{"id":115,"date":"2021-09-02T09:22:36","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T09:22:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.plantagbiosciences.org\/people\/daire-houlihan\/?p=115"},"modified":"2021-09-02T09:22:37","modified_gmt":"2021-09-02T09:22:37","slug":"up-not-out-is-the-future-of-climate-resilient-farming-vertical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.plantagbiosciences.org\/people\/daire-houlihan\/2021\/09\/02\/up-not-out-is-the-future-of-climate-resilient-farming-vertical\/","title":{"rendered":"Up, not out – Is the future of climate-resilient farming vertical?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s a familiar line\u00a0in the context of city planning and development. \u2018Build up, not out\u2019 –\u00a0transitioning the development of our cities toward a high-rise model will cut commuters\u2019 journey times, reduce emissions, and\u00a0protect\u00a0the biodiversity that would otherwise\u00a0be\u00a0paved\u00a0over\u00a0through the building of sprawling suburban estates.\u00a0The concept of \u2018Vertical Farming\u2019\u00a0(VF)\u00a0may not,\u00a0however,\u00a0be quite so well-known.\u00a0Also\u00a0termed\u00a0Vertical Agriculture,\u00a0the process involves growing crops indoors,\u00a0in\u00a0vertically stacked\u00a0layers, 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.\u00a0Generally, produce grown in these indoor\u00a0farms\u00a0can 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,\u00a0potentially reducing food waste.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Photo Credit: Oasis Biotech (Found at\u00a0https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/media\/blog\/2018\/08\/14\/vertical-farming-future)\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The stacked nature of the facilities also means\u00a0that the sprawl of\u00a0traditional\u00a0agricultural lands\u00a0is avoided, and landscapes are therefore preserved.\u00a0The lack of pesticides, and protection from the unpredictable nature of the elements has seen it become increasingly popular.\u00a0Vertical farms have been installed in abandoned mine shafts, shipping containers, and derelict buildings. Farmers Weekly1<\/sup>\u00a0noted its global value to be \u00a31.72 billion in 2018, with\u00a0experts predicting this could rise to \u00a39.84 billion by 2026.\u00a0The US, and Japan are world leaders, but other countries uptake is seeing a steady increase too.\u00a0VF,\u00a0like\u00a0most things, is no silver\u00a0bullet.\u00a0Where\u00a0VF facilities are tied to the grid, the carbon footprint can\u00a0be\u00a0greater than traditional methods of production.\u00a0Djavid\u00a0Amidi-Abraham, of Agritecture2<\/sup>\u00a0calculated that a container farm\u00a0connected to the\u00a0New York grid produced roughly 8.19\u00a0lbs\u00a0of CO2 for every\u00a0lb\u00a0of lettuce\u00a0grown. This compared poorly with lettuce grown in\u00a0California and\u00a0transported traditionally. The produce grown in this case\u00a0produced\u00a0roughly 0.31\u00a0lbs\u00a0of CO2 per\u00a0lb\u00a0of\u00a0lettuce and\u00a0considered\u00a0waste due to transport.\u00a0This is not to say VF is without hope as a sustainable alternative to traditional growth methods.\u00a0OneFarm<\/a>3<\/sup>, a Dutch VF company carried out a study that indicated VF\u00a0can be far more efficient when connected to a renewable energy source, like wind power.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plenty<\/a><\/strong>, a San Francisco based leader in VF methods. Source:\u00a0https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/food\/article\/With-huge-new-vertical-farm-Plenty-s-produce-14021237.php\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We do of course need to view these studies through a critical lens due to their potentially bias nature, but there is certainly some evidence to indicate VF will have a strong role to play in securing\u00a0climate resilient\u00a0crop production, certainly in major cities,\u00a0going forward.\u00a0The\u00a0lack of soil in\u00a0these aeroponic or hydroponic systems of growth\u00a0means no pesticides, and issues such as salinity and waterlogging don\u2019t threaten the crops. With electronic sensors guaranteeing the\u00a0correct amount of heat, nutrients, and LED light,\u00a0improved\u00a0crop\u00a0predictability\u00a0is ensured.\u00a0With\u00a0up to 40% of the world\u2019s food\u00a0crops lost4<\/sup>\u00a0during the \u2018farm to fork\u2019 phase,\u00a0this is invaluable. Additionally, the lower water consumption, and year-round growing capacities make VF worth persevering with.\u00a0It\u2019s going to be interesting watching its development as we move towards 2030, and the hopeful\u00a0realisation\u00a0of the UN\u2019s Sustainable Development Goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bibliography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. https:\/\/www.fwi.co.uk\/arable\/crop-management\/why-vertical-farming-is-growing-in-the-uk<\/a>\u00a0<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    1. https:\/\/www.agritecture.com\/blog\/2021\/1\/20\/calculating-the-carbon-footprint-of-vertical-farming-and-traditional-farming<\/a> <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      1. https:\/\/www.onefarm.io\/post\/2018\/12\/04\/our-new-report-sustainable-vertical-farming-outperforms-other-agricultural-methods-on-co2<\/a> <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        1. https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/wasted-food-IP.pdf<\/a>  <\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          It\u2019s a familiar line\u00a0in the context of city planning and development. \u2018Build up, not out\u2019 –\u00a0transitioning the development of our cities toward a high-rise model will cut commuters\u2019 journey times, reduce emissions, and\u00a0protect\u00a0the biodiversity that would otherwise\u00a0be\u00a0paved\u00a0over\u00a0through the building of sprawling suburban estates.\u00a0The concept of \u2018Vertical Farming\u2019\u00a0(VF)\u00a0may not,\u00a0however,\u00a0be quite so well-known.\u00a0Also\u00a0termed\u00a0Vertical Agriculture,\u00a0the process involves growing … <\/p>\n

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