[vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1602488691191{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css_animation=”slideInUp” width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”13642″ img_size=”500×500″ alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Co-Founder of Sustenir, Benjamin Swan” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”black” border_width=”3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Bringing fresh, sustainable and nutritious kale to Malaysians” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:34px|text_align:center|color:%23ed1c24|line_height:34px” google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css_animation=”appear”][ultimate_fancytext strings_textspeed=”350″ strings_backspeed=”0″ fancytext_tag=”h3″ fancytext_strings=”By Edeline Anne Goh” strings_font_style=”font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;” strings_font_size=”desktop:15px;” fancytext_color=”#ed1c24″ strings_font_family=”font_family:Montserrat|font_call:Montserrat|variant:regular”][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”black” border_width=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1602492080055{padding-right: 40px !important;padding-left: 40px !important;}”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”2em”][vc_column_text]Vegetables are always best when eaten fresh. Though, how often are you able to enjoy the luxury of eating fresh vegetables? Unless they’re homegrown, of course. For most households, daily vegetable supplies are replenished from trips to the supermarket and there are instances where consumers are left with no choice but to buy ‘fresh’ vegetables that are close to turning yellow or wilting.
This is because, from farm to supermarket shelves, it can take up to a couple of days to reach the hands of the end consumer.
When Co-Founder of Sustenir, Benjamin Swan, realised that the standards of fresh produce was not equal in urban areas, he knew that something needed to be done. Benjamin was previously working in the world of banking, with designing and executing Citibank’s Smart Banking Platform as part of his career milestones.
He decided to make a shift in his career when Benjamin and his business partner Martin Lavoo had a strong desire to move the world towards sustainability by creating smart farming technology that contributes to the taste and quality of fresh produce such as Sustenir’s.
Urban folks can now rejoice as it is now possible for you to serve fresh and nutritious store-bought kale on your table. Benjamin shares with us about how he made this happen.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1597027682459{margin-top: 3% !important;margin-bottom: 3% !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][ultimate_carousel slides_on_desk=”1″ slides_on_tabs=”1″ slides_on_mob=”1″ infinite_loop=”off” autoplay=”off” next_icon=”ultsl-arrow-right2″ prev_icon=”ultsl-arrow-left2″ dots_color=”#ed1c24″ adaptive_height=”on” centermode=”” item_space=”0″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”13643″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1602666916263{margin-top: 3% !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][info_list font_size_icon=”24″ eg_br_width=”1″ connector_animation=”fadeInUp”][info_list_item list_title=”WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE NAME ‘SUSTENIR’?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Benjamin Swan: ‘Sustenir’ comes from a Latin word, meaning ‘to support’ or ‘to sustain’, which we find incredibly apt for what we do; our vision is to nourish and grow a resilient future for people and planet. Resilience points to both health and economic, and we see that we support both by providing 100 percent clean, pesticide free superfoods (kale, lettuce and spinach) to communities as well as grooming the next generation of high-tech indoor farmers.
Quote: Resilience Points To Both Health And Economic, And We See That We Support Both By Providing 100 Percent Clean, Pesticide Free Superfoods (Kale, Lettuce And Spinach) To Communities As Well As Grooming The Next Generation Of High-tech Indoor Farmers.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TRY VERTICAL FARMING AND INTRODUCE IT TO END CONSUMERS?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Benjamin: Coming from Australia where fresh produce was in abundance, I realised that the standards of food in urban cities were not created equal. The limitations of land enforce restrictions which compromise food quality and sustainability. Like most consumers, I wasn’t aware of this disparity till I started researching. I was inspired to set up Sustenir in 2013 after reading an article about vertical farming and realised I could adapt large scale systems to fit Asia’s unique challenge of land scarcity and high rent prices, developing a ‘plug and play’ model that allows farms to be built in any commercial space.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FROM SETTING UP YOUR VERY FIRST VERTICAL FARM TO SETTING IT UP AT SUPERMARKETS?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Benjamin: Sustenir’s first indoor farm opened in 2015, a 10,000 sq ft space inside an industrial office building. Our first products – Kinky and Toscano Kale – were sold in Cold Storage, Singapore and large-scale distribution began in 2017 when we expanded across all of Dairy Farm’s retail outlets, and started distribution on RedMart, an e-commerce platform.[/info_list_item][/info_list][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”13640″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1602667234358{margin-top: 3% !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][info_list font_size_icon=”24″ eg_br_width=”1″ connector_animation=”fadeInUp” css_info_list=”.vc_custom_1602664985958{margin-top: 2em !important;margin-bottom: 2em !important;}”][info_list_item list_title=”WHAT WAS THE FIRST PRODUCE SOLD BY SUSTENIR? ” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Benjamin: Sustenir’s key products are Kinky Kale and Toscano Kale, both of the Curly and Tuscan variety respectively. They are still our flagship products sold today across all our 3 markets – Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Across our portfolio of products, we aim to grow superfoods and bring to consumers a variety of leafy greens that not only taste good but feed their health and lifestyle. Kale for instance is a source of manganese, Vitamin C and A. These vitamins boost energy, metabolism and immunity systems and contribute to a healthier lifestyle.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”HOW HAS SUSTENIR CHANGED THE SCENE FOR PROVIDING FRESH PRODUCE TO CONSUMERS?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Benjamin: Sustenir believes in bringing ultimate freshness to consumers, which means building farms as close to consumers as possible. This means instead of import/export, our farms are built as close to consumers as possible to reduce the food transportation chain. This way, we’ve been able to bring non-native leafy greens like kale (which thrives in wintry conditions) into tropical countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia and grow them locally, ensuring ultimate freshness.
