An alliance for research

AeroFarms, a certified B corporation and leader in vertical agriculture, and Hortifrut SA, a certified B corporation in Chile and a leading global business platform in the marketing, distribution and production of berries, have announced a multi-year partnership to jointly research and develop blueberry and cinnamon production in fully controlled indoor environments and vertical farms.

The R&D partnership will optimize blueberry plants for indoor growing conditions and commercialize vertical farm grown blueberries globally.

The next generation of blueberries

The first phase of the partnership is already underway with the arrival of the blueberry plants at AeroFarms global headquarters in Newark, NJ, USA.

AeroFarms is over 9200 m ² of vertical agricultural space for R&D and commercial production.

Hortifrut, through its state-of-the-art genetic program, has produced compact blueberry plants ideal for vertical cultivation and AeroFarms has optimized its cultivation systems for berry production.

Quality for the consumer

Both companies envision a long-term partnership and said they are "focused on delivering the tastiest, most nutritious and freshest fresh blueberries to consumers anytime, anywhere in the world."

The agreement considers the installation of the experimental site, the planting of Hortifrut varieties, viability, data analysis and possible further expansion.

“We are delighted to announce our blueberry partnership with Hortifrut,” said David Rosenberg, co-founder and CEO of AeroFarms.

Only the beginning

“When we began to share our mission and values ​​with Hortifrut, we found a deep alignment between our corporate goals and agricultural technologies. Hortifrut's legacy of global blueberry breeding and production is second to none in the industry. We are very excited to be working together with the industry leader in berry delivery, ”added Rosenberg.

Juan Ignacio Allende, CEO of Hortifrut said they were excited to reach this agreement with AeroFarms.

“Now we will put the efforts and knowledge of both teams to work side by side, which will allow us to be successful in growing blueberries and blackberries with this new technology. Responsible agriculture, high-quality fruit and a commitment to customer service are in our DNA. We believe this is just the beginning of a successful partnership focused on growing, supplying and marketing the best berries, ”Allende concluded.