This interview details Cem Porcento Livre (100% Livre), an indoor farming company based in Brazil. The interview is with Diego Gomes, Founder of 100% Livre.
What is the origin story of 100% Livre?
I started the idea of the farm with a personal experience, I wanted to give food without pesticides to my oldest son in 2014. We started the research and in 2018, we structured a laboratory for initial research. We’re working together with EMBRAPA. The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) was created on April 26, 1973.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing 100% Livre in the future?
Today, our 1st farm operates with a height of 10 meters and 300 square meter of production in a central area in the city of São Paulo. We’re now building a second one with a height of 18 meters of 1,500 square meters. Now we’re looking for investors to expand to more than 10 cities of Brazil. In Brasil there are more than 220 million consumers in the market.
What is unique about the company compared to competitors?
We created our own automation and management system for the farms. We patent key items for scale production, and we have the benefit of our currency being very competitive for export. We are ready to receive investments and partners from around the world to expand our coverage.
For strawberry for example, we got 17.7 of brix quality. Now we have grown blueberry too, with 20% of Brix. We developed our own seed of cherry tomato too.
What have you learned that you wish you knew when you started the company?
There were many lessons learned throughout the process and the diverse formation of the team helped a lot in this construction. In many moments, what is done in the field is not necessarily the best way to do it on the vertical farm. The development of our own system, enabling the use of the NFT system, also helped us a lot in our productivity and structural costs.
Source: 100% Livre
How can people connect with you or learn more about 100% Livre?
Our website is www.cemporcentolivre.com
People can also follow our Social Profiles:
[UPDATED FOR 2023] In this article we cover: What is coco coir? How exactly is it used as a hydroponic growing medium? Click to learn more!
View Full Interview[UPDATED FOR 2023] In this article you will learn: What is green architecture? What is its history? Click to learn more!
View Full Interview[UPDATED FOR 2023] In this article you will learn all about Second Chances Farm, an up and coming vertical farm in the USA with a unique vision!
View Full Interview
.png){kind=logo}
