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[1]

The concept

Vertical farming is an unproven theory that, by cultivating agricultural products in skyscrapers, claims to solve the food crisis and offer a green solution to farming. Based on the work of Dickson Despommier, vertical farms are skyscrapers in urban environments, built up of floors of crops grown hydroponically year round. [1] Wikipedia:Hydroponics (from the Greek words hydro, water and ponos, labor) is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. [2] In theory, vertical farming would reduce the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides by keeping the crops in a controlled environment, and avoids the problems of agricultural run-off by keeping all agricultural activities confined to the vertical farming system. [1] In other words, a vertical farm would double as a water-treatment and waste-recycling facility. [3] Vertical farming advocates also believe that by converting to three dimensional agriculture, the ecosystems that have been consumed by farmland could be returned to their previous state. [4] The projected design could rise over 18 stories and feed 50,000 people from a city block. Despommier’s vision was to rid the world of agriculturally transmitted diseases, but in turn seeks to ambitiously solve the world food crisis. [5]

Urban farming

Engineering principles

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Concept map of a vertical farm [6]

Vertical farming will encompass a variety of existing techologies into its potential design and methodology. Current discussions involve, but are not limited to, an understanding of the following engineering systems:

Hydroponics | Aeroponics | Drip irrigation

Greenhouses

Composting

Wikipedia:Photosynthesis

Wikipedia:Carbon capture and storage

Fuel cells

Solar power

Rainwater harvesting

Incinerators

A plethora of concept drawings exist for vertical farms. Despommier describes 30 story skyscrapers that exploit different growing techniques on various floors. Solar panels on the outsides of the building and an incinerator for plant waste are to provide energy for the building. City wastewater would be used to irrigate the plants. Artificial light and sunlight provide the energy for photosynthesis. Finally, the system would be expected to have a nursery, control lab and groceries on site. [7]

Resource consumption

Energy

It is predicted that energy consumption by vertical farms will be exorbant. Lower level floors would require artificial light sources year round or mechanism to promote photosynthesis. Additional energy would be needed to fuel all levels during darker winter months. [5] Bruce Bugbee, a crop physiologist at Utah State University in Logan, predicts that "We're talking gigawatts of power, just huge amounts of power [to grow crops indoors], compared to free sunlight outside," and Bugbee also notes that "Typical office light is only about one percent as intense as the full sunlight needed to grow crops." [8]

Water

Despommier's outlook is a system that reduces water consumption by 70% compared to traditional agriculture. [9] His website, The Vertical Farm, explains that vertical farming could virtually eliminate agricultural runoff through water recycling, converts wastewater to potable water within the system and could potentially " reduce the incidence of armed conflict over natural resources, such as water and land for agriculture." [10]

Transport

A foreseen benefit of vertical farming is a susbstantial cut of transportation costs associated with traditional rural farming. In theory, harvesting in urban skyscrapers would mean that food is distributed locally year-round. Despommier suggests that by bringing agriculture into a controlled, monitored and self-contained environment, the system will reduce spoilage, contamination and energy costs in an effort to offset the infrastructure and energy costs of the proposed system. [7]

Natural resources

References

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