Verde Compacto has installed a full-scale vertical farm inside Estadio Akron, home to Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Chivas). Just beyond the stands, a container system grows leafy greens, herbs, and wheatgrass for direct use in the stadium’s kitchens.
“We wanted to prove that you don’t need to be in the countryside, or even outside a stadium, to grow fresh, high-quality food,” says Juan Gabriel Succar, Co-Founder of Verde Compacto. “This is not a demo unit. It’s a fully functional food-production system built into the rhythm of stadium life.”
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From harvest to plate, inside the stadium
The unit itself is a 40-foot Huvster container farm with a garden entrance that greets visitors as they approach. Inside, hydroponic towers and climate automation produce steady harvests of romaine, butterhead, arugula, kale, microgreens, aromatic herbs, and wheatgrass.
“All of this produce goes directly into the kitchens,” Succar explains. “We harvest on demand, which means there’s no storage and no waste. The concessionaire receives premium vegetables, and that consistency allows them to upgrade other ingredients across the menu.”
Chivas approached Verde Compacto with two goals: to improve the reliability and quality of fresh produce for its athletes and align the stadium’s operations with LEED-certified sustainability targets. The company’s solution addressed both, while laying the groundwork for something more.
“There was also a growing need to offer healthier options to fans,” says Succar. “That’s a global trend. And growing on-site solves it all at once. It gives you fresh, safe vegetables for the club, and it becomes a visible, inspiring symbol for every visitor.”
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Not just about growing, but integrating
Running a farm inside a live stadium required tight coordination with the kitchen team and real-time flexibility around match days. “We had to align harvest cycles with the menu months in advance,” says Succar. “Wheatgrass was added to balance supply peaks and offer more diversity. We also enhanced the garden and signage because fans were curious. It became part of the experience.”
Food safety was non-negotiable from day one. “We apply HACCP standards with strict sanitation protocols, controlled entry flows, water analysis, and full traceability down to seed lot and harvest date. This gives the club full confidence that the players are eating safe, traceable produce.”
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A sustainability hub and revenue generator
While the system brings measurable environmental benefits, from water savings to reduced CO₂ emissions, Succar says its strategic value lies in visibility and integration. “The biggest outcomes so far are media coverage, sustainability progress, and the stadium’s positioning ahead of the World Cup,” he says. “And now, with the Salad & Juice Bar opening soon, the same unit will produce greens and wheatgrass juices for fans.”
The bar is more than a wellness gesture. It turns the farm into a direct source of revenue, reinforcing the financial logic of growing on-site. For Verde Compacto, this proves that fresh food and ROI can work together, even in the middle of a sports venue.
“Venues used to focus on cost per kilo,” Succar says. “That’s changing. Now they want strategies. They want projects that improve the fan experience, support ESG goals, and generate value they can measure.”
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From Guadalajara to the world
The interest hasn’t stopped with football. Verde Compacto has already fielded inquiries from arenas, resorts, airports, and even municipalities looking to replicate the model. But Succar says the real bottleneck isn’t technical.
“It’s alignment,” he says. “If a venue is only looking at raw cost, it’s harder to justify. But when they see this as part of a broader strategy, like fan health, visibility, social impact, and new revenue, the investment makes perfect sense.”
For more information:
Verde Compacto 
Juan Gabriel Succar, COO
[email protected]
www.verdecompacto.com