US Foods Holding Corp. announced a strategic agreement with Kalera, one of the world's leading hydroponic indoor vertical farming companies. This is US Foods' largest vertical farming relationship to date.

The agreement underscores US Foods' commitment to bringing foodservice operators a broad assortment of high-quality produce, year-round. It will also expand the portfolio of local farms that US Foods is sourcing from in various markets in support of its growing Serve Local program. As part of the agreement, Kalera and its wholly owned seed technology business Vindara, will work closely with US Foods to develop and launch new products to US Foods customers in markets across the country.

Kalera will bring consistently fresh, sustainable produce year-round to US Foods through its network of controlled environment, indoor farms. The innovative indoor farms use clean room technology, advanced proprietary equipment, and plant and seed science to provide a wide range of high-quality greens such as whole head lettuce, salad mix blends, microgreens, burger leaf toppers, and arugula with less water as compared to traditional field farming. For Kalera, the partnership represents an opportunity to allocate up to 50% of its United States production capacity to the restaurant and food service industry.