No other species other than man has been able to radically alter the planet in order to sustain agriculture. There are tropical ants that harvest leaves in order to raise fungi for the colony, but most vertebrates must rely on the natural food chain. Centuries of technological development have allowed humans to spread to every livable spot on Earth, but at a very high environmental cost. Vertical farming systems today are becoming an increasingly realistic option.
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 vision of a peaceful family farm has disappeared in real life. To be profitable, big agriculture must rely on industrial practices that stress heavy pesticide use and practice mono-culture with genetically engineered plants. Even though few people would sensibly or realistically argue for scaling down agribusiness, current practices have resulted in fragmented natural ecosystems and disappearing habitats.
Vertical agriculture is similar in principle to back-yard container gardening utilizing several tiered levels, rather than one large growing area. Many plants considered ideal for large outdoor plots actually thrive when planted in specially designed upright structures. When applied to large-scale crop production, high-rise farming gets comparable results using less soil and fertilizer, making it ideal for urban life.
Greenhouses have existed for centuries, and the new high-rise concepts expand on that success. Ideally, vertical agriculture could produce enough to sustain the inhabitants of a large city without relying on imported resources. While most methods currently being tested exclude animal husbandry, creatures such as pigs or chickens are already being grown in comparatively restricted spaces.
There are many advantages to adopting this system. Weather-related crop failures would disappear as long as electrical power remains constant. There would be little reliance on fossil fuels used to power outdoor farm equipment, and the current plague of pesticide runoff problems could be eliminated. Water could be recycled and reused many times, and animal and plant diseases more readily contained and defeated.
Most crop field waste would be reduced, and the remaining vegetable materials recycled. Big agriculture produces large quantities of methane, a gas that can be scrubbed and burned for electrical generation in a high-rise production facility. Unused power could be fed to the grid, much like solar panels do today. Urban workers with grim employment prospects could find rewarding jobs raising crops on a year-round schedule.
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 vision of a peaceful family farm has disappeared in real life. To be profitable, big agriculture must rely on industrial practices that stress heavy pesticide use and practice mono-culture with genetically engineered plants. Even though few people would sensibly or realistically argue for scaling down agribusiness, current practices have resulted in fragmented natural ecosystems and disappearing habitats.
Vertical agriculture is similar in principle to back-yard container gardening utilizing several tiered levels, rather than one large growing area. Many plants considered ideal for large outdoor plots actually thrive when planted in specially designed upright structures. When applied to large-scale crop production, high-rise farming gets comparable results using less soil and fertilizer, making it ideal for urban life.
Greenhouses have existed for centuries, and the new high-rise concepts expand on that success. Ideally, vertical agriculture could produce enough to sustain the inhabitants of a large city without relying on imported resources. While most methods currently being tested exclude animal husbandry, creatures such as pigs or chickens are already being grown in comparatively restricted spaces.
There are many advantages to adopting this system. Weather-related crop failures would disappear as long as electrical power remains constant. There would be little reliance on fossil fuels used to power outdoor farm equipment, and the current plague of pesticide runoff problems could be eliminated. Water could be recycled and reused many times, and animal and plant diseases more readily contained and defeated.
Most crop field waste would be reduced, and the remaining vegetable materials recycled. Big agriculture produces large quantities of methane, a gas that can be scrubbed and burned for electrical generation in a high-rise production facility. Unused power could be fed to the grid, much like solar panels do today. Urban workers with grim employment prospects could find rewarding jobs raising crops on a year-round schedule.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment