This question is increasing in importance as advances in modern agriculture, although having been instrumental in giving many parts of the world reliable food supply, have provided a system which causes harm to our natural ecosystems including habitat loss, wasteful water consumption, pollution, climate change and loss of genetic diversity. There are many critics of vertical farming who argue against a large amount of energy needed to produce large crops, whereas the sun is free. This would make it difficult for vertical farming to replace traditional agricultural methods entirely.4 Therefore at the moment, the best way to think of vertical farming is probably as a technology that complements traditional farming techniques.
Given that vertical farming technology can work anywhere, parts of the food system would be less dependent on transport from rural areas to urban centres, thereby decreasing some of our fuel emissions.4 Food waste by spoilage could also be reduced considering there would be little time spent between when crops would be harvested and sold to us, the consumers.4
The process of vertical farming also uses a fraction of the land and water required for conventional farming, again due to the carefully controlled environment in which the crops grow.3 This introduces the possibility of making use of abandoned or unused properties in urban environments rather than overworked land in rural areas. Foods can be grown in warehouses in cities, in produce departments of local supermarkets, in kitchens of restaurants and even in microwave-sized models in peoples? home kitchens.3
Growing food where we live also means harvesting at the peak level of ripeness and nutritional value. By the year 2030, an anticipated 60% of people will be living within cities, making urban agriculture an attractive technique for feeding parts of our growing population while protecting our environment, as well as offering a way of enabling our urban population to reconnect with how our food is produced.6
Who knows, in years to come, this type of farming - or new hybrid forms with conventional forms of food production - may be the new norm. Definitions on the concept vary particularly concerning the geographic aspect of vertical farming, and whether vertical farming takes place exclusively in an urban context. However, definitions aside, the question becomes?is this futuristic concept the answer to sustainably producing food for a growing, increasingly-urbanized population? IS VERTICAL FARMING MORE SUSTAINABLE?
While there is not yet an end-all, single solution to creating a more sustainable food system, introducing vertical farming practices in urban centers may offer a complementary system to traditional farming, with more sustainable aspects.
Vertical farming?s reduced use of water and land, and decreased waste and CO2 emissions could already be helpful in mitigating climate change were it to become more widely explored. The controlled and contained nature of the technology could reduce agricultural runoff as well, which in traditional farming, is any water that is carrying away by-products from a farm and may contain fertilizers and other contaminants.5
Added to that, proponents of the technology claim that it makes crops less susceptible to pests and diseases without the use of pesticides since food is grown in a controlled environment. This type of agriculture also provides ideal circumstances for growing plants in all climates, locations, and seasons, and allows crops to be nutrient-dense since factors influencing quality can be carefully tailored and controlled.
This question is increasing in importance as advances in modern agriculture, although having been instrumental in giving many parts of the world reliable food supply, have provided a system which causes harm to our natural ecosystems including habitat loss, wasteful water consumption, pollution, climate change and loss of genetic diversity.3
There are many critics of vertical farming who argue against a large amount of energy needed to produce large crops, whereas the sun is free. This would make it difficult for vertical farming to replace traditional agricultural methods entirely.4 Therefore at the moment, the best way to think of vertical farming is probably as a technology that complements traditional farming techniques.
Given that vertical farming technology can work anywhere, parts of the food system would be less dependent on transport from rural areas to urban centres, thereby decreasing some of our fuel emissions.4 Food waste by spoilage could also be reduced considering there would be little time spent between when crops would be harvested and sold to us, the consumers.4
The process of vertical farming also uses a fraction of the land and water required for conventional farming, again due to the carefully controlled environment in which the crops grow.3 This introduces the possibility of making use of abandoned or unused properties in urban environments rather than overworked land in rural areas. Foods can be grown in warehouses in cities, in produce departments of local supermarkets, in kitchens of restaurants and even in microwave-sized models in peoples? home kitchens.3
Growing food where we live also means harvesting at the peak level of ripeness and nutritional value. By the year 2030, an anticipated 60% of people will be living within cities, making urban agriculture an attractive technique for feeding parts of our growing population while protecting our environment, as well as offering a way of enabling our urban population to reconnect with how our food is produced.
Who knows, in years to come, this type of farming - or new hybrid forms with conventional forms of food production - may be the new norm.
Many have wondered for years if vertical farming is really the answer to the shortage of food in the world. However strange the concept of vertical farming might seem to many startups, it is an ingenious method to produce food in environments where arable land is unavailable or rare at the most.
This method is especially handy for challenging environments such as deserts, mountainside towns, and cities where many diverse types of vegetables and fruits are grown using precision agriculture methods and skyscraper-like designs.
Vertical farming is a revolutionary and more sustainable method of agriculture than its counterpart as it lowers the requirement of water to up to 70% and also saves considerable space and soil. This innovation in the field of agriculture with sustainability as its motto is making more and more heads turn today with its eco-friendly methods and making the possibility of farming real in difficult environs.
1. Year-round crop production; 1 indoor acre is equivalent to 4-6 outdoor acres or more, depending upon the crop (e.g., strawberries: 1 indoor acre = 30 outdoor acres)
2. No weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods, pests
3. All VF food is grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers
4. VF virtually eliminates agricultural runoff by recycling black water
5. VF returns farmland to nature, restoring ecosystem functions and services
6. VF greatly reduces the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface
7. VF converts black and gray water into potable water by collecting the water of evapotranspiration
8. VF adds energy back to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible parts of plants and animals
9. VF dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, shipping.)
10. VF converts abandoned urban properties into food production centers
11. VF creates sustainable environments for urban centers
12. VF creates new employment opportunities
13. We cannot go to the moon, Mars, or beyond without first learning to farm indoors on earth
" />This question is increasing in importance as advances in modern agriculture, although having been instrumental in giving many parts of the world reliable food supply, have provided a system which causes harm to our natural ecosystems including habitat loss, wasteful water consumption, pollution, climate change and loss of genetic diversity. There are many critics of vertical farming who argue against a large amount of energy needed to produce large crops, whereas the sun is free. This would make it difficult for vertical farming to replace traditional agricultural methods entirely.4 Therefore at the moment, the best way to think of vertical farming is probably as a technology that complements traditional farming techniques.
