SAUDI ARABIA – Pure Harvest Smart Farms, a UAE-based sustainable agribusiness, has inked a Letter of Intent (LOI) with climate-smart tech developer RedSea to acquire its six-hectare controlled environment agriculture (CEA) production facility in Saudi Arabia.
This strategic move also involves Pure Harvest acquiring an additional 40 hectares in partnership with Alajaweed Farm, facilitating the expansion of franchised farms up to 28 hectares within the site.
Co-founded in the UAE, Pure Harvest focuses on leveraging innovative growing technologies and horticultural best practices to produce affordable, pesticide-free, and locally grown fresh produce.
The company’s success highlights the potential of the MENA region in offsetting the cost of imported fresh produce, boosting food security, creating jobs, and offering investment opportunities.
Sky Kurtz, Pure Harvest’s co-founder and CEO, expressed enthusiasm: “This transaction allows us to double our footprint in the Kingdom and serves as a foundational deployment of our novel ‘franchise farming’ business model.”
Red Sea Farms, launched in 2018, aims to reduce food insecurity, carbon footprints, and water usage in the Gulf and global food systems.
Their patented system utilizes solar and growth monitoring technologies, cutting fresh water consumption by up to 95% by replacing it with salt water for greenhouse cooling and crop irrigation.
Ryan Lefers, co-founder, and CEO of RedSea, emphasized their focus on transitioning to a technology company: “In Pure Harvest, we have found a custodian for what we have built in the Kingdom.”
“They are a partner to carry the torch and have demonstrated passion, commitment, and capabilities to farm in challenging climates, and to invest in the Kingdom.”
The alliance between Pure Harvest and RedSea signifies their shared vision to tackle climate-driven food, water, and energy challenges through innovative technologies.
Pure Harvest’s assumption of operations in January 2024 will see immediate investments to bolster production and enhance climate control, incorporating RedSea’s SecondSkyTM technology to improve energy efficiency and crop health.
Kurtz emphasized the collaborative aspect: “We look forward to beginning work on the expansion projects. This alliance serves as a symbol for what’s possible when we work together.”
The transition underscores the potential for impactful global contributions in addressing climate and food security challenges.
Pure Harvest’s innovative approach, coupled with RedSea’s cutting-edge technologies, aims to shape sustainable farming solutions on a broader scale, offering promise for the future of agriculture.
Founded in 2016, Pure Harvest delivers agricultural and controlled-environment techniques that use technology to tackle some of the region’s biggest challenges, including food security, water conservation, economic diversification, and sustainability.
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