Vertical farming is a modern agricultural technique that involves growing crops in vertically stacked layers. This method of farming is often used in urban areas where space is limited. Vertical farming incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics.
The concept of vertical farming was first proposed in 1999 by Dickson Despommier, a professor of Public and Environmental Health at Columbia University. Despommier and his students came up with a design of a skyscraper farm that could feed 50,000 people. Although the design has not yet been built, it successfully popularized the idea of vertical farming.
Vertical farming has several advantages over traditional farming methods. One of the main advantages is the increased crop yield that comes with a smaller unit area of land requirement. This is because vertical farming utilizes a smaller footprint of land and can grow crops in a controlled environment, which allows for year-round crop production. Another sought-after advantage is the increased ability to cultivate a larger variety of crops at once because crops do not share the same plots of land while growing. Additionally, crops are resistant to weather disruptions because of their placement indoors, meaning fewer crops are lost to extreme or unexpected weather occurrences. Because of its limited land usage, vertical farming is less disruptive to the native plants and animals, leading to further conservation of the local flora and fauna.
Vertical farming is also more sustainable than traditional farming methods. It uses less water and pesticides, and produces less waste. Vertical farms can also be located closer to urban areas, reducing the need for long-distance transportation of produce.
There are several challenges associated with vertical farming. One of the main challenges is the high start-up cost. Vertical farming technologies face economic challenges with large start-up costs compared to traditional farms. In Victoria, Australia, a “hypothetical 10 level vertical farm” would cost over 850 times more per square meter of arable land than a traditional farm in rural Victoria. Vertical farms also face large energy demands due to the use of supplementary light like LEDs. Moreover, if non-renewable energy is used to meet these energy demands, vertical farms could produce more pollution than traditional farms or greenhouses.
In conclusion, vertical farming is a modern agricultural technique that has several advantages over traditional farming methods. It is more sustainable, uses less water and pesticides, and produces less waste. Vertical farming is also more efficient in terms of land usage and can grow crops in a controlled environment, which allows for year-round crop production. However, vertical farming faces several challenges, including high start-up costs and large energy demands. Despite these challenges, vertical farming has the potential to revolutionize the way we grow and consume food in the future..