Hydrophonic Garden Grows Restaurant Food In-House

It’s no major surprise that IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer, but did you know that they are also the 7th largest food supplier? Space10, IKEA’s future-living lab, is setting a good example by exploring the future of food and finding solutions for the world’s food supply issues.

Their major relevance within the food industry positions IKEA with the opportunity to be highly influential in solving food related issues. The next chapter in Space10’s innovative experiments on upcoming urban challenges, is the introduction of The Farm, a hydrophonic garden that makes it possible for restaurants to grow their own food in-house. When food is grown right where it will be eaten, it will dramatically decrease the impact on the environment as transportation costs will be almost non-existent and fertilizers will be less necessary.

Also, IKEA is releasing a small-scale hydrophonic garden later this year that customers can use to grown their own veggies and herbs in their homes using a very simplistic system. The company developed a special kind of LED lighting for the hydrophonics, along with using some of its own classic shelves and plastic containers.

The Farm is created in the tiny basement of Space10’s own studio in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District, and consists for 80% out of IKEA supplies, making it affordable and relatively easy to install for restaurants all over the globe. A sustainable food future is possible, and it can start right in your — or your restaurant’s — kitchen.