Ukraine’s vertical farms form association as war and legal gaps strain sector

UKRAINE – Vertical farms across Ukraine continue to grow fresh greens despite war, power cuts and legal gaps, but producers say the law still does not see them as farmers.

“It’s like we don’t exist legally,” says Viktor Shuleshko, founder of the Green Future vertical farm. He supplies fresh greens to retail chains and the hotel and restaurant sector across the country. However, authorities do not grant vertical farms the status of agricultural producers because they do not use agricultural land.

Earlier this year, 10 producers created the Association of City Farmers of Ukraine to address this problem and speak with one voice.

Vertical farms rely on electricity, yet they use less heat than traditional greenhouses. When blackouts hit, operators switch pumps and systems to batteries, inverters and timers. On his 200 square metre farm, Viktor runs a 10 kilowatt generator, which equals about 120 watts per square metre. The system turns on the generator as soon as power cuts off.

His farm uses a 12 hour lighting cycle thanks to efficient lamps. Different sections light up in shifts. During blackouts, crops need five to seven extra days to grow. This delay raises costs, mainly due to rent, but output stays almost the same. In 2022, when full blackouts hit and farms lacked generators, plant quality dropped after four days without power.

Freshness as main advantage

Most city farmers began with basil. Retailers now request amaranth, pak choi, cilantro and green onion. Farmers test new crops to reduce winter imports. Local greens cost more in winter than imports, but farmers compete on freshness. They deliver products to stores within two hours of harvest.

Retail shelves carry cut greens, packaged mixes and fresh greens grown in substrate. Vertical farms focus on the last category, which lasts longer and rarely leads to returns.

Producers also want to test industrial hemp and later medical cannabis once export rules come into force. “This season, we failed to start the hemp trials,” Viktor says. “The law allows open field hemp planting only until early June, and it does not set rules for indoor production.”

The new association plans to work with the Ministry to adjust laws and include vertical farms in the State Agrarian Register. Without land documents, farmers cannot access grants. “I wanted to apply for a grant from FAO,” Viktor explains. “I passed all stages, but I could not submit the final papers because I had no agricultural land certificate.”

Members also want a quality mark to set their produce apart from imports. As import prices rise and long transport affects quality, local farmers believe they can match import prices within three to four years.

“We also believe in cooperation with EU partners and FAO,” Viktor says. “We support using European rules for vertical farms in Ukraine.”

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