Contrary to an initial boom in the VF sector, the practice has struggled to be adopted in the Western Balkan region without a trained workforce. VF is rightly met with skepticism due to its limited crop choice, high energy demands from artificial lighting, high CapEx demand for equipment and real estate and financial uncertainty. Economic viability has been identified as one of the largest obstacles to realizing VF projects and whilst it has been reported in prominent surveys that there are existing profitable operations, the learning curve is steep and the financial risk is high.
The PROVER project aims to promote vertical farming as a sustainable/smart/precise agricultural method for WB countries through strengthening the inter-linkage between the VET sector and private sector.