"Are these vegetables grown in chemical water solvent? Are they really healthy to eat?" Li Xiaoxia, a 52 year-old Beijing citizen of Hu Jialou community questions about the green plants in a container farm built next to her home.
The container belongs to Alesca Life, a startup dedicated their energy to create indoor farming system and soilless culture. Since 2014, the company has developed vertical hydroponic cultivation in merely 30-quare-footprint space of shipping containers, which can locate even at the most busy urban center area of the Chinese capital city and provide conveniently fresh greens to the people. The concept is not entirely unique, though it is a first attempt in China.
No soil, no fertilizers, hydroponics is considered as a cleaner production than the traditional cultivation in field, offering a new solution to modern agriculture. According to Yi Peng, cofounder of Alesca Life, by using LED lights, water circling metal pipes and a correct formula of nutrient solution, people can do hydroponics. "It's accessible." said Yi Peng, “but the quality has to be monitored.”One container farm of Alesca Life is estimated to produce 50kgs of high quality leafy greens every single week. However, the price of the hydroponic production has been uncompetitive in the Chinese food market, compared with the massive soil culture vegetables.
Hydroponics technology has developed for more than 50 years, yet in China, just over a decade. "In China, we had some standers for green vegetables in the past, but almost all of them have been abolished, because even the organic food is not all qualified in some cases. The definition of healthy greens is unclear." explains Doctor He Dongxian of China Agriculture University, “Chinese people are still not familiar with hydroponics. That's why people have stereotype on this kind of cultivation technique. Its market proportion is very limited for now. Though in the long run, it should have a huge business prospects and market benefits.”
Till now, Alesca Life sold their indoor farming system to several restaurants and hotels in Beijing."If the business plan goes well, we can sell our products directly to consumers within this year." Said Yi Peng, "New ideas always need to be tested in pactice.”
