Vertical Farming

The future of sustainable natural cosmetics

Just outside our offices in Harlev we are building a brand new Vertical Farming division, where we will be making high quality, clean plant extracts with a high concentration of bioactive compounds, all without being dependent on distant suppliers. Our Vertical Farming is part of our Greener Technology initiative, where we strive to produce pure high quality natural products in sustainable ways. 

When entering our Vertical Farm you will see shelves filled with all manner plants. You will see basil and calendula. The room is filled with the potent aromas from the many plants. The temperature is in the high twenties and the humidity resembles that of a tropical rainforest.

Over the last decade consumers have started to want a healthier and more natural life style. They have started to become aware of the amount of different chemicals and synthetics that are present in in cosmetics and skin care products. Consumers understand the connection between the higher quality of natural products and the benefits they provide. But they also want to know that they can keep using their favorite products without destroying nature.

Many of the oils, butters and different botanicals used in cosmetic products come from the tropical regions. The reason we find so many interesting plants in these areas is because of the extremely high biodiversity they hold. But nothing comes without a cost.

Our ecosystem is under pressure.

Protecting pristine natural areas should be a primary concern for all of us, not only in the tropics, but on all continents and throughout all climatic zones. But this is not the case. Over the last centuries and today, natural areas all over the world, are being destroyed and degraded to make room for agriculture. Degrading our ecosystem means degrading those fine services provided to us by nature, that are vital for human wellbeing. Without them, we would not exist.

So, there is a huge need for novel and more efficient farming practices – and one of the solutions is Vertical Farming.

Vertical Farming is part of a sustainable future.

Vertical Farming enables us to grow plants without the use of any soil and as vertical farming is done in closed systems, it is possible to control all factors which are known to affect plant growth. Resource waste is much lower than in conventional farming as the nutrient solution is kept in a closed loop system and recycled. As it is grown in a closed system, the product the consumer ends up with is 100% clean from herbicides, pesticides, its non-GMO and no threat of heavy metals or other toxins exist. And best of all, nature has not been violated in the process. Today a growing number of plants used in cosmetics are being illegally and unsustainably farmed, while the quality is decreasing as well. One of our goals with Vertical Farming is to develop methods to grow endangered species used in cosmetics, to help protect the wild growing populations. Thus creating cosmeceuticals with highly beneficial effects.

At ICSC we combine our knowledge about plant physiology with our thirty years of experience working with natural products, to create the best possible botanical extracts for our customers worldwide.