ROBINSONS Offices and FarmTop have partnered to develop “sky farms” in the former’s office buildings around the Philippines.
FarmTop (Farm-to-Plate) promotes urban agriculture by developing “sky farms” on building rooftops, as way to address the growing demand for fresh produce delivered straight to your doorstep.
“Under the Farm-to-Plate concept, fresh vegetables are produced much closer to where they are consumed, typically within a five-kilometer radius. This minimizes the carbon footprint that traditional farm-to-market routes would typically entail,” the company said.
Danny Dy, president and chief executive officer of FarmTop, said each rooftop farm can produce as much as five tons of vegetables a month. This can serve customers in condominiums, offices, schools, hotels, and restaurants within its vicinity.
“By tying up with FarmTop, we are able to offer alternative means to healthy eating. We can provide the space, expand the market, and create jobs for urban farmers,” Jericho P. Go, Robinsons Offices senior vice-president and general manager, said in a statement.
Mr. Dy said they want to raise awareness of rooftop farming or controlled environment agriculture as a technology-based method of producing food. “The goal is to control all our farm environment through my smartphone. We want to make farming more sexy,” he said.
Mr. Dy said FarmTop specializes in building farms on roof decks. “The travel of the greens to the consumer is shorter. It’s cost-efficient and it’s fresher,” he said.
By reducing the journey from farm to plate, he noted the rooftop farms play a crucial role in decreasing the reliance on fossil fuels. FarmTop is also exploring environmentally-friendly delivery options, like bicycles, side cars, or electric vehicles.
Robinsons Land has consistently supported the causes of Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization that distributes food and aid to the world’s most vulnerable.
FarmTop will formalize its commitment to Rise Against Hunger through the “Bawat Buto Buhay” program, which will be launched this year.
