All products / initiatives entered must have been implemented, launched, created or rebranded from January 2022 onwards.

Developments/initiatives that are not yet in the market can still be entered as long as they are in their prototype/design stage by the closing date of this awards program.

To download the full awards guideline document, click here.

For any questions or queries around the awards, please contact awards@zenithglobal.com.

For each category entry, you are required to submit the following only:

• A 200-word description of why your product deserves to win
• Up to four high-resolution images
• Company logo

*For the category 'Best Product Marketing' you are invited to send an additional 1-page document to include any video content or imagery relating to the entry.

Below are some ideas and recommendations for what you may wish to include in your 200-word description. For all categories, you may wish to consider including the following:

Why your development is the most innovative/exciting in this category and what makes it stand out

What is the vision and mission of your development

How is your product differentiated from others/market gap analysis

Where your development has reached geographically, financially and the contribution it has made

Best Crop Development

In this category, we are seeking to understand developments in new and existing crops, considering product quality, commercial success, customer satisfaction, and the application of skill to improve nutritional value, flavour, taste and colour. You may wish to consider financial returns, business success and operational efficiencies.

Best Resource Efficiency*

This category seeks to recognise vertical farms that demonstrate exceptional resource management, achieving high yields with minimal inputs such as water, energy and nutrients. You may wish to include a clear description of the concept, benefits and growing data analysis.

* Can you provide metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) to illustrate the impact of such measures?

Best Sustainability Initiative

We are looking for sustainability initiatives that have been realised across social contribution, environmental balance and economic growth. Please indicate what results you achieved against any of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Best Community Engagement Initiative

In this category, we are seeking to recognise vertical farms that are actively contributing to their local community through educational initiatives, community outreach programs, job creation and promoting food security and accessibility.

Best Research and Development Contribution

In this category, we are looking to recognise contributions to research and development in vertical farming, including breakthroughs in crop science, cultivation techniques, vertical farming system design and innovative uses of space and resources.

Best Collaborations/Partnerships Initiative

Here, we are looking for successful collaborations between vertical farming companies, research institutions and other industry stakeholders that have resulted in meaningful advancements for the industry.

Best Start-up Innovation Achievement

This category aims to celebrate start-ups and emerging companies that demonstrate creativity, resilience, and potential for growth in the vertical farming industry, showcasing innovative business models, products, or services.

Best New Vertical Farming Facility

In this category, we are looking for a clear message about what differentiates your new vertical farming facility, given the location/environment you operate in, the benefits for your production and the operational advantages. You may wish to include a clear description of the concept and benefits and growing data analysis.

Best Farm Design Innovation

In this category, we are looking for a clear message about why your farm design is the most innovative/exciting, given the location/environment you operate in and the customer segment that you target. You may wish to include a clear description of the concept and benefits, growing data analysis and how you have measured the impact of the innovation.

Best Product Marketing*

In this category, the judges will evaluate how you have positioned your product within its market segment, considering the packaging and overall brand design. How do you differentiate yourself from the competition? What kind of branding campaigns have you run and why? How successful have they been?

*In this category, you are welcome to send a one-page document of additional video content and imagery to help illustrate your marketing message

Best Product Packaging

Here, we are looking for exceptional creativity and effectiveness in packaging design, that measurably improves consumer convenience, usability, reduction of waste material and showcases innovative brand design. You may wish to include how the packaging has been utilised, it’s brand appeal relevant to the target audience and how it stands out from competitors in the same category. The packaging design needs to effectively communicate the product and benefits of what is inside.

Best Technology Development

Here, we are looking at how you have implemented and advanced technologies to improve your production. Please specify what and why produce attributes changed, and how you have measured the impact of the development. You may wish to include a clear description of the concept and benefits, growing data analysis and how you have measured the impact of the development.

Best AI/Automation Development

In this category, the judges will evaluate how you have advanced your AI/automation concepts. What improvement did you achieve with which data, what bearing did automation have on labour and your overall cost structure, and was there an impact on your produce, such as longer shelf life?

The winners of the Vertical Farming World Awards 2024 were announced on 25 September at a Gala Dinner during the 5th annual Vertical Farming World Congress in Frankfurt.

The awards are organised by global food and drink experts Zenith Global. Celebrating excellence and innovation across the global vertical farming industry, entries were invited in 11 award categories spanning crops, technology, sustainability and commercial initiatives.

