Urban vertical farming (UVF) is an exciting new development where plants are grown indoors in cities, without using soil and under energy-efficient LED lights. This type of farming can save water and nutrients, eliminate the use of pesticides, reduce land use (so freeing up land for rewilding) and could form the foundation of a resilient new urban economy focussed on health and rebuilding trust in the food system. Farm Urban produces hyper-local living greens in one of the UK's longest-running urban vertical farms in Liverpool, and has shown how this type of farming can not only provide nutritious food, it can engage people in discussions around health, wellbeing and sustainability issues, and help to change attitudes and behaviour. In this project, we will work with leading plant scientists and seed producers to discover the most nutritious varieties that can be grown in UVF, and then work with UK-based LED manufacturers to develop lighting strategies that mimic sunrise and sunset to maximise nutrition and yield, allowing us to create leafy-green superfoods. These greens will have numerous health benefits, but our boxes of living greens also act as a way to engage people in discussions around nutrition and wellbeing. We will therefore work with Alder Hey Children's hospital where nutritionists will distribute these boxes to families at hospital clinics, not only providing the families with fresh food, but engaging them in discussions around health and wellbeing; something the nutritionists often struggle to do. This could open the door to hospitals using the food as part of overall treatment strategies, and pave the way for hospitals working closely with local urban farms; something that ties in well with both NHS and Government current procurement strategies. This project brings together experts from a range of different disciplines and sectors, working to create a solution that could not only address a number of issues in food production sustainability, but also have a significant impact for health and wellbeing for some of the most vulnerable members of society.

This project addresses UK food security challenges amidst a climate crisis by offering a game-changing solution to **transform inefficient TCEA** (total controlled environment agriculture) operations into sustainable, **energy-efficient crop growing systems**. By collaborating to integrate innovative technologies, the project will characterise and demonstrate novel, responsive TCEA growing methods to optimise the efficiencies of environmental control including lighting, irrigation and nutrient supply to reduce the largest contributors responsible for high carbon footprint. The solution will also automate manual operations and improve the safety/consistency/quality/shelf-life of produce for retailers/consumers, by dynamically altering the growth environment. This innovative project will, for the first time, use the **measurement of crop physiological status**, measured using an **integrated spectral imaging system**, to **inform the illumination intensity/composition**, as well as the energy management (including renewables integration); ultimately using plant health to develop **greener production recipes** using advanced **responsive control** methodologies. The project's impact will be measured by changes to **crop yield versus operational impact** benchmarked over cost/benefit and compared to the existing state of the art. The key crop identified is the high-protein leaf crop Spinach, not only as a test crop to validate this integrated TCEA technology, but as an alternative protein crop to unlock new markets. The project is delivered by a highly competent consortium led by LettusGrow and including another two technology companies: Fotenix and Vertically Urban, an RTO: CHAP, an academic partner: Rothamsted Research and a vertical farm grower: Perfectly Fresh.