‘Fresh from the roof’: the supermarket growing salad a few metres above the tills
Customers seeking greens at one Berlin outlet are dealing with some very local supply chains indeed Walking into the Felix Thomas REWE supermarket in Lankwitz, Berlin, customers are immediately presented with a choice of greens: romaine, rocket, iceberg. But last month, a new option joined the selection: Lankwitz loose-leaf lettuce. A combination of head lettuce, romaine lettuce, Lollo Rosso, and…
At a REWE supermarket in Lankwitz, Berlin, shoppers can now select their greens, including romaine, rocket, iceberg, and something new – local loose-leaf lettuce grown on the store’s rooftop. This unique offering, featuring head lettuce, romaine lettuce, Lollo Rosso, and dark green easy leaf lettuce, is packaged in eye-catching yellow bags, setting it apart from the surrounding greens.
Unlike the lettuces sourced from regional farms or Italy, this particular lettuce is cultivated just a few meters above the tills, thanks to the growing innovation of rooftop farms. Rooftop farms have become increasingly common in cities like Paris, Hong Kong, Copenhagen, and New York, with similar setups supplying food to nearby retailers and restaurants.
These urban farms offer several advantages: they help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, mitigate the urban heat effect, utilize wasted space, and potentially foster stronger relationships between consumers and their food.
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