M&S launches vertically farmed salad

Marks & Spencer has put vertically farmed salad leaves into stores nationwide, taking a controlled-environment farming concept into a mainstream UK grocery rollout. The retailer said this week it launched three exclusive salad products grown indoors with advanced robotics and packed within 60 seconds of harvest. M&S said the leaves stay fresh for up to five days longer than an average bag of salad and use up to 96% less water than traditionally grown salad crops. The launch adds a commercial test case for vertical farming at a time when retailers and agri-tech companies are looking for ways to improve shelf life, reduce waste and cut resource use. ### What exactly has M&S put on shelves? M&S said the new range includes Citrus Sorrel Baby Leaves, Spicy Baby Leaves and Baby Garlic Kale, sold only in M&S Food stores. The company’s press release described them as exclusive varieties grown indoors in a fully controlled environment. (corporate.marksandspencer.com) Fruitnet and Planet Farms described the launch as a four-product own-label range developed with the Italian agri-tech company after years of collaboration, and listed a fourth pack, Sweet Verde Baby Leaves. M&S’s own release highlighted three products in stores this week, so the public rollout appears to have been presented differently across company and trade materials. (corporate.marksandspencer.com) ### How are these salad leaves being grown? M&S said the leaves are grown indoors using vertical farming, with temperature, light and water controlled year-round. The company said robotics are used to plant seeds and that crops are grown on a substrate rather than in soil so nutrients can be directed precisely to the plants’ roots. (fruitnet.com) UV lights maintain the growing conditions, according to M&S, and the controlled setup allows the leaves to be harvested at what the retailer called the optimal moment for quality and flavour. Because the crop is grown without soil, M&S said the salads do not need washing before consumption. (corporate.marksandspencer.com) ### What claims is M&S making about water, fertiliser and shelf life? M&S said the products require up to 96% less water than traditionally grown salad crops and around 97% less fertiliser than conventional field-grown salad. The retailer also said the crops are grown without pesticides. (corporate.marksandspencer.com) The company said the leaves are packed within 60 seconds of harvest, helping them stay fresher for up to five days longer than an average bag of salad. Andrew Clappen, director of technical for M&S Food, said the method was aimed at putting “less pressure on the environment” while delivering flavour and quality. (corporate.marksandspencer.com) ### Who is supplying the salads? Planet Farms, an Italian vertical-farming company, said it worked with M&S for years on the project and called the launch the UK’s first own-label vertically farmed salad range. Trade publications including Fruitnet also identified Planet Farms as the supplier. (corporate.marksandspencer.com) Planet Farms says on its website that it grows pesticide-free produce in what it describes as Europe’s largest vertical farm. That gives M&S a named production partner rather than an in-house farming operation. ### Where does this sit in M&S’s wider food strategy? M&S said the salads form part of its Plan A for Farming programme, which includes work with growers on soil health, biodiversity and new production methods. (corporate.marksandspencer.com) Andrew Clappen linked the launch to the retailer’s goal of reaching net zero across its supply chain by 2040. (planetfarms.ag) The products are already in M&S Food stores, according to the company’s May 15 press release and follow-up retail coverage published on May 18 and May 19. Planet Farms said the launch followed joint development work with M&S, making the current store rollout the next concrete stage in that partnership. (corporate.marksandspencer.com)