By Paolo von Schirach
President, Global Policy Institute; Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Bay Atlantic University, both in Washington, DC
Soon enough the lettuce or kale that you buy at your favorite supermarket will be grown next door to it, in a high rise building. It will be reasonably priced and it will have great taste, just like the produce you are used to that is now grown far away, in large farms and then transported in refrigerated trucks to your market.
Is this even possible? Yes, it is. In the US and abroad there are already large, commercially viable, vertical farming corporations: Futurae Farms, (US), Cubic Farms, (Canada), Aero Farms, (United Arab Emirates), among many others. They are all running profitable businesses growing produce in urban environments. This is still a nascent industry. But we are way beyond the pilot project phase.
But why engage in this new farming method? Because it offers value to consumers, and it is profitable since it cuts many costs associated with traditional agriculture. Besides, it is friendly to the environment.
Traditional farming, while much more efficient than it used to be, created significant problems. Think about deforestation, especially in developing countries, in order to create more arable land to grow additional amounts of food. Think about the enormous amounts of water required to irrigate vast fields –a real problem in drought afflicted regions, or densely populated areas in which there is fierce competition for limited amount of water, pitting city dwellers against the water needs of industry and agriculture. Think about all the fertilizer used to maximize crops yield. Much of it becomes runoff that ends up in streams and rivers, causing major environmental damage that results in many cases in the destruction of fragile ecosystems. And think also about the complex and energy intensive, therefore high cost, “cold chain” system necessary to guarantee that most of the produce will not rot in often long journeys from farm to the supermarket shelf. Last but not least, think about all the energy used by farm equipment.
Vertical urban farming will eliminate all these problems. Lettuce is grown in a constant cycle, in an enclosed environment in which light, moisture, nutrients and humidity will be customized and optimized for the best results for each type of vegetable. Besides, growing vertically means that yield per square foot explodes. Imagine 20 floors of peas. Most notably, in this controlled environment water consumption is minimal. Besides, no need for fertilizers and pesticides that can have adverse health effects.
If all this applies to developed countries, in developing countries the value proposition is even more significant, especially if we take into account that most of the population in these countries is now urban. In many regions of Africa or Asia water is scarce and expensive. Besides, inefficient cold chains and long journeys from farm to market mean that a large percentage of perishable crops rot before the truck gets to the store.
So, here we go. Urban vertical farming means good food, reasonably priced. It also means huge water and energy savings. Besides, no need to purchase fertilizers and pesticides. Finally, it means reforestation of enormous tracts of land currently used to grow food. What is not to like about all this?