Dec. 18, 2009, Vancouver – Valcent Products’ vertical farming technology was named one of the Top 50 “Best Innovations of 2009” by Time magazine.

“Real estate - the one thing we're not making any more of,” reports the magazine. “That might be good news for landlords but not for the world's farmers, who have finite cropland to feed a growing global population. The answer: build up by farming vertically. Valcent is pioneering a hydroponic farming system that grows plants in rotating rows, one on top of another. The rotation gives the plants the precise amount of light and nutrients they need, while the vertical stacking enables the use of far less water than conventional farming. But best of all, by growing upward instead of outward, vertical farming can expand food supplies without using more land.”

Valcent pioneered a vertical farming technology, developed in their El Paso, Texas research facility, which was further honed and refined in Europe. “We are honoured that our vertical farming technology is recognized as a top invention by Time magazine,” says Chris Bradford, president, CEO, and director of Valcent Products Inc. “Vertical farming is no longer a pie-in-the-sky concept dreamed up by academics in ivory towers. We have entered a new era of urban agriculture where we can deliver locally grown crops that provide a nutritionally superior product that is healthier for the people and animals they serve.”

“VertiCrop, a commercial high-density vertical growing system, is being employed in controlled environments such as a glasshouse, poly tunnel or warehouses, which increases production volume for field crops up to 20 times over but requires as little as five per cent of the normal water supply,” adds Bradford. “It is a non-GM solution to food problems, using trays on a looped dynamic conveyor belt and automatic feeding stations to grow plants efficiently. It can be adapted to the needs of vegetable, herb, fruit and flower producers.”