely with chefs to deliver customized crop varieties and unique ingredients. The farm is deeply committed to sustainability—reducing water use, minimizing carbon footprint, and strengthening food security through local production.