01 / Water
Less reliable water.
Unpredictable rainfall puts harvests at risk. Growing food needs a more resilient water supply.
FIG. 01 — Grootvlei Climate Smart Horticulture Center - TOV
// OUR MISSION
Large-scale, climate-smart agriculture, driving food security in emerging markets.
At Drylands Farms, we produce fresh food close to the market, transforming marginal land into productive farmland that strengthens local food security. Hyper-efficient water recirculation and renewable solar energy let our climate-smart farms run year-round — delivering a high-quality, consistent, affordable supply of nutritious produce.
// THE CHALLENGE
More food is needed.
The system is under strain.
- Demand growth
by 2040 - 80%+
- Domestic production
growth by 2040 - 35%
01 / The water challenge
Rainfall is becoming harder to rely on.
Agriculture already accounts for over 70% of global freshwater withdrawals, and Sub-Saharan Africa is more exposed to the consequences of changing rainfall patterns than any other region on earth. In 2024, Southern Africa experienced its worst drought in a century, affecting 27 million people and forcing five national governments to declare disasters.
These are not aberrations, only two of the last nine crop seasons in the region have seen average rainfall levels. As climate change accelerates, the unpredictability of rainfall will increasingly undermine yields from the rain-fed smallholder farms that the region's food system depends on almost entirely.
Sources & further reading
- FAO · Agricultural water management (opens in a new tab)Agriculture accounts for 72% of global freshwater withdrawals.
- WFP · Southern Africa’s 2024 drought and hunger crisis (opens in a new tab)The October 2024 report describes more than 27 million people affected and five national disaster declarations.
02 / Production
Production under pressure.
Demand is rising faster than domestic production. Current growing methods face a widening gap.
02 / The production challenge
Growing demand. A widening production gap.
African agricultural yields have remained roughly half the global average for generations, a gap that shows little sign of closing under current conditions. Despite employing the majority of the working population, agriculture generates just 15% of GDP across the continent, a reflection of how deeply inefficient the dominant model remains.
Archaic farming methods, severe soil degradation from overuse, highly fragmented smallholdings, and a structural focus on low-value staple crops over high-value fresh produce all contribute to a system that is fundamentally misaligned with what a rapidly urbanising population needs to consume. The existing agricultural model cannot close the demand gap — and climate change is making it harder with every passing season.
Sources & further reading
- ISS African Futures · Agriculture (opens in a new tab)Research on agricultural productivity, demand and Africa’s food systems.
03 / Distribution
Too much lost along the way.
Heat, handling and gaps in cold storage mean too much fresh produce never reaches consumers intact.
03 / The distribution challenge
From harvest to city, losses accumulate.
Even where produce is successfully grown, it frequently does not reach consumers intact. Fruits and vegetables (the highest-value fresh produce categories) experience post-harvest losses of between 28% and 55% globally, with low- and middle-income countries most affected, with perishables like tomatoes and bananas regularly hitting the upper end of that range due to inadequate cold storage, poor road infrastructure, and unsophisticated supply chains.
The result is a structural "feast or famine" dynamic: seasonal gluts followed by acute shortages, with spoilage absorbing value at every stage of the chain. For Africa's rapidly growing megacities, this translates into persistent shortages of affordable, high-quality fresh produce; a gap that is increasingly filled by expensive imports, at significant cost to both consumers and national trade balances.
Sources & further reading
- Postharvest Biology and Technology · Fresh produce loss research (2024) (opens in a new tab)The 28–55% range is a global estimate. Losses vary by crop and location, with low- and middle-income countries most affected.
Grow more. Use less water. Bring food closer.
0×
YIELD PER M² VS OPEN FIELD
80–0%
LESS WATER USED
0%
YEAR-ROUND RELIABILITY
// OUR APPROACH
Most growers screen light out. We maximise it.
In controlled-environment agriculture, light is the primary determinant of yield. Every other growing parameter, temperature, humidity, nutrients, water, can be controlled artificially, but light cannot be manufactured at scale without prohibitive cost.
The amount of natural light available at a given location therefore sets the ceiling for what a greenhouse farm can produce, and we design our farms and operating protocols to make maximum use of the sun for best yields and quality.
// Our solution
One campus.
Every element connected.
Explore how land, climate, water, energy and fulfilment work together.
Marginal land
Built on low-value land unsuitable for traditional agriculture.
Closed environment
Venlo-style greenhouses with high-tech climate control to maximise yield and optimise land and energy use.
Traceable fulfilment
Proprietary row-to-punnet tracking, and on-site packing and cold storage to extend shelf life and reduce losses.
Renewable energy
Solar-powered operations, independent of unreliable and expensive utilities.
Water management
Advanced pre-treatment and recirculation systems minimise water use and ensure year-round production.
Carbon capture
Exploring DAC technologies to eliminate fossil-derived CO₂ supplementation (viability under investigation).
In exploration
// GET IN TOUCH
Build a climate-smart farm with us.
Our team will be delighted to explore how we could collaborate on a farm in your area.