Agriculture's future is a cause for concern and has to change. The population is expanding globally at a rate of 1% annually, however, certain nations are experiencing even greater growth. As time goes on, feeding this expanding population will undoubtedly become more difficult, which is prompting the adoption of sophisticated agricultural practices, such as vertical farming.
Current and previous agricultural practices are extremely detrimental to the environment, which only compounds the issue. Climate change, deforestation, and soil degradation have all been linked to agriculture. The issue is so serious that during the past 40 years, we've lost a third of our arable land.
What is Vertical Farming?
Vertical farming refers to cultivating on vertical surfaces as opposed to traditional, horizontal agriculture. Farmers may 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 viz., warehouses or shipping containers, greenhouses, or positioned in areas that would not normally be suitable for farming.
This type of farming, however, involves much more than merely piling up plants and hoping for the best. Artificial regulation of humidity, light, water, and temperature is necessary for the practice. It is possible to lose an entire crop if a delicate balance is not maintained, just as a typical farm might in the event of a drought or flood.
According to Extrapolate, the global vertical farming market is projected to reach USD 11.2 billion by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 25.2% over 2022-2028. This explains the increasing investments by numerous farming companies.
Tracing the History of Vertical Farming
Given the high-tech indoor farming businesses that are currently sprouting, it's simple to believe that this type of farming is a novel idea. However, the principles underlying the practice are centuries old. The Babylonian Hanging Gardens, which date back to about 2,500 years ago, are the first instance of vertical farming currently known.
Even hydroponic gardening has been around for a while. The Aztecs invented a variation of this method, known as chinampas, around a thousand years ago by cultivating their plants on rafts floating above rivers and lakes.
In the 1600s, a more cutting-edge type of farming emerged. French and Dutch farmers created their microclimates by figuring out how to produce fruits that do better in warmer regions next to heat-retentive stone walls. What are the types of Vertical Farms?
The following are some popular types of vertical farms:
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Vertical farms Within Structures
Vertical farms within structures represent a cutting-edge approach to agriculture, where crops are cultivated in stacked layers, often within urban environments or controlled indoor settings. This innovative farming technique maximizes space efficiency, allowing for the production of crops in vertically stacked layers, and is especially beneficial in densely populated urban areas with limited arable land.
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Container-Based Vertical Farms
Old or recycled shipping containers are outfitted with climate control sensors, vertically stacked farms, monitoring sensors, and LED lights. Such farms can work in minimal space while offering increased productivity.
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Subterranean Vertical Farms
These vertical farms, known as ‘deep farms’, are built in mine shafts, tunnels, or other underground spaces. Since the temperature and humidity are consistent, less energy is needed to heat them, and an underground water source can be used for water supply. In addition, these farms may generate 7 to 9 times as much food as a typical farm.
Major Vertical Farming Techniques
Hydroponics: Without the use of soil, plants can be grown using hydroponics. In vertical hydroponic farming, magnesium, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, and so on are submerged in the roots of the plants, which increases the likelihood of greater yield and reduced reliance on water.
According to studies, the production was 11 times higher than on conventional farms, using 13 times less water. As a result, the most popular technique for this type of farming is hydroponics.
Aquaponics: Aquaponics is a little more sophisticated technology than hydroponics that combines the production of plants with that of aquatic organisms in a closed-loop system that mimics nature.
Aeroponics: Aeroponics, as the name implies, uses air to grow plants rather than solid or liquid media. The air around the plants is treated with a liquid solution, which the plants employ to take in nutrients. It is the best approach because it doesn't need soil, water, or any growing medium.
What are the Advantages of Vertical Farms?
Given below are the top three advantages of vertical farms.
- Efficiency: Vertical farms use a small fraction of the land and water needed for conventional farming while producing more per acre. It also offers the advantage of year-round agricultural production. Considering how each crop has its own piece of land, multiple crops can even be harvested simultaneously.
- Adaptable to Climate: Traditional farming is vulnerable to erratic weather patterns and calamities like floods, droughts, and wildfires. Such factors are eliminated in a controlled vertical farming setting, making the supply chain process less vulnerable to disturbance.
- Environmental Protection: Vertical farms aid in resource conservation due to the ability to avoid the deforestation that comes with regular farming. When food is grown indoors, conventional farm machinery plowing, planting, and harvesting are reduced or eliminated, conserving the soil and lowering emissions.
Could Vertical Farms Provide Food for All?
While vertical farms are a fantastic option to address many of the issues regarding agriculture prevalent today, it is not a complete remedy. There will always be a need for alternative growing techniques because some crops will just not grow properly in such a setup.
However, by enabling farmers to cultivate wholesome, fresh foods in regions with poor food production, vertical farms can contribute to feeding the globe. Given that CEA (controlled environment agriculture) systems can accommodate any climate that plants may require, they can provide farmers with a means of growing crops without worrying about the consequences of climate change. Additionally, they enable us to feed the expanding population by growing more food in less space.
Final Thoughts
An inventive and environmentally friendly way to address the problems with traditional agriculture is through vertical farming. Despite external obstacles like climate or a lack of available land, this type of farming enables cultivation in controlled conditions by utilizing vertical space and cutting-edge technology.
Numerous advantages of this approach include higher agricultural yields, decreased water use, less need for pesticides and fertilizers, and lower transportation costs. Additionally, by facilitating local production, lowering dependency on imports, and shortening the supply chain, vertical farming supports food security. Additionally, bringing fresh, healthy produce closer to densely populated regions, can relieve urban food deserts.
Vertical farming is emerging as a potential strategy to address the rising global need for food while minimizing environmental effects as we progress toward a more sustainable future.