Jun 19 2008
Vertical Farming: Growing “Up” Looks Good
Urban growth, overcrowding and population explosions, oh my!
According to experts, by the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth’s population will reside in urban centers, and conservative estimates are that the human population will increase by about 3 billion people during the interim.
More people and larger urban areas (the dreade sprawl) mean less farm land.
Enter Vertical Farming
By using cutting-edge technologies, the hope is that Vertical Farms will be an efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate) alternative situated in the heart of the world’s urban centers.
If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.
Advantages of Vertical Farming
- Year-round crop production–1 indoor acre is equivalent to 4-6 outdoor acres or more, depending upon the crop
- No weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods, pests
- All VF food is grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers
- VF virtually eliminates agricultural runoff by recycling black water
- VF returns farmland to nature, restoring ecosystem functions and services
- VF greatly reduces the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface
- VF converts black and gray water into potable water by collecting the water of evapotranspiration
- VF adds energy back to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible parts of plants and animals
- VF dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, shipping
- VF converts abandoned urban properties into food production centers
- VF creates sustainable environments for urban centers
- VF creates new employment opportunities
Here’s hoping that in my lifetime, there’s a tall building in my hometown that’s full of growing veggies, rather than parked cars.
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