Toulouse: a start-up launches into urban aeroponic farms
Magalie Rosso, founder and president of Ionaka Farms, decided to install about fifty columns on a roof for aeroponic cultivation. This urban farm, right in the middle of the MIN warehouses, is the first in Occitania.
Last January, Magalie Rosso decided to market and develop urban aeroponic farms. The latter save more than 90% of space and water thanks to its system of columns. In summary, aeroponics is a soilless technique where the roots are in the open air, watered at regular intervals and fed with natural nutrients. In terms of the taste of the fruits and vegetables obtained, no difference can be detected with those from traditional agriculture. “I created this start-up with the idea of bringing vegetables back to town. During confinement, I discovered aeroponics as the most viable, productive and suitable technique for urban environments,” confides the president.
“As soon as you have a flat roof and want to green and produce locally while providing an innovative service, urban farms are the best solution,” she analyzes. A process at the service of ecology where the seeds are reusable from season to season. For Magalie, however, urban farms cannot completely replace conventional forms of agriculture. “It’s more of a relay, a supplement that provides an agricultural mix. Aeroponics reconnects the consumer with his farmer, whom he has lost sight of for years. Les Fermes Ionaka have already planned the establishment of another farm in agreement with the CRIC Association which promotes the social integration of people with disabilities. Many establishments could be provided with the idea of developing local and modern agriculture on their roofs.