The cooltainer installed by Agricool in Dubai. © Agricool.
Founded in 2015 in Paris, Agricool aims to create urban farms in recycled containers. With its innovative agricultural model, the young company wishes to produce fruit and vegetables without pesticides, picked and sold on the same day and prioritising short circuits. Several containers are currently being tested.
In Paris, Agricool grows strawberries by saving 90% of water and nutrients compared to classical agricultural methods and uses renewable energy only. These strawberries contain an average of 20% more sugar and 30% more vitamin C than retail store strawberries.
In 2018, shipping conglomerate the CMA CGM Group provided its first concrete support to Agricool by offering technical and logistical support for the delivery and installation of a ‘cooltainer’ in Dubai.
In December, Agricool completed a €25 million fundraising campaign to finance the industrialisation of its innovative project. On this occasion, CMA CGM acquired an equity stake in the company through its investment fund, CMA CGM Ventures.
In parallel, CMA CGM wants to support Agricool’s development by providing it with its industrial and logistics expertise. The group thus becomes the main supplier of containers and the primary logistics and supply partner of this young company.
Senior vice president of the container logistics department of the CMA CGM Group Joël Gentil said: “With this partnership, the CMA CGM Group confirms its commitment to support the development of start-ups that innovate in a relevant way. In line with our commitment to sustainable development, this solution allows us to recycle containers and give them a second life.”
