Vertical Farming
By Ethan Lee
By Ethan Lee
Climate change continues to increase global temperatures and limit everyday actions, and one of its major causes includes none other than agriculture. Through livestock, fertilizers, and unhealthy cultivation methods, massive amounts of greenhouse gases are emitted every day. However, scientists have recently discovered a brand new way to sustain essential resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions simultaneously — vertical farming has positively impacted the culture and methods of agriculture.
Vertical farming can be defined as a method of growing crops in vertically stacked layers, often in controlled environments such as indoor warehouses or skyscrapers, utilizing soilless techniques like hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics. This technique was discovered by microbiologist Dickson Despommier, with an initial aim of providing sustenance for personal households or communities, rather than catering to wholesale production and distribution.
However, as climate change interfered with traditional agricultural practices, vertical farming was implemented as a possible solution to sustain both arable land and water. Eden Green Technology explicitly states that vertical farming uses 98% less water and 99% less land while producing year-round harvests, in comparison to horizontal fields. Because the impacts of climate change include rapid deforestation and soil degradation, vertical farming can help recover a third of the arable land that the Earth has already lost.
In the realm of vertical farming lie several types of methods that have different aims and purposes. For both farms and households to be provided with food, the "mixed-use skyscraper" method makes plants cultivated in open air so that anyone can utilize the crops for their own good. Other methods include Depommier’s skyscrapers, which are used on a commercial scale to combat climate change, and the use of shipping containers, which help grow more plants in a limited space.
Although vertical farming is an innovative way to combat the reduction of arable land, several disadvantages still exist. High initial costs serve as a major con, as this method requires specialized equipment, such as the use of hydroponic systems. Furthermore, because these plants need to stay in a controlled environment, the process can be very energy-intensive, which may waste huge amounts of energy in a short duration. Nevertheless, vertical farming still functions as a clever method that holds great potential to change the traditions of agriculture.
Works Cited
Funk, Bryson. “What You Should Know about Vertical Farming.” Eden Green Technology, 9 Jan. 2024, www.edengreen.com/blog-collection/what-is-vertical-farming.
Behera, Rajeeb Kumar, et al. Vertical Farming. Just Agriculture, vol. 4, issue 8, April 2024, www.justagriculture.in/files/newsletter/2024/april/59.%20Vertical%20Farming.pdf. PDF file.
Mottech. “Understanding the Pros and Cons of Vertical Farming.” Mottech, 23 Nov. 2022, mottech.com/news/understanding-the-pros-and-cons-of-vertical-farming/.