A supermarket with a glass roof farm where fresh lettuce is produced: This vision of the future is now becoming a reality in the south of Berlin. At the end of March, the go-ahead was given for the construction of REWE's second green farming store in Germany on Maltester Straße in the Lankwitz district of Berlin. The supermarket of the future is due to open in spring 2026. With an area of 2,760 square metres, it will be the largest indoor farm in the capital.

900,000 fresh salad mixes per year

Operated by the Berlin-based aquaponics company ECF Farmsystems, ‘over 900,000 fresh salad mixes will be harvested all year round’ on the roof of the grocery shop in future, REWE announces. These will then be delivered to up to 700 supermarkets in the capital region and beyond. ‘By utilising rooftops as well as sunlight, waste heat, rainwater and existing logistics routes, we not only save valuable resources - we even avoid CO₂ emissions,’ explains Nicolas Leschke, co-founder and Managing Director of ECF Farmsystems. ‘The special thing about a rooftop farm, however, is the climate-independent production and the outstanding product quality - made possible by daily harvesting at the optimum ripening time and extremely short distances to the markets.’

Growing lettuce in a hydroponic system

ECF Farmsystems was founded in 2012 and already produces basil and perch in a closed-loop system in Berlin-Schöneberg. The salad mixes are grown on the supermarket roof at REWE in a so-called hydroponic system - without soil, but in a liquid nutrient solution. The growth of the plants is controlled electronically, precisely adjusted to their needs.

REWE is also focussing on sustainability in the construction of the green supermarket: the building is based on a modular timber construction with a supporting structure of solid supports made of 100% local softwood. The timber can be dismantled and reused. Rainwater is collected in a cistern to irrigate the roof farm. Using green electricity and modern building technology, the waste heat from the refrigeration systems can also be used to heat the store if required.

REWE Green Farming goes into series production

With the Green Farming store in Berlin, REWE says it is going into series production with its pioneering, recyclable concept. The first green farming store was opened in Wiesbaden in 2021.

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