What do you think of when you imagine the future? Does your vision of 2050 include robot butlers, floating cars, and jetpacks? 

The year 2050 isn’t as far away as you might think. 

There are millions of predictions for the year 2050 on the internet. Most involve the realities associated with climate change, future tech, and overpopulation in cities. Code X predicts AI robots, Hyperloop travel, and vacations on the moon, to name a few. The Guardian expects flooded cities and forced migration. Meanwhile, National Geographic expects extreme weather and unprecedented climate conditions for much of the world’s major cities.

So how do we meet the challenges of 2050? How do we feed increasing urban populations while the climate becomes inhospitable to agriculture? Many believe that vertical farming will be the answer, and with good reason. Here are a few of our predictions for vertical farming trends through 2050.

Urban Consumption

Our world is becoming increasingly urbanized. According to Urbanet, in 2014 urban populations grew from 4.439 billion in 1980 to 7.349 billion in 2014, and populations in cities are predicted to be 9.725 billion, or two-thirds of the global population, by 2050. Increasing urbanization is leading to a great number of challenges, not the least of which is increasing food insecurity. 

Vertical farming can help to meet this challenge. In a vertical farm, plants are grown indoors and stacked vertically, either in trays or towers. This means that a vertical farm can grow far more food in far less space than traditional farms. Since these farms are indoors, they can be planted anywhere in the world, regardless of climate or soil conditions. This makes vertical farming the perfect method to feed urban populations, as they take up less space than the average big-box store.

Food Goes Local

There’s an ongoing movement toward more local food production. Local food is more sustainable, fresher, safer, and overall better for the consumer and the environment. We only expect the farm-to-table concept to continue to grow into the year 2050 and beyond. But when people expect to have fresh fruits and vegetables available year-round, even in cold or dry climates, how can we meet this demand?

Once again, vertical farming provides the answer. Since vertical farms can fit into urban spaces and don’t depend on a hospitable climate for growing, they can produce fresh fruits and vegetables year-round in any part of the world. In fact, most of our crops can go from farm to store shelf in as little as 48 hours! 

The Vertical Farming Market Will Boom

Given the benefits offered by vertical farming, it’s not surprising that the market for vertical farms is expected to grow exponentially into the future. In fact, the market value of the vertical farming industry is expected to reach $10 billion by as soon as 2025. 

So how do you get into vertical farming now, before the technology explodes? Eden Green Technology offers a turnkey solution for vertical hydroponic farming. In as little as an acre and a half, our greenhouses can produce 11-13 harvests per year, totaling roughly 500 tons of leafy greens. Each greenhouse also supports 30 full-time jobs with good wages and benefits. And since they use 98% less water and 99% less land than traditional farming, with zero food waste due to spoilage in transport, our vertical farms are sustainable far into the future.

If this sounds like a business venture you’d like to get behind, RSVP for a live virtual tour of one of our working greenhouses to learn more.