Kroger expands partnership with 80 Acres Farms

Dive Brief:

Kroger is expanding its partnership with 80 Acres Farm, which will now provide vertically farmed greens to approximately 1,000 of the grocer’s locations throughout the Midwest and Southeast, according to a Tuesday announcement.
The tie-up gives Kroger shoppers access to salad blends, herbs, greens, fruits and grab-and-go fresh meals from the farm’s pesticide free, indoor farming facilities.
Kroger has been working with 80 Acres Farms since 2019 as part of the retailer’s efforts to offer sustainable produce to shoppers.

Dive Insight:

Kroger introduced 80 Acres Farms produce to stores in several new states earlier this year, including Michigan, Tennessee and Georgia, according to the press release, and this fall will bring the goods to the Mid-Atlantic and Delta regions.

The expansion follows Kroger’s announcement in March 2021 that it planned to expand a pilot it had been running with 80 Acres Farms to more than 300 locations.

The indoor vertical farming company currently operates production farms in Ohio and Kentucky and has research facilities in Arkansas and The Netherlands. In December, 80 Acres Farms opened its newest farm in Florence, Kentucky, and is preparing to open another location in Georgia, per the announcement.

“80 Acres’ unique approach and technology enables us to offer fresh, nutritious produce to our customers while advancing sustainable growing practices,” Dan De La Rosa, Kroger’s group vice president of fresh merchandising, said in a statement.

Kroger’s partnership with 80 Acres Farms builds on its Zero Hunger Zero Waste initiative, which aims to build a more sustainable and equitable food system, according to the grocer’s website. 80 Acres Farms produce lasts longer after purchase, lessening food waste, according to the announcement.

Kroger has also invested in other vertical farming companies. After launching a partnership with indoor farming company Gotham Greens in 2020, the grocer announced in February that it expected the company to supply produce to around 1,000 of its stores by the end of this year.

In addition to Kroger, 80 Acres Farms also supplies Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Dorothy Lane Markets and Jungle Jim’s Markets as well as foodservice distributors Sysco and US Foods, according to the press release.