Istanbul’s underground vertical farm targets year-round strawberry harvests
An underground vertical farming center in Istanbul is preparing to grow pesticide-free strawberries year-round while sharply reducing water use and transport costs for fresh produce.
Istanbul is pushing its urban agriculture model further underground. Hürriyet Daily News reported that a vertical farming center operated by Turkey’s agriculture and forestry ministry in Kağıthane is preparing to add pesticide-free strawberries to its production mix, with the goal of harvesting fruit throughout the year instead of relying on seasonal open-field supply.
The new strawberry program is being developed 30 meters below ground on the minus-eighth floor of a cultural center. The facility already supplies fresh vegetables to the city and is now moving into fruit production. According to the report, it is considered the world’s second-deepest agricultural production center, giving the project a strong demonstration role as cities search for ways to localize food supply and reduce exposure to weather variability.
The center can grow up to 120 plant species using soilless techniques. For strawberries, it is using a hydroponic system in which water, nutrients and light are delivered directly to plant roots under tightly controlled conditions. Temperature, humidity and lighting are adjusted to accelerate growth and maintain quality, while also removing the need for pesticides. That combination is especially attractive in urban farming because it promises stable output in a small footprint.
Water efficiency is one of the project’s strongest claims. Hürriyet Daily News said that while conventional agriculture may need around 250 liters of water to produce one kilogram of crops, the underground vertical system can reduce that requirement to as little as one liter. If that performance is sustained in commercial operation, the saving would exceed 99%, an important figure for regions concerned about water scarcity and rising pressure on food systems.
Land productivity is also central to the model. Even though the site occupies only 300 square meters, it is said to deliver yields equivalent to a 20,000-square-meter field. Project coordinator Hakan Aşan said the approach would allow produce to reach Istanbul consumers more directly and cut logistics costs that normally come with trucking fresh goods in from rural growing areas.
Research and development work for the strawberry program is expected to be completed within six months. If the initiative performs as planned, it could become a notable case study in how large cities combine controlled-environment agriculture, water savings and shorter supply chains to keep fresh produce available year-round. For growers and policymakers alike, the project is a reminder that protected cultivation is increasingly being judged not only by novelty, but by measurable gains in resource use and market access.