Walmart Just Announced a Major Upgrade to This Department
Walmart, America's most trusted grocery store, offers inexpensive pricing on frozen goods, fruits, and veggies. Now, America's largest store is making its produce cheaper
Walmart said on Tuesday that it would invest in vertical farming business Plenty (subject to regulatory permission). Plenty, based in San Francisco,
will supply Walmart's California stores with leafy greens from its Compton vertical farm later this year.
Vertical farming requires less soil and water than outdoor farming, making it sustainable. Plenty's vertical farming technology
can grow numerous crops year-round, unlike greenhouses. Crops are also unaffected by drought, bad weather, and pests.
Walmart U.S. chief marketing officer Charles Redfield said, "We believe Plenty is a proven leader in a new era of agriculture, one that offers
pesticide-free, peak-flavor produce to shoppers every day of the year." "This partnership not only accelerates agricultural innovation,
but reinforces our commitment to sustainability, by delivering a new category of fresh that is good for people and the planet."
CEO Arama Kukutai said Plenty's farms can be built nationwide, including in cities. Plenty plans to construct a vertical farm in Compton, California, later this year.
Vertical farming technology is new, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it might be especially impactful in urban settings where farms are rare.