How Urban Agriculture Is Disrupting the Agriculture Industry
Urbanization and a growing global population are significant challenges for the food supply chain. More and more people worldwide are moving into cities and away from rural areas.
In the last 30 years, the global population has grown by about 2.5 billion people, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Though this number is slowing, we expect another 2 billion people to be added to it by 2050. Meanwhile, nearly 80% of people in developed nations live in urban areas.
This adds up to a large and growing population that lives far away from where food is grown and produced. To combat this problem, more and more cities are encouraging the development of urban agriculture: farms inside the city setting. But what does this mean for the farming industry at large?
Vertical Farming and Urban Agriculture
When you think of urban agriculture, you may picture small community gardens and potted plants on balconies and rooftops. Today’s urban agriculture still includes these, but it increasingly includes commercial vertical farms, producing tons of fresh food each year.
What is vertical farming, you may ask? As the name suggests, in a vertical farm, plants are grown stacked high into the air, rather than along the ground in rows. Because the plants are grown vertically, and often indoors where they can continue to grow even through the winter, these farms can increase crop yields by up to 700 percent.
In many cases, the crops in these farms are planted in large trays, stacked on shelving units and illuminated with grow lights. In other systems, they may be planted in tall towers under a glass roof that allows sunlight to feed the plants. This is a much more sustainable way to grow crops as it uses far less light energy to keep the plants alive and healthy.
While the US currently boasts the largest number of vertical farms, the concept is taking root worldwide. Even the USDA is looking toward these operations to feed our growing population into the future.
How Urban Agriculture Is Disrupting the Farming Industry
There are several ways this futuristic farming operation is currently disrupting the modern factory farming industry, most of them positive. As vertical farming continues to spread and become more and more common.
In many places, traditional farmwork is a perilous, back-breaking, and barely compensated type of labor. Vertical farming seeks to completely flip the script on this dangerous work, instead providing full time jobs in safe and comfortable working environments that include a year-round living wage and full benefits.
Secondly, seasons and climate are meaningless in an indoor vertical farming environment. This means that fresh foods can be grown any time of the year and nearly anywhere. The current challenges of our food supply chain will be completely disrupted as this growing method becomes more and more common. You’ll be able to purchase fresh, locally grown produce in the dead of winter rather than relying on foods shipped in from far-flung locations all around the world.
Perhaps most importantly, these systems allow us to grow far more food in a far smaller footprint. And with no need for soil thanks to hydroponic or aeroponic growing systems, any difficulties related to soil depletion can be greatly reduced. This means that urban vertical farming may be one piece of the sustainability puzzle that will allow us to feed a growing urban population far into the future.
A Turnkey Vertical Farming Option
If you’re ready to be a part of this industry disruption, Eden Green Technology offers an option that can help. Our hydroponic vertical greenhouses are designed for sustainability. In as little as an acre and a half, a greenhouse can grow 500 tons of leafy greens per year in 11-13 harvests. The facility also provides 30 full-time jobs in this growing industry. And it uses 98% less water and 99% less land than traditional farming operations and 90% less light energy than many vertical farming systems.
Perhaps the best feature of all is that these are not simple greenhouse kits. Instead, we work with you every step of the way, from planning to building, all the way through harvesting your produce. This means you’ll benefit from our experience and expertise, helping propel your operation forward and keeping things running smoothly.
If an Eden Green Technology greenhouse sounds like a good fit for your operation, contact us today to learn more about our turnkey greenhouses and how they can work for you.
