Aside from humanity, no other species has intentionally and radically altered the surface of the planet to produce food. Insects such as ants grow and harvest fungi, but most wild creatures rely on the established natural food chain. Agriculture has permitted people to inhabit nearly every livable spot on earth, but that mobility comes with a steep price tag for the environment. Indoor vertical farming systems provide an alternative to traditional food production.
As climate change makes marginal agricultural areas less productive, acreage and available water supplies are decreasing in some areas. The need for adopting revolutionary methods of food production has gained a greater sense of urgency. The idea of raising crops inside high rises has existed for several decades, but the conditions that humanity currently faces are making those concepts seem far more practical.
The idealized vision of a peaceful family farm has disappeared in real life. To be profitable, big agriculture must rely on industrial practices that stress heavy pesticide use and practice mono-culture with genetically engineered plants. Even though few people would sensibly or realistically argue for scaling down agribusiness, current practices have resulted in fragmented natural ecosystems and disappearing habitats.
Back-yard or deck gardens often make use of multi-tiered pots having several growing levels, and large-scale vertical agriculture uses the same principles. Many plants that are traditionally raised on large outdoor plots actually thrive when planted in upright structures. When applied to high-rise agriculture, comparable harvests are produced using less soil and supplemental fertilizer, allowing farms to flourish in the shadow of skyscrapers.
These methods expand on the same principles used by greenhouses, which have existed in various forms for hundreds of years. Theoretically, the inhabitants of a major city could grow enough food for all inhabitants without resorting to imports. Although most of the experimental farms today concentrate on plant-life, animals such as chickens or pigs already adapt well to life in small spaces.
The advantages of this type of growing system are numerous. As long as the power supply remains consistent, there is little or no weather-related crop damage. Pesticide runoff that currently plagues agricultural areas becomes practically non-existent, as does reliance on fossil fuels to power machinery or make field fertilizers. Water can easily be reclaimed and reused, and there are fewer opportunities for plant and animal disease transmission.
Many currently wasted field products could be used, or simply recycled. Big agriculture today is a major producer of methane, a gas that can be captured and cleaned for electrical generation inside a closed system. Excess power could be added to the existing grid. Able residents with few prospects for employment could find greater opportunities in urban farming, and could produce local products year-round.
The biggest winner would be the natural environment. When powerful civilizations in past centuries have collapsed due to war or famine, nature began to reclaim the cities immediately. Cutting back on destructive agricultural practices might help accomplish the same result minus the social upheaval. Traditional methods of farming will never disappear altogether, but vertical agriculture is an idea whose time has arrived.
As climate change makes marginal agricultural areas less productive, acreage and available water supplies are decreasing in some areas. The need for adopting revolutionary methods of food production has gained a greater sense of urgency. The idea of raising crops inside high rises has existed for several decades, but the conditions that humanity currently faces are making those concepts seem far more practical.
The idealized vision of a peaceful family farm has disappeared in real life. To be profitable, big agriculture must rely on industrial practices that stress heavy pesticide use and practice mono-culture with genetically engineered plants. Even though few people would sensibly or realistically argue for scaling down agribusiness, current practices have resulted in fragmented natural ecosystems and disappearing habitats.
Back-yard or deck gardens often make use of multi-tiered pots having several growing levels, and large-scale vertical agriculture uses the same principles. Many plants that are traditionally raised on large outdoor plots actually thrive when planted in upright structures. When applied to high-rise agriculture, comparable harvests are produced using less soil and supplemental fertilizer, allowing farms to flourish in the shadow of skyscrapers.
These methods expand on the same principles used by greenhouses, which have existed in various forms for hundreds of years. Theoretically, the inhabitants of a major city could grow enough food for all inhabitants without resorting to imports. Although most of the experimental farms today concentrate on plant-life, animals such as chickens or pigs already adapt well to life in small spaces.
The advantages of this type of growing system are numerous. As long as the power supply remains consistent, there is little or no weather-related crop damage. Pesticide runoff that currently plagues agricultural areas becomes practically non-existent, as does reliance on fossil fuels to power machinery or make field fertilizers. Water can easily be reclaimed and reused, and there are fewer opportunities for plant and animal disease transmission.
Many currently wasted field products could be used, or simply recycled. Big agriculture today is a major producer of methane, a gas that can be captured and cleaned for electrical generation inside a closed system. Excess power could be added to the existing grid. Able residents with few prospects for employment could find greater opportunities in urban farming, and could produce local products year-round.
The biggest winner would be the natural environment. When powerful civilizations in past centuries have collapsed due to war or famine, nature began to reclaim the cities immediately. Cutting back on destructive agricultural practices might help accomplish the same result minus the social upheaval. Traditional methods of farming will never disappear altogether, but vertical agriculture is an idea whose time has arrived.
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