LIFE FARMITANK: vertical farming with less water use, less carbon footprint and more food

NEW LIFE FARMITANK project fiche 

By 2050, global food production must increase by more than 50% to feed a population forecast to reach more than 9 billion. However, the resources needed to achieve this are under severe strain. In the EU, agriculture accounts for 29% of total water abstraction, making it one of the sector's largest consumers. Globally, around one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted along the supply chain, while pesticide and herbicide use continues to put pressure on soils and ecosystems. Conventional agriculture also struggles with generational renewal, with fewer and fewer workers choosing to enter the sector. New farming models are urgently needed: ones that produce more with less resources, closer to where people live. 

The solution 

LIFE FARMITANK developed a disruptive vertical farming system: a modular, cylindrical stainless-steel tower ranging from 3 to 18 metres in height, capable of hosting up to 400 m² of growing area on just 40 m² of ground. The system is dismountable, relocatable, and it can be installed anywhere in the world. At the heart of the structure is a central lifting platform that gives workers ergonomic, direct access to every growing level for sowing, transplanting and harvesting, eliminating the need for ladders or external platforms and enabling the integration of automation systems.  

The system was specifically designed to be accessible to people with disabilities, making agriculture more inclusive. Inside, all growing conditions, such as lighting, temperature, humidity, air velocity, CO² and irrigation, are fully controlled and can be monitored remotely. 

The tanks use red and blue LED lighting (visible as a pink-purple glow) to support plant growth, with conditions adjustable level by level so different crops can grow in the same unit at the same time. 

The reflective interior spreads light evenly throughout, cutting energy use by around 15% compared to other vertical farming systems. Rather than soil, plants are fed directly through their roots using water enriched with nutrients. The system continuously recirculates water, and moisture collected from the air inside the tank is fed back into irrigation, so nothing goes to waste. 

LIFE FARMITANK’s objectives: 

• Implement a disruptive vertical farming business model and demonstrate its environmental and socioeconomic benefits
• Increase crop yields by 26% through a double transplant system (a two-stage planting technique that keeps the growing space fully optimised at every stage of crop development)
• Reduce energy consumption by 17% through LED light reflectors and sustainable technology
• Increase land use efficiency by 160% compared to standard vertical farms
• 11% lower investment costs through the use of a modular, dismountable tank
• 6% reduction of labour costs through more ergonomic and automated processes
• Enabled operation by vulnerable social groups through inclusive design 

Results achieved: 

FARMITANK-grown lettuce, basil, coriander, chives and microgreens were benchmarked against conventional agriculture using a Life Cycle Assessment (scientific tool that evaluates a product’s environmental footprint across its entire lifespan): 

• Resource efficiency (water, energy, land): less water used (1L vs 25–35L per lettuce); 16.9% energy savings and 13.4 tonnes CO₂ eq avoided; and significantly higher (170%) land-use efficiency (50 m² of land area vs 312 m² growing area)
• Environmental impact: 13% lower carbon footprint (lettuce); 29% lower carbon footprint (coriander) and ~7 kg pesticides and ~1 kg herbicides avoided during the project execution (2,5 years), as this system eliminates the need for chemical products
• Productivity and yield: up to 1,000% more aromatic herbs; 600% more lettuce and 200% more microgreens (per m²)
• Production cycles: up to 25 lettuce harvests/year vs ~5 in conventional farming
• Product quality: longer shelf life (period for safe consumption); no pesticides used and no washing required before consumption 

Quote from the Coordinating Beneficiary: 

Cristian Nieves, Project Manager 

“The Close-to-market team offered us continuous support and guidance throughout all stages of implementation, providing advisory services, mentoring, funding guidance, marketing support, and strategic advice on how to promote the technology. They also helped us identify relevant opportunities to showcase the technology at European-level fairs and congresses, increasing the project’s visibility and outreach of the results.”