• Norwegian hydroponic vertical farming operator Kalera has partnered with US Foods, a US-based foodservice distributor, to supply vertically produced leafy greens to the latter. 

• Via the partnership, US Foods will receive a year-round supply of greens such as lettuce, salad mixes, microgreens, burger leaf toppers, and arugula. Kalera and its subsidiary Vindara, a seed technology company, will also work with US Foods to develop and launch new products for the latter’s customers across the country. 

• For US Foods, this is reportedly its largest partnership in the vertical farming space to date. This will expand the supply chain of local farms US Foods currently sources its produce from.

• With this partnership, Kalera now allocates 50% of its production capacity to the restaurant and food service sector. 

• As of date, Kalera operates five farms in the US (across Orlando, Florida, Atlanta, Houston, and Colorado), two farms across Kuwait and Munich, and has five more farms under construction in Seattle, Columbus, Minnesota, Hawaii, and Singapore.

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Previously, Kalera has partnered with retail customers, which include supermarket chains such as Kroger (400 stores), Publix (440 locations), and H-E-B (340 stores). Now, Kalera is partnering with food service distributors such as US Foods to expand the reach of its product ahead of its NASDAQ listing .</ul>