N°65 - Ingrédients / Innovation cation is being currently exa- mined by BpiFrance). Labelled by the Vitagora competitiveness cluster for an AgTech research project focused on medicinal plants, Tower Farm has sub- mitted an application for Euros- tars funding with the European irrigation facilities. Finally, this zero pesticides hence no fear Community - the objective is to vegetable farming unit also aims of contamination with hydro- conduct research on the indoor to raise the awareness of the local carbons or other soil or airborn farming of medicinal plants.It populations on the virtues of a particles; its water consumption is within this latter project that balanced diet. Please note that is 90 to 95% lower than the one Synadiet offers guidance to the the cities of New York and Sin- of crops cultivated in outdoor start-up on subjects such as the gapore have already set up urban conditions; it allows for the development of solutions for the farms on several building roofs. drastic reduction of the carbon problem of contaminants found footprint related to the transport in the plants used by the food ◗An indoor of foodstuffs due to a production supplement sector. experimental site located at the gates of the city or on the same site as the “users”. ◗Indoor gardening A world’s fi rst: in eaarly December, Its underlying technology has Tower Farm is to commission in been developed by an Israeli We all are consum’players and St-Nom-la-Bretèche, close to start-up. Tower Farm is their also becoming masters of our Paris, a semi-industrial scale exclusive partner in France and own vegetable production. experimental site based on the Europe. As the development step A trend supported by Prêt - 092 indoor farming technology deve- requires signifi cant efforts, the à – Pousser, which proposes loped by this very young start-up. Israeli partner focuses on the so- Modulo, a modular design The experimental site will allow called “fundamental research” indoor garden kit that helps you developing cultivation protocols part (conceptualization: pro- grow your herbs, salads, toma- for each crop plant. cedure automation, choice of toes etc. at your own place. Tower Farm’s aeroponic systems materials, pollination without A means for the consumer to (rotating towers) allow for the bees...). For its part, Tower Farm re-become a master of his/her cultivation of all all kinds of plantsis responsible with the transla- own food supply (37 varieties while ensuring their high quality tion of the primary concept into are available, including salads, andzero use of pesticides, in a a “ready-to-market” product and herbs). Modulo includes a closed and fully-controlled envi- develops the culture protocols, lighting system (47 low energy ronment. Besides the plants that the experimental station being consumption leds to reproduce will arrive on the shelves of super- aimed at testing and stabilising the sunlight), a module-based markets and in the agri-food the production processes. system, a water-fl oating capsule industry, certain medicinal plants Tower Farm collaborates with of enriched substrate (the cap- to be used by the cosmetics, INRA - AgroParisTech Univer- sules containing the seed also pharmaceutical and food sup- sity (Urban Farming Department includes nutrients specifi c to a plement industries may also be led by Dr. Christine Aubry), given species). Prêt-à-Pousser cultivated with the indoor system with Iteipmai and is supported had launched mushroom proposed by Tower Farm. Both in its experimental efforts by the kits during SIAL 2014 (oyster plants with long roots and exotic Horticultural Reseach Institute mushrooms with a growth cycle plants: lettuce, kale cabbage, of St Germain-en-Laye and by of 10 days), and two years later, a aromatic herbs, cherry tomatoes, Agronov, a European cluster for fi rst indoor garden, Lilo, for aro- potato starch, medicinal plants agroecology.It has also been matic herbs. With a turnover of (ginger, harpagophytum, thyme labelled as a J.E.I. (Young Inno- €4.5 million and 60,000 clients, thuyanol, peppermint...). vative Enterprise) and has been the company is no longer a mere It becomes clear that this culti- recognized by the administrative start-up: by 2020 it aims to be vation method features several region as eligible for an InnovUP present in one French house- advantages: it is healthy, uses Experimentation grant (the appli- hold out of four.■ ■ / Octobre - Novembre - Décembre 2018 / N°65 / L’Actualité des Ingrédients Fonctionnels & Santé