Small and medium-sized vertical farms and glasshouses often rely on spreadsheets to plan their crops growing cycles. This is risky and inefficient -- it can mean growing too much of one crop, not enough of another, and failing to meet customer orders. The result is wasted food, lost income, and higher costs. Existing farm software is either too expensive or focused on other areas such as climate control or sales, not the day-to-day planning that growers really need. This project will test "_Ani"_, a planning tool created by Harvest London. ANI helps farmers match what they grow to what customers actually want. It allows growers to plan scenarios, schedule crops, and use resources efficiently so that produce is delivered on time, in the right quantity, and with less waste. The software will be trialled at two London vertical farming businesses -- Harvest London and Crate to Plate -- who grow herbs, salads, microgreens and mushrooms. The trials will compare ANI against current spreadsheet methods to measure improvements in efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. By making "grow-to-order" farming easier and more affordable, ANI can help small growers cut waste, improve profits, and strengthen local food supply chains.

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Food production is responsible for 31% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with the largest increase since 1990 coming from activities like processing, packaging and transportation. The UK imports £6.4bn of fruit and vegetables a year, often from thousands of miles away, while domestic agriculture struggles with labour shortages. Harvest Farms grows crops at greater productivity than fields or greenhouses, using up to 95% less water and no pesticides, meaning no river pollution or soil degradation. We grow year-round, close to our customers: lower environmental impact, fresher ingredients. We are building a 5,000m2 vertical farm, with capacity for 250,000kg of fresh produce a year. To maximise gains from this farm, Harvest Farms proposes to develop its proprietary farm management software - Ani - to integrate a vast array of data ranging from prices and farm capacity, to climate data, combined with information from advanced sensors. This will drive increased profitability for Harvest's business model, and help the UK on its path to a more sustainable food system.