"Build it and They Will Come": The Growing Need for Vertical Farming

The phenomenon of agriculture and horticulture have evolved along with the very hands that pursued them. As the human race advanced around the globe, their capacities to utilize the land in which they settled followed suit. In fact, it has been through the use and knowledge of agriculture, that many historians have identified and classified specific regions of people.

Our world is slowly becoming overpopulated and supply is struggling to meet demand in light of an urban influx of society. Simply put, not enough land exists to be able to create enough food for our growing population to endure. Scientists predict that by the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth’s population will inhabit urban centers. Thinking conservatively, they have also speculated that the human population will increase by about three billion during the interim. At present, over 80% of the world’s land that is suitable for raising crops is currently in use. So, what is the answer of a problem that will undoubtedly loom ahead in the near future? Farm Vertically.

Although the concept of indoor farming isn't a new one, the urgency in which it needs to accommodate over three billion people has thus begun. The idea of vertical farming is that it could potentially offer a cheaper means of raising crops that takes up less space. The farms would be many stories high and conveniently located in the heart of the world’s urban centers. If they could be remotely successful in their implementation, vertical farms could offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply, and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been long-sacrificed for horizontal farming.

Because it took humans nearly 10,000 years to grow the crops we now take for granted, the concept of vertical farming seems almost far-fetched and unrealistic. However, only time will tell. As the number of hungry mouths begin to multiply, something will need to be done to satisfy the growing demand without leaving people helpless and hungry. So who do we turn to? Do we remain faithful to the overall- wearing, tobacco-chewing, tractor-driving farmers who work tirelessly to keep us fed? Or is this something that even their hard laborious work can’t fix? One thing is for sure, the technology of tomorrow will soon become the savior for today. Have YOU helped save the world today?


For more information, visit: verticalfarm.com, inhabitat.com

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