Our kale is also tailored to Asian palates, and Sustenir’s kale tastes like no other in the world. There are few raw vegetable dishes in Asian cuisines so people aren’t used to eating raw vegetables. We needed to make our greens taste good, so our kale is grown sweeter and crispier, not bitter and tough as kale internationally is known to be.
Above are a few common underlying problems many would experience when there’s calculus growing, therefore blocking the salivary flow[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT SUSTENIR’S PRODUCE ARE THE FRESHEST ON THE SHELVES? ” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Benjamin: We pride ourselves on harvesting fresh daily, in a location no more than 60 minutes from consumers. Freshness equals nutrition so that’s a promise we make to consumers to ensure that they have the best quality product in taste and for health.[/info_list_item][/info_list][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”13641″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1602667234358{margin-top: 3% !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][info_list font_size_icon=”24″ eg_br_width=”1″ connector_animation=”fadeInUp” css_info_list=”.vc_custom_1602664985958{margin-top: 2em !important;margin-bottom: 2em !important;}”][info_list_item list_title=”COULD YOU SHARE WITH US THE VARIETIES OF FRESH PRODUCE SOLD TODAY THROUGH SUSTENIR’S VERTICAL FARMING?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Benjamin: We sell variants of kale, lettuce and rocket. In Malaysia, we currently only offer kale but have plans to expand into our salad mix range with lettuce. Our products are:
Kinky Kale – curly kale. Sweet, crispy, with a refreshing crunch that’s best paired with white meats, eaten raw or juiced.
Toscano Kale – Tuscan kale. Nutty, robust flavoured kale that’s great for stir-frys, baking and paired with heavier flavours like red meats.
Quote: We Pride Ourselves On Harvesting Fresh Daily, In A Location No More Than 60 Minutes From Consumers. Freshness Equals Nutrition So That’s A Promise We Make To Consumers To Ensure That They Have The Best Quality Product In Taste And For Health.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT ALL FRESH PRODUCE BY SUSTENIR ARE HANDLED WELL AND SOLD FRESH?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Benjamin: We were one of the first ISO22:000 certified vertical farms in the world, a global certification recognizing excellence in food production standards. In addition, Sustenir is a 100 percent clean farm, a closed environment agriculture that ensures our plants have the best optimal environment for growth. This means we have no need for pesticides or chemicals, and no exposure to environmental pollutants.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”WHAT ARE SUSTENIR’S FUTURE PLANS?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Benjamin: We’re about to celebrate two years in Hong Kong from the date we planted our first seed. It’s a very exciting milestone for us being our 2nd market. Launching in Malaysia is also a critical milestone we’re celebrating and we’re looking towards expansion as soon as we can, be it in footprint or products. We have a great partnership with Dairy Farm Group where our farm is located and where our produce are distributed, so we’re excited to deepen that partnership in Malaysia.[/info_list_item][/info_list][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/ultimate_carousel][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1594189719583{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_text_separator title=”READ MORE” title_align=”separator_align_left” align=”align_right” color=”custom” border_width=”9″ accent_color=”#dd3333″ el_class=”read”][bs-grid-listing-1 columns=”3″ show_excerpt=”1″ title=”” icon=”” hide_title=”0″ heading_color=”” heading_style=”default” category=”14,29,13″ tag=”” count=”3″ post_ids=”” offset=”” featured_image=”0″ ignore_sticky_posts=”1″ author_ids=”” disable_duplicate=”0″ time_filter=”” order=”DESC” order_by=”date” _name_1=”” post_type=”” taxonomy=”” _name_2=”” cats-tags-condition=”and” cats-condition=”in” tags-condition=”in” tabs=”” tabs_cat_filter=”” tabs_tax_filter=”” tabs_content_type=”deferred” paginate=”none” pagination-show-label=”0″ pagination-slides-count=”3″ slider-animation-speed=”750″ slider-autoplay=”1″ slider-speed=”3000″ slider-control-dots=”off” slider-control-next-prev=”style-1″ ad-active=”0″ ad-after_each=”” ad-type=”” ad-banner=”none” ad-campaign=”none” ad-count=”” ad-columns=”1″ ad-orderby=”date” ad-order=”ASC” ad-align=”left” bs-show-desktop=”1″ bs-show-tablet=”1″ bs-show-phone=”1″ custom-css-class=”” custom-id=”” override-listing-settings=”0″ listing-settings=”” bs-text-color-scheme=”” css=””][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1594697216061{margin-bottom: -10% !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_custom_heading text=”5.0″ font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:60|text_align:right|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ offset=”vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_custom_heading text=”Out of” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:22|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1594696759538{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”5 Stars” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:22|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1594697016740{margin-top: -6px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1594780415864{margin-bottom: -10% !important;margin-left: -4% !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md”][vc_custom_heading text=”5.0″ font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:45|text_align:center|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1594784592259{margin-bottom: -1% !important;}”][vc_column_text]
Out of
5 Stars
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