The purpose of this article is to identify interested parties, investors, funds, interest groups, etc., as well as a country with favorable prerequisites to give the vertical farming venture the best possible start. As we know, countries compete with each other, and their rankings are shaped by various factors, such as cost of living, purchasing power, energy prices, access to financing and prevailing interest rates, food prices and VAT, tax burden on employees and companies, price per m² of housing and commercial space, local climate (average temperature and solar insolation), and so on.
Do these factors increase reasonably over time? Do they show seasonality? Is the state actually interested in local production, reducing imports, and creating jobs for local people? Could innovative vertical farming be an appealing option in such a context?
Many countries do not produce the necessary initial components locally (e.g., electronic components, power supplies, aluminum, etc.), so they import these as semi-finished or finished products. This creates an opportunity to improve by either lowering costs or providing more advanced, well-designed solutions that result in longer product lifespans, reduced material usage, and local job creation.
Thus, many countries are on equal footing in terms of imports, as they simply buy the initial components. I suggest Mauritius as a potential location, but I welcome all good alternatives.

Explanation:

Lettuce cultivation may seem like a trivial topic at first, but considering the scale and the world’s growing population, it’s likely much more important. The final product is lettuce, frisee, and other leafy greens. The goal is to cultivate lettuce as efficiently as possible, maximizing yield per square meter per year.
This involves automation, production buildings with sandwich panels, and developing our own LED grow lights. While we don’t need a factory to produce them, LED grow lights with the best efficiency and the right spectrum are not easy to find, so we outsource their production to maintain our technical know-how.
The future plan involves creating a “green module” (or later multiple modules) where lettuce grows. This module will require workers and electricity. There is no separate heating requirement, as the LED grow lights generate enough heat; instead, cooling is necessary to remove heat from the grow module and/or reuse the residual heat.
Other branches of farming could be developed in the future, such as tomato-growing modules, using residual heat for heating additional buildings, or making the investment even more profitable—depending on the climate zone. In the case of Mauritius, cooling will be the primary requirement for the vertical farm.

Idea:

• We develop a "different kind of greenhouse" with all necessary components.
• The goal is higher yield per square meter per year, and a lower cost per kilogram of product, increasing the profit margin.
• Our vertical farming system uses significantly less electricity, water, fertilizers, and minerals, while yielding higher amounts. We’ve conducted experiments that confirm our calculations, and there’s potential for even better results.
• We develop our own LED grow lights, ensuring the best light efficiency (U-mol to W ratio) and the ideal spectrum for plant growth.
• The lights are designed to use less aluminum, as they require less cooling. We design our own extrusion mold for aluminum casting.
• The lifespan of the lights is longer because they operate at lower temperatures.
• We use the best LEDs for price, efficiency, lifespan, and spectrum, and create our own customized spectrum mix.
• We reduce the number of power supplies, as the lights are more efficient.
• If needed, we can repair and upgrade our lights ourselves, which is cost-effective in the long run. We simply replace the LED PCB and possibly the power supply (depending on circumstances), while the housing stays the same.
• We create our own vertical farming structure and automation, along with plastic gutters for growing plants.
• We also create our own water-nutrient mixture to ensure it contains the optimal minerals for human health.

Our main strength is the attention to detail, especially in developing our LED lights with a customized spectrum and high efficiency, which allows for optimal growth while reducing electricity costs. The water mixture we use is carefully formulated to include the necessary minerals and oxygen for plant growth.

Some Key Information:

• Lettuce yields of 150–175 kg per square meter per year are achievable (the goal is to exceed this yield and make the product more profitable). For comparison, normal greenhouses in Estonia yield around 52 kg per square meter per year on average.
• We use 95.05–95.5% less land than conventional farming methods, which can be improved further—but does it have a purpose? The cost per kilogram of produce could actually become more expensive, so while it's possible to make the system even more effective, it might not make sense.
• We use 96.3–96.65% less water (depending on the comparison, this could reach up to 99.9%, especially when compared to open field cultivation in warmer climates).
• We use about 10 times fewer fertilizers and minerals, again depending on the comparison.
• We use rainwater whenever possible to remain environmentally friendly and sustainable.
• Our system reduces transportation costs based on our optimal calculations, forming a “golden circle” of sustainability.
• We use solar panels to cover our electricity needs, and possibly storage as well. (This depends on local conditions, such as whether the country has hydro storage, as battery life is currently short and they are hard to recycle).

About Me:

I have extensive experience in the production and development of LED lights, with a focus on LED plant growth and spectrum analysis. I’ve conducted plant growth experiments to identify the most efficient methods for maximizing productivity per square meter. We have all the necessary equipment for light spectrum analysis, and our LED grow lights are computer-controlled, allowing us to monitor and adjust various factors such as CO2 levels, temperature, oxygen, and water acidity.

Final Words:

My preferred starting location for this venture is Mauritius, which I believe provides the ideal conditions for vertical farming and great opportunities for growth. However, the ultimate goal is to establish “Green Grow Modules” around the world, in locations where the economic conditions, tourism potential, sustainability of the local community, and population size are favorable.
Growing food is, in essence, energy storage—particularly the accumulation of energy from wind turbines and solar panels—directly into food production, with minimal losses. For example, energy from wind turbines can be directly stored in lettuce farming, with little to no conversion losses, and solar energy can be used similarly without the need for hydro-accumulation stations or batteries.

Could we cooperate? Everything is negotiable. 😊
Thank you for your attention !

Kaupo Klaas
kaupo@leafygreen.farm
WhatsApp +372 50 16 711