To supply customers with a steady supply of sustainably grown, fresh leafy greens, grocery retailers are increasingly turning indoors.
The Kroger Co., the latest major grocer to partner with an indoor farming company, recently announced it would expand its offerings of greenhouse-grown produce from Gotham Greens from more than 300 stores today to nearly 1,000 stores by the end of 2023. In addition to produce, the expansion of Gotham Greens' plant-based dips, cooking sauces and dressings will put the supplier in nearly 2,000 Kroger locations across the country, according to a news release.
"We're proud to expand our collaboration with Gotham Greens as we work together to bring fresh, local, high-quality and longer-lasting produce to our customers in an environmentally sustainable way," said Dan De La Rosa, Kroger's group vice president of fresh merchandising. "Gotham Greens' state-of-the-art, climate-controlled greenhouses reduce the number of days the products spend between harvest and our store shelves, while removing unpredictable weather challenges and improving product quality and shelf life. These factors ultimately reduce food waste, both in stores and in consumers' homes."
Other recent grocer-greenhouse grower partnerships include last month’s Walmart-Plenty deal and Whole Foods Market’s rollout of AeroFarms’ greens to its stores nationwide in October 2022.
Related: Whole Foods to bring AeroFarms produce to its stores nationwide
Related: Walmart partners with Plenty
The Cincinnati-based Kroger is framing the expansion of its greenhouse-grown offerings as part of its environmental efforts.
In the release, the company said it is focused on reducing climate impact by reducing food waste and is committed to achieving zero food waste to landfill companywide by 2025.
“Since 2017, the company has embedded retail best practices to extend freshness and reduce waste in its operations, and Gotham Greens' planet-forward agricultural production methods support the grocer's mission to create a sustainable food system,” the release said.
Gotham Greens' farming practices allow the brand to grow, harvest and deliver non-GMO, pesticide-free salad greens and herbs 365 days of the year. By using hydroponic growing systems in sunlight-powered greenhouses, Gotham Greens' farms use up to 95% less water and 97% less land compared to field-grown farming, the release said.
"Kroger and Gotham Greens share a commitment to building a more resilient and equitable food system, putting people and our planet at the forefront of everything we do," said Viraj Puri, co-founder and CEO of Gotham Greens. "With increasing climate- and supply chain-related issues facing our food system, it's more important than ever to bring innovative farming solutions that grow high-quality produce while using fewer precious natural resources. Gotham Greens is growing fast, and we look forward to bringing our brand to new markets in the coming months."
By summer 2023, Gotham Greens will own and operate 13 greenhouses, totaling more than 40 acres, or 1.8 million square feet, across nine states: California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, New York and Rhode Island.
Gotham Greens has been a supplier to Kroger since 2020, first launching in its King Soopers Division. As Gotham Greens opens new greenhouses across the U.S., its greenhouse-grown leafy greens and herb line will continue to roll out across King Soopers, Ralphs, Dillons, Frys, QFC, Fred Meyer and select Kroger Division stores, the release said.
Gotham Greens' fresh foods portfolio includes a line of dressings, cooking sauces and plant-based dips that it says are minimally processed.
Since its launch in 2011, Gotham Greens has grown from a single urban rooftop greenhouse in Brooklyn, N.Y., to one of the largest hydroponic leafy green producers in North America.