FARMUP – Urban Farming for Sustainable Production

The FarmUp project, developed by the Università degli Studi di Milano and the Politecnico di Milano, supports the adoption of innovative approaches for sustainable and high-efficiency urban agriculture. The project serves as a true bridge between research and the public, turning innovation into tangible and scalable solutions. Its goal is to provide practical responses to major sustainability challenges, such as limited natural resources and the effects of climate change. Within this framework, vertical farming emerges as a technology capable of cultivating plants even in inhospitable environments where soil is limited, drastically reducing water consumption, minimizing the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and ensuring production at zero-kilometer. This innovation can become a strategic ally for traditional agriculture, easing production pressure and opening new cultivation possibilities.

Although already widespread in many parts of the world, it remains little known and underused in Italy which is rich in resources but increasingly exposed to climate challenges and needs alternative solutions that can strengthen and support the future of the agricultural sector.

Farm Up offers a series of demonstration activities, thematic workshops, and training courses dedicated to exploring the strengths and ongoing challenges of indoor vertical cultivation. The experience will not be limited to theoretical lessons: participants will have the opportunity to directly observe concrete results through hands-on experiments and practical demonstrations at cutting-edge research facilities.

Farm Up integrates advanced digital and smart-farming technologies that optimize resource management and strengthen the competitiveness of agricultural enterprises. The outcomes of this project will help enhance the environmental sustainability of production, improve the efficiency of resource and input use, and promote the wider adoption of modern techniques for a more responsible and informed agricultural sector.

The project is aimed primarily at producers and agricultural companies, with the goal of raising awareness and training them on the potential of vertical agriculture. At the same time, it is also open to researchers, students, citizens, and enthusiasts who wish to explore and deepen their knowledge of a rapidly evolving sector.

The project activities will include the cultivation of aromatic, medicinal plants and edible flowers, chosen as novel crops to be grown in vertical farming.