Plenty's harvest robot at the Compton, Calif., vertical farm.
Courtesy of Plenty

Between climate change and population growth, the global food crisis looms larger. Plenty is looking up for solutions—and selling produce at scale. Its patented indoor-farming tech can grow peak-season-quality produce anytime, with up to 350 times the yield of conventional farms and just a fraction of the land and water. Its new flagship facility in Compton, Calif., offers proof of concept, supplying Walmarts in California with leafy greens as of this year. And a facility now under construction in Virginia will grow strawberries in partnership with Driscoll, helping that company avoid shipping berries across the country to the East Coast. “We’re rewriting the rules of agriculture,” says CEO Arama Kukutai. While some of its competitors falter, Plenty is pointing to a vertical-farming future grounded in regional partnerships with big retail players.

A weekly newsletter featuring conversations with the world’s top CEOs, managers, and founders. Join the Leadership Brief.

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com.

Major League Baseball
Kim Kardashian Loves Your Body
Novo Nordisk
Kia America
Apple
EDIT POST