Agriculture tech firm Pure Harvest Smart Farms is growing food in the Dubai desert with indoor farming, which will provide communities with sustainable, year-round fruits and vegetables. 

Fast Company reported that founder and CEO Sky Kurtz started the company in 2017, when the United Arab Emirates recognized the need for indoor farming as the world warms and crop failures become more common. 

After eight years in business, Pure Harvest has emerged as one of the major players in the controlled-environment agriculture sector in the Middle East — a region known for its high food insecurity. 

"People thought we were crazy," Kurtz said. "I was fearful I would never get off the ground."

But investors have been impressed with his vision, and the company is off to an amazing start. It has raised nearly $290 million so far and grows a variety of crops, including berries, green vegetables, and tomatoes. 

Pure Harvest has farms scattered across the UAE and is capable of producing over 33 million pounds of food annually, which it sells to major grocery stores in the region. 

While other agri-tech companies are planning to set up shop in the UAE, Pure Harvest has its sights set on Kuwait, Morocco, and Singapore as its next locations to open indoor farms, per Fast Company. 

"I think the world has woken up that the problem that Pure Harvest Smart Farms is solving is acute and it is here now," Kurtz added.

According to Fast Company, operations like Pure Harvest are an absolute necessity in the Middle East, as less than 1% of the land is available for agriculture. The UAE currently imports at least 80% of its food, so local indoor farms will save the country money and help the climate by reducing pollution associated with transportation. 

The country has lofty goals for the near future, aiming to boost hydroponic farming and source 70% of produce locally by the end of 2025. 

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The UAE is an ideal place to start an agri-tech business, as around 80% of the global population "lives within an eight-hour flight of Dubai," per Fast Company. Additionally, the government is eager to support indoor farming businesses as it seeks to address pressing food security issues in a warming climate. 

Kurtz said initial funding came from the Mohammed bin Rashid Innovation Fund, which offered a $1.5 million loan. Also, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office has provided grants to support Pure Harvest's expansion. 

The company is more than just a fruit and vegetable farm — it also sells strawberry preserves and tomato sauces made from its leftover seasonal produce, generating extra income while reducing food waste. 

Kurtz said he hopes to become "a household brand in the next 50 years," and with awareness growing about the need to secure sustainable food supplies, that vision is likely to become a reality.

"It's becoming a global dialogue about how are we going to secure the future of food in a world that will have nine-and-a-half billion people that is not making more land, and where water security is now becoming a crisis," he told Fast Company.

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