A REWE supermarket in Lankwitz, Berlin, has introduced a new local option for customers: Lankwitz loose-leaf lettuce, grown just metres above the tills. This rooftop farm, developed in partnership with Berlin-based agricultural technology company ECF, is now Germany's largest at 2,760 sq metres.
The lettuce varieties, which include head lettuce, romaine, Lollo Rosso, and dark green easy leaf lettuce, are grown hydroponically with minimal soil. The entire growing process takes a little over three weeks, after which the greens are packaged and sold directly in the store and other locations in the city and region.
The supermarket's design incorporates the farm, with skylights offering views of the produce. ECF CEO and founder Nicolas Leschke noted that the greenhouse is heated by waste heat from the cooling aggregates downstairs, primarily uses rainwater, and is partially powered by solar energy. This integration eliminates the need for an extra truck to transport goods from a producer to a central distribution point, according to Leschke.
Prajal Pradhan, an associate professor at the University of Groningen, described the initiative as a positive step towards connecting producers and consumers. Leschke aims to expand this model, hoping to build at least 20 supermarket rooftop farms over the next decade.