It’s a familiar line in the context of city planning and development. ‘Build up, not out’ – transitioning the development of our cities toward a high-rise model will cut commuters’ journey times, reduce emissions, and protect the biodiversity that would otherwise be paved over through the building of sprawling suburban estates. The concept of ‘Vertical Farming’ (VF) may not, however, be quite so well-known. Also termed Vertical Agriculture, the process involves growing crops indoors, in vertically stacked layers, like shelving in a store. The plants are grown in facilities where temperature, light, water, and other elements are controlled, allowing for optimum growth conditions all year round. Generally, produce grown in these indoor farms can be produced at a point in the supply chain, physically much closer to the end destination (supermarkets etc.). This, in turn, can lead to big reductions in the miles travelled, potentially reducing food waste.
Continue reading “Up, not out – Is the future of climate-resilient farming vertical?”Tropical Coasts – How Blue Ventures use remote sensing to fortify food security
Introduction Last year, we entered a so-called ‘decade of action’ on climate change, with the targeted achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) critical. As part of this, the secretary-general of the United Nations, António Guterres, will convene a Food Systems Summit later this year. The body of work hoped to be achieved by this summit will be supported by a spine consisting five key action tracks: 1. Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all; 2. Shift to sustainable consumption patterns; 3. Boost nature-positive production; 4. Advance equitable livelihoods; 5. Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stress. This blog post will look at Action Track 1 and delve into a possible solution in detail.
“When they function well, food systems have the power to bring us together as families, communities and nations. – UN Action Tracks”
Continue reading “Tropical Coasts – How Blue Ventures use remote sensing to fortify food security”