Aside from humanity, no other species has intentionally and radically altered the surface of the planet to produce food. Insects such as ants grow and harvest fungi, but most wild creatures rely on the established natural food chain. Agriculture has permitted people to inhabit nearly every livable spot on earth, but that mobility comes with a steep price tag for the environment. Indoor vertical farming systems provide an alternative to traditional food production.
As arable land and water supplies suitable for large-scale agriculture continue to decrease due to over-use and climate change, new methods of food production are no longer considered the realm of science fiction. The idea of creating farms in buildings that stretch upward rather than outward has existed for decades, but has not been considered a large-scale alternative until this century.
The idealized family farm of years past no longer exists on a practical level. A world population that exceeds several billion demands industrial-scale growing practices that rely on pesticides and genetically engineered super-plants to turn a profit. Although no one is actually suggesting agriculture be scaled back, current growing methods have resulted in fragmented ecosystems and widespread habitat destruction.
Back-yard or deck gardens often make use of multi-tiered pots having several growing levels, and large-scale vertical agriculture uses the same principles. Many plants that are traditionally raised on large outdoor plots actually thrive when planted in upright structures. When applied to high-rise agriculture, comparable harvests are produced using less soil and supplemental fertilizer, allowing farms to flourish in the shadow of skyscrapers.
These methods expand on the same principles used by greenhouses, which have existed in various forms for hundreds of years. Theoretically, the inhabitants of a major city could grow enough food for all inhabitants without resorting to imports. Although most of the experimental farms today concentrate on plant-life, animals such as chickens or pigs already adapt well to life in small spaces.
The advantages of this type of growing system are numerous. As long as the power supply remains consistent, there is little or no weather-related crop damage. Pesticide runoff that currently plagues agricultural areas becomes practically non-existent, as does reliance on fossil fuels to power machinery or make field fertilizers. Water can easily be reclaimed and reused, and there are fewer opportunities for plant and animal disease transmission.
Many currently wasted field products could be used, or simply recycled. Big agriculture today is a major producer of methane, a gas that can be captured and cleaned for electrical generation inside a closed system. Excess power could be added to the existing grid. Able residents with few prospects for employment could find greater opportunities in urban farming, and could produce local products year-round.
The biggest winner would be the environment. If human farm production outdoors were to be cut back significantly, many ecologically and environmentally stressed areas would immediately begin to recover, as has happened before with older, collapsed civilizations that have been reclaimed by nature. While this concept will probably never completely eliminate traditional methods of farming, it is a concept that is becoming increasingly practical.
As arable land and water supplies suitable for large-scale agriculture continue to decrease due to over-use and climate change, new methods of food production are no longer considered the realm of science fiction. The idea of creating farms in buildings that stretch upward rather than outward has existed for decades, but has not been considered a large-scale alternative until this century.
The idealized family farm of years past no longer exists on a practical level. A world population that exceeds several billion demands industrial-scale growing practices that rely on pesticides and genetically engineered super-plants to turn a profit. Although no one is actually suggesting agriculture be scaled back, current growing methods have resulted in fragmented ecosystems and widespread habitat destruction.
Back-yard or deck gardens often make use of multi-tiered pots having several growing levels, and large-scale vertical agriculture uses the same principles. Many plants that are traditionally raised on large outdoor plots actually thrive when planted in upright structures. When applied to high-rise agriculture, comparable harvests are produced using less soil and supplemental fertilizer, allowing farms to flourish in the shadow of skyscrapers.
These methods expand on the same principles used by greenhouses, which have existed in various forms for hundreds of years. Theoretically, the inhabitants of a major city could grow enough food for all inhabitants without resorting to imports. Although most of the experimental farms today concentrate on plant-life, animals such as chickens or pigs already adapt well to life in small spaces.
The advantages of this type of growing system are numerous. As long as the power supply remains consistent, there is little or no weather-related crop damage. Pesticide runoff that currently plagues agricultural areas becomes practically non-existent, as does reliance on fossil fuels to power machinery or make field fertilizers. Water can easily be reclaimed and reused, and there are fewer opportunities for plant and animal disease transmission.
Many currently wasted field products could be used, or simply recycled. Big agriculture today is a major producer of methane, a gas that can be captured and cleaned for electrical generation inside a closed system. Excess power could be added to the existing grid. Able residents with few prospects for employment could find greater opportunities in urban farming, and could produce local products year-round.
The biggest winner would be the environment. If human farm production outdoors were to be cut back significantly, many ecologically and environmentally stressed areas would immediately begin to recover, as has happened before with older, collapsed civilizations that have been reclaimed by nature. While this concept will probably never completely eliminate traditional methods of farming, it is a concept that is becoming increasingly practical.
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