Dubai
– February 27 Emirates Flight Catering, one of the world’s largest catering operations, has fully acquired Emirates Bustanica, formerly called Emirates Crop One, and its consumer brand Bustanica, the world’s largest indoor vertical farm.
This strategic move establishes Emirates Bustanica as a fully UAE-owned company, helping sustain the country’s vision of enhancing food and water security and its agricultural capabilities. The acquisition empowers Emirates Bustanica to leverage its local expertise and the latest tech know-how to meet the growing demands of the market.
Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) is one of the world’s largest catering operations. Offering airline, events and VIP catering as well as ancillary services including laundry, food production and airport lounge food and beverage. A trusted partner EKFC, serves over 100 airlines, hospitality groups and United Arab Emirates government entities. Each day, the company’s 11,000 dedicated employees prepare an average of 200,000 meals and handle 210 tonnes of laundry.
Located near Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, Bustanica’s 330,000sqft facility has the capacity to grow more than one million kilograms of exceptional quality leafy greens a year, equivalent to three tonnes daily, while using 95 per cent less water than conventional agriculture.
Operating under the brand name Bustanica, the produce is available across all major retailers in the UAE such as Spinney’s, Waitrose, Carrefour, and Choithrams. Customers on Emirates and other airlines enjoy this farm-fresh produce in their salads and meals.
Since its launch in July 2022, Bustanica has become a part of UAE’s dinner table conversations, thanks to its growing range of leafy greens, herbs and microgreens that can and should be eaten straight out of the box – even tap water can contaminate the produce.
Bustanica’s produce is grown without pesticides or herbicides, and is 100 per cent clean, fresh, and nutrient-rich. Bustanica produces a variety of lettuce, spinach, parsley, and kale.
Passengers on Emirates and other airlines can fork these delicious leafy greens, including lettuces, arugula, mixed salad greens, and spinach, onboard their flights. Bustanica is not just revolutionising salads in the sky – UAE consumers can add these greens to their shopping carts at the nearest supermarkets. Bustanica also plans to expand into the production and sale of fruits and vegetables.
Bustanica is driven by powerful technology – machine learning, Artificial Intelligence(AI), and other patented technologies – and a highly specialised in-house team that includes agronomy experts, engineers, horticulturists, and plant scientists.
The farm’s closed-loop system is designed to circulate water through the plants to maximise water usage and efficiency. When the water vaporises, it is recovered and recycled into the system, saving 250m litres of water every year compared to traditional outdoor farming for the same output.
Bustanica will have zero impact on the world’s threatened soil resources, an incredibly reduced reliance on water and year-round harvests unhampered by weather conditions and pests. Consumers buying Bustanica’s greens from supermarkets can eat it straight from the bag – even washing can damage the leaves and introduce contaminants
Operating the largest flight catering facility in the world at Dubai International Airport, Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) is a global leader in aviation hospitality. EKFC offers a comprehensive range of services, including airline catering, airport dining, private dining and event catering, food supplies to hospitality industries, complemented by support services such as laundry.
Renowned for its commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainability, EKFC consistently delivers exceptional culinary experiences tailored to the discerning tastes of consumers worldwide. With cutting-edge facilities, a dedicated team of culinary experts, and state-of-the-art technology, EKFC continues to set the standard for premium dining across the aviation and wider hospitality industries.
Emirates Flight Catering constantly invests in the latest technologies to delight customers, optimise operations, and minimise the environmental footprint. Bustanica helps secure the supply chain, and ensures customers can enjoy locally sourced, nutritious produce. By bringing production closer to consumption, EKFC reduces the food journey from farm to fork. Bustanica has set global standards and benchmarks in agronomy.
End …