Given that vertical farming technology can work anywhere, parts of the food system would be less dependent on transport from rural areas to urban centres, thereby decreasing some of our fuel emissions.4 Food waste by spoilage could also be reduced considering there would be little time spent between when crops would be harvested and sold to us, the consumers.4
The process of vertical farming also uses a fraction of the land and water required for conventional farming, again due to the carefully controlled environment in which the crops grow.3 This introduces the possibility of making use of abandoned or unused properties in urban environments rather than overworked land in rural areas. Foods can be grown in warehouses in cities, in produce departments of local supermarkets, in kitchens of restaurants and even in microwave-sized models in peoples? home kitchens.3
Growing food where we live also means harvesting at the peak level of ripeness and nutritional value. By the year 2030, an anticipated 60% of people will be living within cities, making urban agriculture an attractive technique for feeding parts of our growing population while protecting our environment, as well as offering a way of enabling our urban population to reconnect with how our food is produced.6
Who knows, in years to come, this type of farming - or new hybrid forms with conventional forms of food production - may be the new norm. Definitions on the concept vary particularly concerning the geographic aspect of vertical farming, and whether vertical farming takes place exclusively in an urban context. However, definitions aside, the question becomes?is this futuristic concept the answer to sustainably producing food for a growing, increasingly-urbanized population? IS VERTICAL FARMING MORE SUSTAINABLE?
While there is not yet an end-all, single solution to creating a more sustainable food system, introducing vertical farming practices in urban centers may offer a complementary system to traditional farming, with more sustainable aspects.
Vertical farming?s reduced use of water and land, and decreased waste and CO2 emissions could already be helpful in mitigating climate change were it to become more widely explored. The controlled and contained nature of the technology could reduce agricultural runoff as well, which in traditional farming, is any water that is carrying away by-products from a farm and may contain fertilizers and other contaminants.5
Added to that, proponents of the technology claim that it makes crops less susceptible to pests and diseases without the use of pesticides since food is grown in a controlled environment. This type of agriculture also provides ideal circumstances for growing plants in all climates, locations, and seasons, and allows crops to be nutrient-dense since factors influencing quality can be carefully tailored and controlled.
This question is increasing in importance as advances in modern agriculture, although having been instrumental in giving many parts of the world reliable food supply, have provided a system which causes harm to our natural ecosystems including habitat loss, wasteful water consumption, pollution, climate change and loss of genetic diversity.3
There are many critics of vertical farming who argue against a large amount of energy needed to produce large crops, whereas the sun is free. This would make it difficult for vertical farming to replace traditional agricultural methods entirely.4 Therefore at the moment, the best way to think of vertical farming is probably as a technology that complements traditional farming techniques.
Given that vertical farming technology can work anywhere, parts of the food system would be less dependent on transport from rural areas to urban centres, thereby decreasing some of our fuel emissions.4 Food waste by spoilage could also be reduced considering there would be little time spent between when crops would be harvested and sold to us, the consumers.4
The process of vertical farming also uses a fraction of the land and water required for conventional farming, again due to the carefully controlled environment in which the crops grow.3 This introduces the possibility of making use of abandoned or unused properties in urban environments rather than overworked land in rural areas. Foods can be grown in warehouses in cities, in produce departments of local supermarkets, in kitchens of restaurants and even in microwave-sized models in peoples? home kitchens.3
Growing food where we live also means harvesting at the peak level of ripeness and nutritional value. By the year 2030, an anticipated 60% of people will be living within cities, making urban agriculture an attractive technique for feeding parts of our growing population while protecting our environment, as well as offering a way of enabling our urban population to reconnect with how our food is produced.
Who knows, in years to come, this type of farming - or new hybrid forms with conventional forms of food production - may be the new norm.
Many have wondered for years if vertical farming is really the answer to the shortage of food in the world. However strange the concept of vertical farming might seem to many startups, it is an ingenious method to produce food in environments where arable land is unavailable or rare at the most.
This method is especially handy for challenging environments such as deserts, mountainside towns, and cities where many diverse types of vegetables and fruits are grown using precision agriculture methods and skyscraper-like designs.
Vertical farming is a revolutionary and more sustainable method of agriculture than its counterpart as it lowers the requirement of water to up to 70% and also saves considerable space and soil. This innovation in the field of agriculture with sustainability as its motto is making more and more heads turn today with its eco-friendly methods and making the possibility of farming real in difficult environs.
1. Year-round crop production; 1 indoor acre is equivalent to 4-6 outdoor acres or more, depending upon the crop (e.g., strawberries: 1 indoor acre = 30 outdoor acres)
2. No weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods, pests
3. All VF food is grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers
4. VF virtually eliminates agricultural runoff by recycling black water
5. VF returns farmland to nature, restoring ecosystem functions and services
6. VF greatly reduces the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface
7. VF converts black and gray water into potable water by collecting the water of evapotranspiration
8. VF adds energy back to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible parts of plants and animals
9. VF dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, shipping.)
10. VF converts abandoned urban properties into food production centers
11. VF creates sustainable environments for urban centers
12. VF creates new employment opportunities
13. We cannot go to the moon, Mars, or beyond without first learning to farm indoors on earth
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