The human population predicted by 2050 is about nine billion. Presently, more than 75% population is residing in urban areas and about 80% of the cultivating lands are already in use. These issues undoubtedly raise fundamental questions on how humans will be feeding themselves in the future?
What can be the solution?
Vertical farming: An idea given by Dr. Despommier- A professor from Columbia University.
Dr. Despommier exclaimed it to be the solution for 11 modern issues in his book.
What is it?
It would harvest plants in vertically stacked layers integrated within a skyscraper greenhouse. It uses Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) technique similar to a glasshouse where metal reflectors and artificial lightning augment the natural light. A perfect combination of natural and artificial light is required to grow food vertically, either indoor or outdoor.
To advance it more, rotating beds are installed to improve the efficiency of light and its uniform distribution.
Aquaponic or hydroponic - without soil- mediums are used. Thus making it pure from pests.
The primary goal is to achieve maximum crop output within limited space.
Why is Indoor farming the future of agriculture?
Because:
● No need for large horizontal lands for extensive cultivation.
● As we know, urban areas are densely populated and because of civilization's high crop yielding, large areas are impossible to be maintained. This upright gardening allows more food growth in less space. According to Columbia University, Earth Institute, 1 acre of Vertical farming can produce as much crop as 4 to 6 acres of outdoor capacity.
● Countries that import food can maintain their economy by producing their own vertical gardens as Singapore.
● Food can be produced twice as fast, which is the ideal solution for the current crisis.
● Lower risks of natural disasters like floods or droughts in developing countries.
● Production of ANY crop all around the year.
● No need for organic pesticides or herbicides hence reduction of chemical usage
● Drip irrigation for indoor farming expects less water. Reports brag that it would use 70-97% less water than conservative farming.
● Biodiversity can be restored, and it will add to the natural ecosystem.
● Convert abandoned urban areas to productive green cities.
● Reduce transportation costs by providing a feasibility of a more centralized food production system.
● Urban areas will be more self-sufficient.
● It will have more psychological benefits.
● No need for hard labour like ploughing or digging
● Decrease deforestation and pollution
At first glance, the idea is a game-changer for its effects on the world’s hunger, climate change, global warming, and food crisis. The current situation of the Corona Pandemic has restrained the global supply chains which have inadvertently hit the struggling economies around the world. It will surely convert abandoned urban areas to productive green cities. But there are certain limitations as well.
Possible limitations with Upright horticulture:
● It would require 1200 KW hours of electricity to produce 2.25 pounds of crops.
● Only specific vegetables can be grown this way like lettuce, tomato leafy greens, or herbs.
● A one-day power loss would be devastating as it is much dependent on technology.
● Pollination will be costly and difficult.
● There will be higher labor costs.
● All factors, like temperature, light, humidity, pH, gaseous turnover require close monitoring.
● More laboratory skills are required.
Will it be helpful?
The operational effectiveness of an innovative technology or sophisticated technique is precisely measured via its beneficial outcomes with limited hazardous by-products.
For this technique to be helpful, it should instantly yield more economic production with affordable and readily available tools. The successful performance of current carefully built vertical farms will ensure its prime importance and need in the future. Yet it is still in the long run to absolutely replace the present agricultural state and we should not forget the fact that it is an anti-nature food growing process.
Why are Countries Investing in Upright cultivation?
Despite the entrepreneur’s legitimate concerns, high costs, and fewer outcomes, many organizations are investing in this technique. Why? Because they surely foresee it as a wholesome solution to a number of global issues.
The world’s first commercial vertical farm is in Singapore aka Sky Greens, which uses the ‘A-GO-GRO’ technique to produce lettuce, spinach, and other leafy vegetables of about 800 kilos every day. ISN’T it amazing? It is a 9 meter tall, A-shaped tower hosted by growing troughs, which rotate about 1mm/sec to ensure the uniform distribution of sunlight, air, and irrigation for plants. It has been producing its crop commercially since 2012.
The world’s largest vertical indoor farm is in Japan built by Mirai Corporation, equipped with 17,500 LEDs, and is able to grow 10,000 lettuce heads per day.
A 900-sq. meters vertical farm is currently under construction in the Netherlands sponsored by Staay Food Groups and Philips as an LED horticulture light provider.
In the UK, robotics companies together with food delivery are investing in indoor farming.
People's responses about the vertical walls?
In an interview with the street journal, Patrick Blanc, who is the Father of vertical gardens, explains their importance as:
The biggest thing to highlight in vertical farming is their positive psychological effects on people who look at them. He adds, saying, A simple wall can be poetic.
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| Image by BrightAgrotech from Pixabay |
Conclusion:
The indoor cultivation system only works for a small species of plants. There is yet more to learn about the technique, but it is a huge profit for our planet with all its optimization. Vertical farming has the potential to change the agricultural reforms of the present. If successful, it would also help growing crops on Mars which is a new human habitat in the near future.
In simple words, the fundamental theory is easy and attractive but it is in its infancy yet.
The future is likely to bring many new innovations and qualities enhancing improvements to upgrade its efficacy on a larger scale and more technological additions for a widespread understanding of upright farms.
It can be summarized as: it is foreseeable THE future of modern agriculture.
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1 Comments
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