The Winners

Best Resource Efficiency

• SweGreen – Four Global Records for SweGreen: LCA Project with Royal Institute of Technology & Swedish Environmental Research Institute

Best Sustainability Initiative

• Farmacy HK Limited - 200+ decentralised Smart Mobile Farm network across the city

Best Community Impact Initiative

• Innovation Agritech Group – IAG Educate

Best Research and Development Contribution

• LettUs Grow - John Innes Centre, Quadram Institute & LettUs Grow’s B12 fortification project

Best Collaborations/Partnerships Initiative

• Innovation Agritech Group – IAG x University of Essex

Best Start-up Innovation Achievement

• Origeen Greener Cities – Vertical Plant Optimization ‘VPOT’

Best New Vertical Farming Facility

• Planet Farms – Cirimido Fully Automated Vertical Farm

Best Farm Design Innovation

• Growy – Growy Amsterdam Farm

Best Product Marketing

• Bloemteknik - Align Platform / customisable vertical farming lighting solutions for optimised cultivation.

Best Technology Advancement

• TTA B.V. – CuttingEdge – sticking robot for cuttings

Best AI/Automation Development

• Gardin – Gardin Pulse

The finalists for the 2024 Vertical Farming World Awards are now published. The winners will be announced during a dedicated awards ceremony on Wednesday 25 September, at the 2024 Vertical Farming World Congress hosted in Frankfurt, Germany and online.

The awards are organised by global food and drink experts Zenith Global. Celebrating excellence and innovation across the global vertical farming industry, entries were invited in 11 award categories spanning crops, technology, sustainability and commercial initiatives.

The Finalists

Best Resource Efficiency

• April Sun Farms – Sum of the Parts ‘The Symphony’
• Gardin – Gardin Pulse
• Ljusgårda/Supernormal Greens – Eye-Opening Results: 50% Reduction in CO2eq Footprint
• SweGreen – Four Global Records for SweGreen: LCA Project with Royal Institute of Technology & Swedish Environmental Research Institute

Best Sustainability Initiative

• Bin Dasmal Group – Ekthaar
• Farmacy HK Limited – 200+ decentralised Smart Mobile Farm network across the city
• Heartee Foods – Heartee Gourmet Mushrooms/Advancing access to sustainably grown food

Best Community Impact Initiative

• Bin Dismal Group – Ekthaar
• Farmacy HK Limited – Youth Omakase – Young Entrepreneurs Incubation through Green Technology
• Innovation Agritech Group – IAG Educate
• The Growcer Inc – Growcer’s modular vertical farms

Best Research and Development Contribution

• LettUs Grow – John Innes Centre, Quadram Institute & LettUs Grow’s B12 fortification project
• Philips Horticulture LED Solutions – Unlock the Profit Potential of Your Vertical Farm with Intelligent Lighting
• Priva Horticulture BV – Priva ECO (Energy Cost Optimizer (Digital Twin))
• SweGreen – SweGreen R&D Portfolio behind Growing platforms FREJA & SAGA for in-store farming

Best Collaborations/Partnerships Initiative

• 80 Acres Farms – Infinite Acres Field Lab and Experience Centre
• Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research – Precision Indoor Plants (PIP)
• Innovation Agritech Group – IAG x University of Essex
• LettUs Grow – LettUs Grow’s Aeroponic Licensing Programme

Best Start-up Innovation Achievement

• Farmacy HK Limited – Farmacy’s innovative ‘Farming as a Service’ model
• Gardin – Gardin Pulse
• Origeen Greener Cities – Vertical Plant Optimization ‘VPOT’
• Skytree – Skytree Cumulus

Best New Vertical Farming Facility

• Avisomo – Frøy Growth System
• Farmers Lab Ltd – BK Conveyor Culture
• Growy – Growy Amsterdam Farm
• Planet Farms – Cirimido Fully Automated Vertical Farm

Best Farm Design Innovation

• Freight Farms – Garden
• Growy – Growy Amsterdam Farm
• GrowPura – GPVFS
• Invertigro – InvertiCube crop-flexible plug-and-play farming solution

Best Product Marketing

• Bloemteknik – Align Platform / customisable vertical farming lighting solutions for optimised cultivation
• Heartee Foods – Heartee Foods/Building meaningful connections through digital marketing

Best Technology Advancement

• April Sun Farms – Hyper-Light ‘Breaking Through the Barrier’
• Philips Horticulture LED Solutions – Optimized Philips Greenpower Production module for highest flexibility
• SweGreen – Launch of SweGreen SAGA Growing Platform
• TTA B.V. – CuttingEdge – sticking robot for cuttings

Best AI/Automation Development

• Avisomo – Frøy Growth System
• Ellepot A/S – Ellepot Live App
• Fotenix – ALPHA
• Gardin – Gardin Pulse