Vertical farms – Why waste land when you can grow food in skyscrapers?

[CHRISTINA]

Soil-based agriculture is so passé. Nothing short of an agricultural revolution is underway, spurred on by visionary Dr. Dickson Despommier of Columbia University. His plan is to build 30-story greenhouses in cities around the world, which will allow us to produce more food, for less money, in a healthier way, while freeing up arable land for nature.

Listen up environmentalists! If you’re serious about relieving mother earth of her burdens as food producer, you can forget about unsustainable and inefficient organic farming (which requires far more space than non-organic). You need to end the hypocrisy and start proponing vertical farming, the viable solution to feeding all the world’s people - not just those who can shop at Whole Foods.
By growing crops without the use of soil - hydroponically - “fields” can be stacked on top of each other in urban areas, to grow fruits, vegetables, grains, you name it. The vertical farms work as a closed circuit, so all the water and nutrients are recycled, and only the produce actually leaves the building.

I his book, The Vertical Farm , Dr. Dickson Despommier explains the considerable advantages vertical farming holds over traditional farming (organic or otherwise):

1.
It allows year-round crop production.

2.
It provides food to areas lacking arable land.

3.
It’s immune to weather-related crop failure.

4.
It re-uses the water by collecting it through de-humidification.

5.
It has no need for the use of pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides, and as such makes for healthier, clean food (even more so than today’s organic food which is prone to the bacteria occurring in for instance manure).

6.
It drastically reduces dependence on fossil fuels, as the food needn’t be shipped to the city (because it’s there already).

7.
There is no crop loss due to shipping or storage.

8.
Reduced food costs as a consequence of reduced distance between producer and consumer.

9.
Urban farms would create a cadre of related businesses in its vicinity, such as bakers, produce stores etc.

10.
It would employ a lot of both skilled and unskilled labor.

11.
Vertical farms would be entirely carbon free, and run on wind, solar, tidal or geothermal energy.

Imagine if all the world's farm land was no longer needed? It could be used for, well, nature. A transition to vertical farming could produce clean, cheap food in abundance. My only question is, Why aren’t we already doing this?

You can read more about this inspiring idea in the The Vertical Farm: "Feeding the World in the 21st Century"


http://www.ilookforwardto.com/2010/10/vertical-farms.html

[CHRISTINA]

@ simpleman

The bottom layer would be my place too, closest to Mother Earth :)

 

[CHRISTINA]

@ Trudy

verticaal, scheelt een hoop ruimte ook

 

@ pT

LoL, love the joke. Obviously, Trudy can tell you more about getting hiiigghhhhh! That's why she loves VERTICAL farming :) .... going vertical with Jack Herrer..... sorry bad joke.

 

@ mellia

 we know that dreams are of vital importance to our life.

http://www.bambicorso.com/DreamInspiredCreations.pdf

 

@ Bishop

then the way forward is upwards

 

 

[Vaddix]

What about a tower that can house 50 000 residents, grow food, manufacture whatever is needed and has plenty of recreational space? what if you didn't have to use money living in these tower cities?

This vertical farm is a precursor for a vertical city, Or the Venus projects round city, or green float. All a precursor for something better. And i gotta say, without humans inhabiting every square foot of the planet, mother earth will thank us for not being so greedy.
I see the exactly what you fear William, but i see the opportunity for enormous human prosperity in terms of physical and spiritual growth.
Think of how valuable these towers could be when we live in a resource based economy instead of a monetary one.

 

[Trudy]

My dear William, I understand your fear ... America, the forerunner of our modern society is an untrustworthy institution. Europe has always been a sort of lap dog walking behind America . But there is an end arrived. Fortunately, the figure Bush Jr. opened our eyes, we know know that they are liars and filled with filth that is walking around in American politics.

Look at Ireland, engineered seeds are no longer allowed in Ireland. Germany and the Netherlands will follow. No sweetie I look at the future and I do in my own way. I will not be influenced by speculations about certain situations and what could possibly come. I am living in the NOW.

I am not in favor of tall buildings, which I find horrible. But a greenhous need not be high, but big. I visualize buildings in my meditation and it gives me a good feeling. There will come an end to world famine and Mother Earth is spared. These beautiful thoughts give me more energy than doom thinking.

[Trudy]

Take back the World Power  :))) so our Mother Earth will regain her natural state... Thank You !!!

[Trudy]

Come on here we're talking here about vegetables and potatoes and you think that they are not satisfied with growing in the greenhouse??? Listen if the dark cabal has anything against it , they weren't builded... in matter of fact They aren't build, not now not tomorrow not ever...

[Vaddix]

I read about this 5 years ago. To this day not a damn one has been made. Too much politics involved.

[simpleman]

Cool idea. Makes sense too. Also you would have zero water loss or near zero. The water can filter threw the levels. Lighting and temperature would be easyer to mantain. But my favorite place is the bottom layer. Thats where you would find me  :)))

[Trudy]

Dear Patricia, imagine, your growing weed in the bottom layer, but with the right lighting, you get Top Weed :)))
Leave it up to the dutch ;) the nederweed is known worldwide (^L^)

[Bishop]

its certainly the way forward!