A project on the way up

Behind a garage door at a home in Invercargill lies thousands of trays of microgreens, stacked neatly on top of each other under specifically designed low-output LED lights.

It’s a process termed ‘‘vertical growing’’, and Crunchy owner Benji Biswas is passionate about its ability to reduce both the physical and carbon footprint of our food.

In 2019, Benji was inspired by a documentary on food wastage and pesticides to begin looking at alternative methods of food production.

After surveying cafes and restaurants and realising the microgreens they had been importing from the North Island were soggy, he decided to produce his own – Crunchy was born.

‘‘That video inspired me to actually do my part and have a go and try to do things differently.’’

Using a layering process one square metre of land could produce 15 square metres of food, he said. ‘‘We can use a small area and produce way more, with a lot less.’’

A commitment to being ‘‘spray-free’’ adds to the sustainability of his product.

Soil naturally captured 40 per cent of carbon dioxide through plants, but continued use of pesticides and fertiliser had damaged soil microbiology and reduced its carbon capturing abilities, he said.

Through using nutrient-rich compost and growing indoors, eliminating the need to spray for bugs, Crunchy not only uses its by-products but also works to repair soil damage.

Benji has big plans to reduce his carbon footprint even further. He’s on the hunt for a 300 square metre site that will be entirely powered by solar panels.

The Changing Our Future series is produced in partnership with Stuff and Gen Less.