Eight additional vertical farms were recently turned over to Navotas City by Delgado Brothers (Delbros) Group through its vertical farming solutions unit, Good Greens & Co. (GGC).

The project, in partnership with the Navotas City Council and the Boy Scout of the Philippines (BSP), is considered to be the tallest in Metro Manila. Initially, with 4 towers, this urban vertical farm was put up early this year in the hopes of cultivating a sufficient and self-sustainable food source as restrictions are still placed for food transportation due to the current COVID-19 situation.

Green produce is efficiently grown here and is expected to yield higher production, readily available to the surrounding communities of Navotas. “Through this innovation, we can ensure food security by planting crops even in highly urbanized areas like Navotas which will greatly benefit its citizens,” said Mr. Glenn Panganiban, National Director for Urban Agriculture.

GGC added that these vertical farm towers can create additional employment opportunities for the surrounding communities as it opens the public to a possible career in the field of plant health, horticulture, food safety, integrated pest management, production and packing, as well as facilities and maintenance.

Added benefits for these vertical farm towers include health security as the food crops will be grown in computer-monitored sanitary buildings offering little risk of contamination by bacteria such as E.coli. Additionally, these towers will also produce much cleaner air for the community as each can act as green land that absorbs carbon dioxide and contaminants in the air.

“Vertical farm towers are a viable solution to address existing agricultural challenges such as farmland fatigue, pesticide run-off, and greenhouse gas emissions. We see this model as a sustainable and viable model that urban areas can adopt, and it holds promise for locally grown and sustainable produce,” said Simon Villalon, President of Good Greens & Co.

With the company’s continued research in vertical farming, GGC continues to be a pioneer in agriculture and logistics innovation as it plans to become the largest manufacturer of leafy greens in the Philippines. The company aims to produce vertical towers which will yield from an initial of 4,000 plants to 10,000 plants to match the market demand and contribute to the community and national development while delivering the highest levels of product quality and safety.