UK prisoners helped to turn over new leaf with vertical farming scheme

A trial run by a prison in Worcestershire and a farming start-up will teach offenders cutting-edge farming techniques

Vegetables are grown in compact towers using aeroponics, with an air or mist environment rather than soil. Photo: LettUsGrow

A prison in England is putting inmates to work growing leafy greens as part of a new vertical farming project.

The scheme is being run by British agriculture technology company LettUsGrow at a prison in Worcestershire and it will see inmates planting salads and herbs in a high-tech farm on the premises.

Vegetables are grown in compact towers using aeroponics, with an air or mist environment rather than soil.

LettUsGrow, an indoor farming start-up founded in 2015, is developing advanced technology that can produce plants twice as fast as hydroponics, using less water and fertiliser and no pesticides.

The UK prisons minister said the innovative scheme is just “the tip of the iceberg” in the government’s “drive to equip prisoners with the practical skills they need to get a job on release.”

“Up there with education, family ties and addiction treatment, stable work holds the key to a life free from crime and safer communities for us all,” said Stuart Andrew.

A LettUsGrow container at HMP Hewell Prison. Photo: LettUsGrow

The Ministry of Justice said the aim of the trial is to help prisoners find a job on release in new and emerging technologies and dramatically reduce their chances of reoffending.

According to the ministry’s latest figures, the number of former offenders in work six weeks after release has increased by nearly half. The data shows that over the last decade, proven reoffending has decreased from just under 31 per cent in 2009 to just over 25 per cent in 2019.

As part of the Prisons White Paper published last December, the government has committed to investing £200 million ($242m) a year on reducing reoffending, including on prison leaver employment schemes.

Last year, the government established employment advisory boards to link business bosses to prisons to give advice on job skills. Household company names such as Greggs, TalkTalk and Lotus Cars have joined the scheme, with more than half of prisons now benefiting from business mentors.

Vertical farms in the UAE - in pictures

The Ritz-Carlton Dubai, JBR teamed up with Green Container Advanced Farming (GCAF) to launch a hyper-local, on-site hydroponic (a method of growing plants without soil) farm, one of the first-ever vertical farms in the city. Executive Chef Tobias Pfister is pictured. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National

With a focus on food security and regenerative farming practices, the farm is approximately 40 square metres in size and completely sealed to ensure it is pesticide and herbicide-free

Executive chef Tobias Pfister conducts a tour of the vertical farm, which grows crops year–round with daily harvests of up to 10 kilograms of produce

Maan Said, CEO of Crisp, that built the farm. As the first Marriott property in the region to establish a vertical farm, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai supports the UAE’s ambitious food security goals

The freshly grown selection of herbs includes Italian basil, Thai basil, and rosemary, among others, while coast-line lettuce, salanova mix and kale is also grown

Executive chef Tobias Pfister looks at some of the farm's produce, which will enhance the dishes served at the property’s dining establishments, including Blue Jade, Splendido and Amaseena

The hydroponic technique employed by the resort eliminates the need for soil to grow crops and reduces the amount of water needed by close to 90 per cent when compared with traditional farming techniques

By harvesting a variety of herbs, microgreens, lettuce and other ingredients at the hydroponic centre, the hotel offers daily delivery of local produce