Emirates’ catering arm buys out Bustanica vertical farm 

Emirates

• Bustanica provides greens for Emirates
• 1m kg of produce a year
• Deal brings ownership within UAE

Emirates Flight Catering, the airline’s catering arm, has bought out US-based Crop One’s interest in the Bustanica hydroponic farm in Dubai, making it a fully UAE-owned business.  

The farm opened in July 2022 as a joint venture between Emirates Flight Catering and Crop One called Emirates Crop One.

• Emirates SkyCargo plans service expansion in India
• Flydubai expands in Europe with four new routes
• Emirates-US joint venture opens world’s largest vertical farm

The airline catering company says the 330,000 sq ft facility, located near Al Maktoum airport at Dubai World Central, produces more than 1 million kg of leafy greens annually, equivalent to three tonnes daily, while using 95 percent less water than conventional agriculture.

The companies invested around $40 million in the project, which they have described as the world’s largest indoor vertical farm.

Produce is used in Emirates catering and sold under the brand name Bustanica at major retailers across the UAE including Spinney’s, Waitrose, Carrefour and Choithrams. 

Now, EKFC has announced the full acquisition of the joint venture and its consumer brand Bustanica for an undisclosed sum, and changed the name to Emirates Bustanica.

The acquisition “establishes Emirates Bustanica as a fully UAE-owned company, helping to sustain the country’s vision of enhancing food and water security and its agricultural capabilities”, EKFC said on Monday.