A large urban farm at the Paris Expo

Mar 27 2019, 16:33 | by Michela Becchi

Port de Versailles, Paris. This is where, in the spring of 2020, what will be the largest urban agricultural company in the world will be born. A space of 14,000 square meters inside the Parc Des Expositions, the center dedicated to trade fairs in France.

Just outside the city, in the south west of the French capital, a new urban farm will come to life in the gigantic surface of almost 300,000 square meters. It will be born on the terrace, where 20 farmers will take care of 1,000 or more seasonal vegetables and fruits, from over 30 different species.

The products

All organically grown, with the utmost attention to the environment and the surrounding ecosystem, and then ending up on the tables of the Expo restaurants, which will be able to enjoy a true zero kilometer supply (among the gastronomic novelties, there are also rumors that the arrival of chef Guy Martin).

How it works

At the vegetable garden it will be possible for anyone to buy fresh produce, cultivated by farmers under the supervision of the Parisian company La Perchoir, while the care of the gardens will be entrusted to Agripolis, a company specialized in urban agriculture, and Cultures en ville, a reality of Cachan committed to creating of small green ecosystems in the city, on the terrace and in the apartments.

The events

But the company will also be a place of connection and a meeting point for all fans of the genre, where themed events and events will be organized. Viparis, a branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Paris-Ile-de-France region which organizes exhibitions and congresses, takes care of the organization.

The environment

A news greeted with enthusiasm by the Parisian public, which has not delayed, however, to bring to light some perplexities about the pollution of the area due to the intense neighboring urban traffic.

Reassuring citizens is Pascal Hardy, director of Agripolis, who at L'Usine Nouvelle declared, with a lot of analysis in hand, that the plants will be cultivated with natural methods but able to ensure protection from various pollutants. An ambitious operation costing 5 million euros, which promises to come to an end within the next year. And what we hope will be an example for many other European cities and beyond.