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 arable land and water supplies suitable for large-scale agriculture continue to decrease due to over-use and climate change, new methods of food production are no longer considered the realm of science fiction. The idea of creating farms in buildings that stretch upward rather than outward has existed for decades, but has not been considered a large-scale alternative until this century.
The idealized family farm of years past no longer exists on a practical level. A world population that exceeds several billion demands industrial-scale growing practices that rely on pesticides and genetically engineered super-plants to turn a profit. Although no one is actually suggesting agriculture be scaled back, current growing methods have resulted in fragmented ecosystems and widespread habitat destruction.
Large-scale upright agriculture uses the same principles as back-yard plant containers having built-in tiers or growing levels. Plants that normally require a comparatively large plot of ground if planted horizontally often thrive in an upright configuration. When the same principles are applied to crops raised in high-rises, comparable harvests are produced using consistently less land area, allowing agriculture to thrive in urban areas.
High-rise food production builds on the proven success of greenhouses, which have existed in some form for many centuries. Theoretically, vertical growers could sustain an entire urban population without importing any basic products. Most of the centers in current operation do not include animals, but smaller creatures such as chickens or even pigs are already being successfully grown in small spaces.
There are numerous advantages to high-rise agriculture. Crop failure due to storm damage is reduced or eliminated as long as electrical power is available. Toxic runoff from pesticides is a proven hazard in some regions, but would be far easier to control using vertical systems. Fossil fuels used to power farm machinery would not be needed, and there would be practically no water waste. Animal and plant diseases could be more easily controlled.
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 environment. If human farm production outdoors were to be cut back significantly, many ecologically and environmentally stressed areas would immediately begin to recover, as has happened before with older, collapsed civilizations that have been reclaimed by nature. While this concept will probably never completely eliminate traditional methods of farming, it is a concept that is becoming increasingly practical.
As arable land and water supplies suitable for large-scale agriculture continue to decrease due to over-use and climate change, new methods of food production are no longer considered the realm of science fiction. The idea of creating farms in buildings that stretch upward rather than outward has existed for decades, but has not been considered a large-scale alternative until this century.
The idealized family farm of years past no longer exists on a practical level. A world population that exceeds several billion demands industrial-scale growing practices that rely on pesticides and genetically engineered super-plants to turn a profit. Although no one is actually suggesting agriculture be scaled back, current growing methods have resulted in fragmented ecosystems and widespread habitat destruction.
Large-scale upright agriculture uses the same principles as back-yard plant containers having built-in tiers or growing levels. Plants that normally require a comparatively large plot of ground if planted horizontally often thrive in an upright configuration. When the same principles are applied to crops raised in high-rises, comparable harvests are produced using consistently less land area, allowing agriculture to thrive in urban areas.
High-rise food production builds on the proven success of greenhouses, which have existed in some form for many centuries. Theoretically, vertical growers could sustain an entire urban population without importing any basic products. Most of the centers in current operation do not include animals, but smaller creatures such as chickens or even pigs are already being successfully grown in small spaces.
There are numerous advantages to high-rise agriculture. Crop failure due to storm damage is reduced or eliminated as long as electrical power is available. Toxic runoff from pesticides is a proven hazard in some regions, but would be far easier to control using vertical systems. Fossil fuels used to power farm machinery would not be needed, and there would be practically no water waste. Animal and plant diseases could be more easily controlled.
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 environment. If human farm production outdoors were to be cut back significantly, many ecologically and environmentally stressed areas would immediately begin to recover, as has happened before with older, collapsed civilizations that have been reclaimed by nature. While this concept will probably never completely eliminate traditional methods of farming, it is a concept that is becoming increasingly practical.
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