Urban Agriculture and Vertical Farming

Figure 1. (lena_volvo, 2022).

According to the World Resources Institute, “There will be 10 billion people on Earth by 2050.” (Ranganathan et al., 2018) This means that there will be approximately 2 billion more mouths to feed as well. Can our current global food systems sustainably feed 10 billion people? Long story short- no, they cannot.

How will we feed that many people?

Imagine a future where food is produced in every major city. Fruit and vegetables are cheaper and fresher because they are grown 10 minutes away. Perhaps most importantly, healthy food is accessible to everyone. This future is possible, and it begins

with urban agriculture and vertical farming.

Urban Agriculture

Agriculture is limited by the space and resources in a specific area. In a journal on innovation and sustainability, Faraji et al. quote, “…an agricultural area equal in size to roughly half of South America will be needed to feed this larger population.” (Leridon, 2020, as cited in Faraji et al., 2023) Urban agriculture could help address this problem.

Urban agriculture is the cultivation of fruits and vegetables in urban areas (Faraji, 2023). It also includes distributing food within the city, recycling agricultural waste, collecting rainwater, and educating residents (Faraji, 2023). This practice dates back to Mesopotamia, where farmers tended crops inside the city walls. Today, urban agriculture takes place in two types of environments —controlled (greenhouses, etc.) and uncontrolled (roof gardens, institutional farms, living walls, etc.).

Vertical Farming

Vertical Farming is “viewed as an indoor-based farm in a high-rise building with climate control technologies and advanced agricultural systems.” (Faraji, 2023). There are pros and cons to this practice; however, because modern vertical farming is still relatively new, most of the cons are only concerns.

Potential Pros of vertical farming (Faraji, 2023):

·       Reduced chemical use

·       70-95% more water conservation

·       More control and security of agricultural products

·       Community effort in production

·       Improved food security

·       Reduced effects of climate change

·       Job opportunities.

Potential Cons of vertical farming (Yano et al., 2023):

·       Social resistance

·       Barriers (including but not limited to zoning, food safety, and environmental regulations)

·       Energy requirements

·       Affordability

Here are some pretty cool examples of urban agriculture and vertical farming from around the globe:

·       Pasona Building, Japan.

o   A recruitment firm refurbished a 50-year-old building. It includes a 3995- square-meter green space that supports around 200 plant species, including fruits, vegetables, and rice. Employees are encouraged to help care for the space, and the crops are eaten in the building's cafeteria.

Figure 2 and 3.

·       Thammasat University, Thailand

o   This is the largest urban rooftop farm in Asia. It is 236,806 square feet and encompasses 32% of the rooftop. This farm produces 40 plant species and yields 20 tons of food per year. The university building and rooftop farm are powered by solar panels that produce 500,000 watts per hour.

Figure 4 and 5.

·       Brooklyn Grange, New York

o   Originally a one-acre rooftop farm on top of a six-story warehouse built in 1919. Now spanning almost 5 acres across multiple rooftops, it produces over 80,000 pounds of produce a year.

Figure 6 and 7.

Citations:

Faraji, A., Hosseini, A., Zeinali Kermani, M., Mashatan, N., & Ardestani, S. (2023). Vertical farming. Journal on Innovation and Sustainability RISUS, 14(3), 166–181. https://doi.org/10.23925/2179-3565.2023v14i3p166-181

Ranganathan, J., Waite, R., Searchinger, T., & Hanson, C. (2018, December 5). How to sustainably feed 10 billion people by 2050, in 21 charts. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/how-sustainably-feed-10-billion-people-2050-21-charts

Yano, Y., Maruyama, A., Lu, N., & Takagaki, M. (2023, June 20). Consumer reaction to indoor farming using LED lighting technology and the effects of providing information thereon. Heliyon. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10320026/

Image Credits:

Figure 2 and 3- Kono Designs. (n.d.). https://konodesigns.com/urban-farm/

Figure 4 and 5- World Landscape Architecture. (2020). https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/thammasat-university-the-largest-urban-rooftop-farm-in-asia/?v=0b3b97fa6688

Figure 6 and 7- Brooklyn Grange. (n.d.). https://www.brooklyngrangefarm.com/about