Digital vertical farming in Greenbar modules: new horizons for food security in the Far East and the Arctic
- GREENBAR
- Mar 25
- 4 min read
Food security will remain one of the most important issues for the northern and Arctic regions of Russia. Cold winters, a short growing season, and vast areas of land unsuitable for agriculture pose unique challenges for the region, which humanity has been facing for centuries. According to sociology, a third of the residents of the Far East have difficulty in providing adequate nutrition, which is largely due to the region's remoteness from key logistics hubs in Russia.
Digital vertical crop farming in Greenbar modules for the Arctic
This leads to higher prices for fresh products and makes them inaccessible to a significant part of the population.
According to regional studies, the level of food consumption in the North and Far East is significantly lower than the recommended standards set by the Ministry of Health. This is especially acute for fresh herbs and vegetables, the consumption of which is 28% below the norm (as of 2021). The level of self-sufficiency in provisions in different northern regions varies significantly. Kamchatka Krai, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and Magadan Oblast are experiencing the greatest difficulties – the level of self-sufficiency here is extremely low, for example, for potatoes it is only 5.3% in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, and for meat – only 2.7% in Magadan Oblast. In comparison, Primorsky Krai and Amur Oblast demonstrate more stable indicators, reaching threshold values in grain and potato production and showing high GDP growth rates due to the increase in agricultural production in the past few years. The Far East is still heavily dependent on external supplies, especially vegetables. Land areas for their cultivation in such “prosperous” regions as Amur Oblast remain minimal. The difficult situation in the field of food security in the Far East requires a search for innovative solutions that will ensure the freshness and availability of products.
In this context, digital vertical farming in Greenbar modules is an effective approach to solving the region's problems. In mini-factories with a planting area of only 50-100 m², more than 1,000 cucumbers are successfully grown, and 20 kg per 1 sq. m of tomatoes and peppers. Using the modern single-tier Greenbar BIO PRO 5 system, high yields can be achieved. Volcanic minerals are used as a substrate: they are sterile, insects do not start in them, do not require preparation, save resources such as water and fertilizers, and are economically viable due to their multiple use. Management and control of plant care is carried out through the Virtual Agronomist software. The Virtual Agronomist, which controls through the hardware and software complex in Greenbar, provides control over all aspects of the agronomic process, from seed selection to optimization of growth conditions. These innovative technologies will help to cope with current challenges and open new horizons for sustainable development of agriculture in the Far East and the northern Arctic. As a result, Greenbar BIO PRO 5 produces up to 50 kg of fresh vegetables daily, providing the city with up to one and a half tons of fresh produce per month. Due to minimal transportation costs, the price of fresh vegetables is significantly reduced, which allows city residents to purchase local products at lower prices than imported analogues, is a promising solution for improving food security and nutritional quality of the population of the Far East, providing it with fresh and affordable vegetables at any time of the year.
Digital revolution in agronomy: launch your farm in 3 months with Greenbar technologies
Modern challenges to food security require innovative solutions, especially in remote and climatically challenging regions of Russia, such as the Far North and the Far East. In a record-breaking three months, you can launch a digital farm, and the first results will surprise you in just 50 days. Greenbar technology, implemented through the Virtual Agronomist software, opens up new horizons for year-round cultivation of vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs, providing local communities with fresh produce. Greenbar implements highly efficient bioquantoponic digital technologies that allow you to program the process of growing vegetables in a closed environment as efficiently as possible.
Since 2014, our team has been developing complex process flow charts for the production of greens, vegetables and berries in biolabs, testing various varieties of fast-growing root crops, including radishes, carrots, parsley, kale and parsnips.
An important component of our technology is the bioquantoponics system, which allows root crops to grow in hydroponic systems with a constant nutrient solution. Each module is configured taking into account specific temperature conditions, climatic conditions, phytolighting mode and nutrient solution formulation.
This ensures a stable harvest, even in the most difficult conditions of the North and the Arctic. Vegetable production on Greenbar digital vertical modules is a real find for self-sufficiency in fresh products in northern regions with risky farming. The urgency of the problem of providing hard-to-reach territories with high-quality fresh vegetables and herbs remains high. The northern delivery, which provides vital goods to more than three million people, is a complex logistical process, often making fresh vegetables inaccessible to local residents. In August 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law on the northern delivery, which came into force on April 1, introducing a unified regulatory framework for participants in this process. This creates new opportunities for improving logistics and reducing the cost of products in remote areas of Russia. At the same time, the cost of vegetables produced on Greenbar vertical farms averages from $1-3/kg.
This makes them accessible to local consumers and profitable for business. Support for farmers, as well as further efforts by government agencies and investment funds, will play a key role in the development of vertical farming technologies in the Far North and Far East. Finally, in recent years, there has been growing interest from investors in agriculture. The creation of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) with agricultural specialization helps develop local food production.
The Russian government is also actively promoting measures to support vegetable growing, including subsidies for the construction of greenhouse complexes in the amount of 20% of the investment volume.
With Greenbar digital plant growing technologies and the concept of a virtual agronomist, Russia is moving step by step towards high food security, providing its northern regions with fresh vegetables and herbs even in the harshest climatic conditions.
