Growing food vertically is the way of the future for urban food production

Something green is growing in the middle of a metropolis, in the midst of glass buildings and the buzzing bustle of traffic; it is doing so in a way that is unobtrusive, efficient, and against all odds. It is neither a park, nor is it a garden on the rooftop. The location is a farm. Not the sort that involves tractors, vast fields, and boots that are covered in muck. There is a vertical farm here, a high-tech utopia where lettuce grows under LED lights, strawberries mature in climate-controlled towers, and basil flourishes in nutrient-rich mist. All of these plants are piled floor by floor like a skyscraper of vegetables. A revolutionary solution that is redefining how we produce food, where we grow it, and how we feed a world that is fast urbanizing is developing in the form of vertical farming. This is happening as cities continue to rise and countryside continues to shrink.

Growing Concerns Regarding the Food Crisis in Urban Areas
City dwellers will account for roughly 70 percent of the world’s population by the year 2050. That’s billions of people crammed into tight metropolitan centers, most of which are located in regions that are traditionally agricultural. While this is going on, the amount of land that is suitable for agricultural use is diminishing as a result of climate change, soil degradation, and unrelenting urban development. The matter becomes more pressing when one considers the fact that the cost of transporting food is increasing, that long-distance supply networks have a carbon footprint, and that global food systems are susceptible to disruptions, as was observed during the COVID-19 epidemic.

How will we provide food for the cities of the future?

This is where vertical farming comes into play; it is not only an invention; rather, it is a matter of need.

Exactly what does it mean to farm vertically?
Growing crops in stacked levels, often indoors, utilizing controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) is the fundamental method of vertical farming. Vertical farming is also known as vertical farming. The farms in question make use of LEDs rather than sunlight. Instead of using soil, they depend on hydroponics, aeroponics, or aquaponics, which are various systems that feed nutrients to the roots of plants directly via the use of water or mist.With this method, plants are able to develop more quickly, more cleanly, and throughout the whole year, regardless of the weather, the season, or the environment.

Imagine a warehouse in Brooklyn that has been refurbished and is growing fresh kale throughout the month of December. Alternatively, a skyscraper in Tokyo that is 10 floors tall that grows strawberries. In the sweltering heat of the desert, a cargo container in Dubai may be producing vegetables. Vertical farming is not something that has been envisaged but is actually taking place.

The Most Important Advantages: Why Vertical Farming Is Important
1. Lessacres of land, more food
The fact that vertical farming makes optimal use of space is perhaps one of the most striking elements of this method. Vertical farms, which extend upward rather than outward, are able to produce anywhere from ten to one hundred times more food per square foot than conventional farms. This presents a significant challenge in regions where land is either limited or costly.

It is possible for a single acre of vertical farming to produce as much food as ten to twenty acres of open agriculture, and this may be accomplished without the need to clear forests or alter natural ecosystems.

2. Exclusion of all pesticides and contamination
Vertical farms that are housed within are enclosed habitats. Because of this, there will be no need for hazardous pesticides, insects, or fungus that are carried by the wind. The cultivation of produce under sterile conditions results in food that is both cleaner and safer. Particularly relevant is the fact that leafy greens, which are often recalled owing to contamination in traditional agriculture, are included in this category. There is no waste, no mud, and no E. coli in vertical farms because there is no mud.

3. Effective use of water
Conventional agriculture consumes an astounding 70 percent of the freshwater that is available on the planet, and a significant portion of this water is lost due to evaporation, runoff, or irrigation that is not effective.

On the other hand, vertical farms recycle between 95 and 99 percent of their water supply via the use of closed-loop technologies that preserve every drop. There is a quiet revolution taking place in a world that is experiencing a rising water shortage.

4. Quick, fresh, and locally sourced
Food does not have to travel hundreds or thousands of kilometers only to reach its destination since vertical farms may be constructed inside cities. It is possible to harvest it in the morning and on the same day, it may be found on a shop shelf (or on your plate).

This results in a reduction in carbon emissions, a reduction in prices, and the provision of very fresh product to customers that has a greater nutritional value and a longer shelf life.

Obstacles On the Path to Success
It goes without saying that vertical farming is not devoid of challenges.

1. Excessive use of energy
Electricity is used, and sometimes a significant amount of it, when artificial lights, temperature controls, and irrigation systems are operating around the clock. It is possible that the environmental advantages will be diminished if the energy source is fossil fuels.

So what is the good news? These days, a lot of vertical farms are switching to using solar, wind, or geothermal energy to power their systems, which makes them genuinely environmentally friendly.

2. Exorbitant upfront expenses
It is not inexpensive to construct a vertical farm. An initial expenditure of a significant amount is required for the infrastructure, lighting, software, and equipment. In spite of this, costs are decreasing as a result of the maturation of technology and the use of economies of scale, and investors are flooding in.

3. There is a limited variety of crops (for the time being).
in the moment, vertical farms are particularly effective in cultivating microgreens, herbs, and leafy greens. But what about cereals, veggies with roots, and fruit trees? It is not quite yet.

There is continuous research to broaden the range of crops that can be grown vertically, and with the advancements that have been made in genetic engineering and farming driven by artificial intelligence, more is becoming conceivable each year.

4. AI, robotics, and automation all play a role in this.
Data-driven ecosystems are what modern vertical farms are all about. The demands of each plant, including light, water, nutrients, and temperature, are monitored by artificial intelligence, which then makes adjustments to the environment in real time to ensure optimum development.

Planting, trimming, and harvesting are all tasks that may be performed with surgical precision by drones and robotic arms. In some farms, the only time that people come into contact with the product is when it is being packaged.

It is not just farming; rather, it is farming rethought for the sake of the digital era.

Farming in a Vertical Horizon Around the World

The tendency is not exclusive to the Western world. New vertical farms are appearing all over the world:
In order to increase its level of food independence, Singapore, a country with a limited amount of land, has used vertical farming.
Japan, a pioneer in the field of indoor farming, has constructed lettuce factories that are operated by robots.
To reduce its reliance on imports, the United Arab Emirates is constructing vertical farms in the desert.
The Netherlands, which is already a dominant force in the agriculture sector, is making significant investments in vertical and indoor technology.
While this is going on, vertical farms are being incorporated into grocery stores, schools, restaurants, and even subterranean tunnels and parking garages in places such as New York, London, Paris, and Shanghai.

Sky gardens and grocery skyscrapers: what’s in store for the future?
After twenty years had passed. You enter the grocery shop that is located in your area. Instead of a truck dumping greens from a farm in the distance, you walk by glass walls that contain lettuce that is growing under the illumination of LED lights inside them. Another possibility is that apartment buildings may be designed such that each member produces their own food in a communal vertical garden. For example, residents could pick strawberries for breakfast without ever having to leave the building. Vertical farming has the potential to become as commonplace as high-speed internet, a basic infrastructure for city living, as urban density continues to rise and the need for sustainability becomes more pressing.

Tags: Growing food vertically is the way of the future for urban food production.