The total number of humans currently living is 8 billion (June 2022) with this number expected to reach 9 billion by the year 2037. This massive growth in world population means space is becoming an issue, as is food production.
Fields and greenhouses to grow crops take up space, but vertical farming saves it.
What is vertical farming?
Vertical farming is the name given to a system where crops are grown vertically/stacked in towers indoors. The main goal of this agriculture system is to allow farmers to produce more crops in a limited space.
Vertical farming uses towers filled with crops, cultivated using natural and artificial light to maintain the perfect light level for growth. Vertical farming also uses up to 95% less water than traditional farming.
What are the benefits of vertical farming?
Vertical farming has many benefits to offer both consumers and producers and is environmentally friendly.
#Reliable supply of food in small places
Vertical farming allows growers to cultivate more food in less space, increasing food supplies to meet the growing need and demand for fresh produce. As urbanisation increases, vertical farms allow more people to access locally grown produce.
Research has shown that you can get about 4 to 6 acres of crop production capacity in one acre of vertical farming. In a 30-storey building, you could potentially produce the same crops as around 2400 acres of traditional farmland.
#Helps to conserve the earth
Vertical farming significantly reduces the carbon footprint of farming and transportation costs. If fresh produce can be sourced locally, there isn’t the need for us to get produce from elsewhere on the globe flown over via plane or driven in trucks.
Farming in this way also uses less land and doesn’t unsettle the environment allowing biodiversity to flourish.
It also saves water, as vertical farms tend to use between 70 and 90% less water than traditional farms.
Produce isn’t exposed to chemicals, pesticides, or disease – creating organic produce.
#Bad weather will be a thing of the past
Climate change has already started to affect farmers worldwide with extreme weather such as flooding and heatwaves.
Vertical farming avoids costly damage caused by the outside environment as crops aren’t affected or ruined by unpredictable factors such as the weather or pests. There will be much greater certainty of the harvest throughout the year.
#Less occupational hazards for farmers
Vertical farmers aren’t exposed to hazardous equipment, diseases, or poisonous chemicals and are no longer in danger.
#Better quality crops for all
Vertical farming allows for the creation of produce that is of consistent quality and quantity. Also, the produce grown on vertical farms tends to be more nutritious as the plants’ fertilising nutrients are controlled.
As you can see, vertical farming can help lessen the effects of world hunger and climate change – and can be set up practically anywhere. It creates no loss of nutrients to the environment, uses less equipment than traditional farming, has better control of waste, and has no loss of productivity due to weather.
To find out more about Gelponics technology and how it can help you with vertical farming, please contact us.
