A team of entrepreneurs incubating their early stage company in Kingston is hoping its modular hydroponic farming solution will help reduce food insecurity around the world – particularly in places acutely affected by climate change and shortages of arable land.
Dunya Habitats is developing modular “tiny farms” that stand about two metres high that can be combined in clusters. They allow farmers to grow produce year-round in any climate, ranging from freezing locales in the Canadian Arctic to drought-prone regions of sub-Saharan Africa, and are currently being tested in Kingston, Atlantic Canada and Alberta.
“Hydroponics is a proven method. We’ve helped to optimize it,” says Sumi Shanmuganathan, chief strategy officer at Dunya Habitats.
(Sponsored)

Giving Guide 2025: Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation
As Ottawa’s only Community Cancer Hub, we are delivering Supportive Cancer Care through dynamic collaborations with over 70 diverse community partners.

Inspired by love and loss, donor Tom Moore triples Giving Tuesday donations
For Tom Moore, a retired tech executive and longtime Ottawa resident, giving back to The Ottawa Hospital isn’t just a gesture of generosity. It’s personal. Tom grew up on a
Hear more of Shanmuganathan’s conversation with OBJ’s Mark Van Dusen by watching the video above.
