ComCrop, Singapore's first commercial rooftop farm, feeds the nation

“I believe in ComCrop. I believe the company’s vision and mission is achievable,” says Barber, a 30-year Singapore permanent resident with leadership and M&A expertise. Blackmagic Design, which he co-founded and co-owns, is a leading innovator and manufacturer of creative video technology. “I was asked to take over a small community farming project founded by a former colleague’s husband. Because I saw the importance of providing jobs and food for the community, I brought my leadership experience to the table to develop the business.”

Singapore has a 30 by 30 vision. What is your personal mission at ComCrop?

As well as my executive responsibilities, I have been involved in every aspect of the operation, from seeding to transplanting, harvesting, packing, and delivering. I will not ask my employees to do any job I haven’t done myself or am unwilling to do. Being hands-on also helps me identify areas for improvement in processes or efficiency to make the company better.

I want to build a great company with a great team of people who share our vision of providing affordable food that has been sustainably produced and is healthier and fresher. The nation’s target may be 2030, but however long it takes, we will help Singapore build a sustainable food production ecosystem.

Related: Farming in the concrete jungle

Photo: Athirah Annissa

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What is the difference between the ComCrop model and typical soil-based farming?

The huge advantage of hydroponics is that while soil-based farming loses about 90 per cent of its water and nutrients delivery, we can recycle all of that and feed the crops the exact nutrients they need to grow. Combining tech and nature, we can ensure all our crops grow optimally. The combination of computer controlled lighting and nutrients delivery can produce more consistent, higher-quality yields without the use of harmful pesticides.

Why aren’t there more commercial rooftop farms if food security is a concern?

For rooftop farming to be profitable, the economics have to make sense. Capital expenditure, operating expenses, rent, utilities, yield per square metre, and more, must be efficiently managed.

Due to this, I developed a hybrid rooftop farming complex that combines the cost-effectiveness of greenhouses that grow food in natural sunlight with automation and LED daylight extension technology to maintain consistency in changing weather conditions. Having a greenhouse on a building also means you must follow building codes for construction and fire safety, which is more expensive than a greenhouse on a farm. The shorter distance to the farm, however, does reduce logistics costs, which enables us to hire more Singaporeans.

We hope to attract more investors to our hybrid model, as we have noticed in recent years many investors have been distracted by exciting indoor farming projects that are not yet financially viable. Don’t get me wrong, vertical farming is an innovative way to achieve food security, but we must find technologies or ways to make lighting and climate control less energy- intensive. When that happens, we will build indoor vertical farms under our rooftop complexes!

Related: Urban farming in Singapore has moved into a new, high-tech phase