Abstract

The UAE being a desert country, farming was a challenge and it had to depend on imports to fulfil most of its food demand. But importing was not sustainable in the long run, considering how volatile the global economy was. Pure Harvest Smart Farms, a startup in the UAE, had been using technology to grow crops hydroponically in a nutrient-rich bath, without soil. The crops were monitored by sensors to measure nutrients, temperature, and other factors related to plant health. Pure Harvest realized that the way forward lay in sustainable farming and that the use of the latest innovative technologies was the key to improving food security in the harsh climatic conditions of the Gulf region. The vertical farming technology used by Pure Harvest was new in the UAE region and hence the company faced challenges in securing funds for its startup. But with the hard work of its founders, the company was able to bag funds and scale up to various countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The company also got into partnerships with many retailers to sell its produce. The efforts of Pure Harvest also helped it in bagging a good number of awards in the agritech and startup arenas.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• To understand the importance of food security
• To examine controlled environment farming and its advantages
• To explain the importance of sustainable agriculture
• To discuss the life cycle and challenges of a startup

Keywords

Food security; Controlled environment farming; Sustainable agriculture; Life cycle and challenges of a startup; Hydroponical crops; Vertical farming technology; MENA Region; Startup; Agritech; Food security