Agricool is a Frech startup that is looking to bring year-round produce growing directly into urban environments through an innovative and sustainable process. The company has developed specialized containers for growing strawberries, allowing them to control every aspect of the growth cycle, including temperature, humidity, CO2 level, color spectrum, and circadian rhythm.
There are many benefits to being able to grow strawberries in a controlled environment. For one, it can significantly reduce the costs — both economic and environmental — associated with shipping. Strawberries grown on organic farms are delicious and eco-friendly, but even local farms are still farther from cities that Agricool's containers, which can be placed anywhere. Thus, while the average 250 gram pack of organic strawberries in France costs approximately 6.70 euros, Agricool's cost just 4 euros.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Year-round Urban Farming
- Agricool's container-grown strawberries demonstrate the disruptive innovation opportunity in bringing year-round produce growing directly into urban environments.
- Controlled Environment Agriculture
- Agriculture startups can explore the disruptive innovation opportunity of developing specialized containers for growing crops where every aspect of the growth cycle can be controlled.
- Localized Food Production
- The trend of localized food production is exemplified by Agricool's containers, which can be placed anywhere, reducing the economic and environmental costs associated with shipping.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Smart Farming
- Smart farming technologies can be integrated into container-grown agriculture systems to optimize crop growth and control environmental factors.
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Agricool's sustainable approach to growing strawberries in containers presents an opportunity within the sustainable agriculture industry to develop new methods for efficient and eco-friendly crop production.
- Urban Farming
- Urban farming startups can leverage Agricool's container-grown strawberries as a model for growing fresh produce in urban environments, directly addressing the demand for locally-sourced food.
