Valcent Products presented the VertiCrop vertical farming system at the opening of the world’s tallest building in Dubai last week.

The firm was invited by The Dubai Forum to speak at its inaugural workshop, entitled Architecture for Sustainable Societies, in recognition of its initiatives to demonstrate the practical benefits of vertical farming and its leading role in the development of this technology.

The event hosted more than 40 speakers, panellists and more than 400 delegates from 15 countries.

In his presentation, Tom Bentley, director of business development for Valcent Products, outlined the benefits of employing the VertiCrop vertical farming system in an urban farming environment.

He said: “In the coming decades, as global agriculture faces the prospect of our changing climate and the challenge of feeding the world’s population that is growing annually at about 1.3 per cent and projected to double its present level of 6.5 billion by 2063, we clearly need to invest in research and infrastructure solutions that provide food to regions vulnerable to food deficits.

“The world population is growing, food supply is shrinking, water supplies are becoming more limited and food production is competing for land with housing and the production of fuel crops. We have to make better use of available land.”

Chris Bradford, president and ceo of Valcent Products Inc, said: “Tom Bentley returns to the UK with multiple new global enquiries about installations for VertiCrop.”