Vertical Farming: An Innovative Farming Technique

It is no secret that global warming has impacted crop yields around the globe. That is because agriculture is heavily dependent on weather and climate.

Crops fail and pastures become desolate in the absence of ample rainfall and suitable temperatures. But the opposite is also true: agricultural practices influence weather and climate through the release of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) and through clearing land for crop production or pasture (i.e. removing large amounts of forested areas for crop and animal husbandry).

Over the last decade, there have been many attempts from industries to approach agriculture in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way. For example, one approach is regenerative agriculture, a farming method that emphasizes soil health, biodiversity, and natural processes. It is a systems-based, holistic approach to develop resilient and regenerative agricultural systems that repair and replenish natural resources through a variety of practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping, reduced tillage, and the integration of livestock to improve soil health, conserve water, and promote biodiversity (www.regenerativefarmersofamerica.com).

A more interesting alternative, however, has been what is called “vertical farming.” The term vertical farming refers to cultivating on vertical surfaces as opposed to conventional, horizontal agriculture, and it may use artificial temperature, light, water, and humidity control. Farmers can grow significantly more food on the same area of land (or even less) by employing vertically stacked layers. These layers are frequently incorporated into structures like skyscrapers, kept in storage facilities like warehouses or shipping containers, greenhouses, or positioned in areas that would not normally be suitable for farming. Vertical farming is not new, though; it has been used throughout history, notably in ancient Babylonia with hanging gardens.

The Aztec people also used chinampas (or floating gardens), while in some places around Europe, such as in the Netherlands or Britain, stone walls began being used to grow fruit in the seventeenth century. According to the World Economic Forum, 55% of the world's population, or more than 4.3 billion people, currently reside in urban areas, and by 2050, that percentage is projected to increase to 80%. The world population is projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, with 2.4 billion extra people in need of food compared to today.

According to Dafni Despoina Avgoustaki (2020), in order to meet the demands of the world's population, agriculture currently takes up an area the size of South America. Vertical farms as a solution offer local, healthy, and fresh produce for customers because they can be located anywhere in the metropolitan system. In particular, research by Jill (2008) noted that conventional farming uses 4 to 17 times more fuel than locally grown food and generates 5 to 17 times more CO2 than locally cultivated food. Meanwhile, vertical farms may be able to boost production in heavily urbanized regions, which might result in improvements to the community's food security.

Additionally, since leafy greens, vegetables, and herbs are typically consumed raw rather than cooked, they are regarded as high-risk crops. Following purchase from the grocery store, shoppers typically rinse with water the greenery they have purchased before eating it, which is not especially protective against hazardous pathogens from soils. Vertical farming, however, prevents much of this contamination. Indoor vertical farms do not use chemicals during the plant's growing phase, including all kinds of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. Instead, they use only nutrients in their irrigation systems, whereas cultivation takes place in hermetically sealed environments and highly controlled spaces designed to offer the highest possible level of food safety. Not only that, but farmers can use 98 percent less water and 99 percent less land when using vertical farming.

In Quebec, Canada, near Montreal, there is a company that uses vertical farming called Ferme d'Hiver (which translates to “winter farm”) where they grow strawberries during the off-season. In order to safeguard local supply chains and promote the development of more sustainable produce farming, the 2018-founded firm blends precision agriculture with engineering systems and AI. Their objectives are to replace 10% of Canada's imported strawberries, develop a market for exports to the Northeastern US, and implement their technological solutions globally.

The strawberries are gradually making their way to the IGA grocery stores throughout 2023 and will be available across Quebec at the beginning of 2024. Overall, vertical farming is a promising eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to traditional agriculture. The transition is slow, but with time, the adoption of vertical farms may be worth our time in trying to combat climate change.  

 

IMG: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IFarm.fi_Vertical_farm_Finland.jpg