Many consumers complain that vertically farmed vegetables lack flavor and are artificial. Vertically farmed produce has the potential to increase food security and ensure access to healthy, leafy greens and herbs year-round.
Vertical farming is an alternative cultivation method where production happens indoors, in stacked layers, and under controlled conditions, often with artificial light and without soil.
Researchers from the Department of Food Science investigated the authenticity behind consumer behavior, asking 190 participants to taste test vertically-farmed vegetables without knowing which is which.
The study showed that test subjects prefer consuming vertically farmed products as much as organic, soil-grown produce.
“We certainly have no reason to be skeptical. Indeed, the participants think that the vertically grown plants taste just as good as the ones we consider best — namely the organic ones,” says Associate Professor Michael Bom Frøst, one of the researchers behind the study.
Moreover, the study debunks previous prejudices from studies about consumer attitudes toward vertically grown vegetables. Despite their positivity for the technology, they also have low expectations for its output.
Consumers don’t expect vertically grown leafy greens and herbs to taste as good as their organic counterparts or be as natural and healthy.
“It’s an example of the concept of neophobia, a psychological trait that we all have to varying degrees. It means that some consumers are not that happy about trying new things. This can be a major obstacle for new technologies, and it is important to address through information and consumer education,” he said. “This study clearly demonstrates that consumer prejudices about vertically grown products are debunked as soon as they taste them.”