From an underground farm in London, to a Japanese office building with a rice paddy field, across the world people and companies are investing in creating new ways and technology to provide a more sustainable future.
Is Indoor Vertical Farming Environmentally Friendly?
There are pressing global issues related to feeding the world, mostly due to factors such as limited arable land, uneven wealth distribution and climate changes. This calls for a change in our approach towards producing food and vertical farming presents a very possible solution.
For those of you who are not familiar, vertical farming is an indoor method for growing plants without soil that utilizes special nutrients delivery systems, highly-controlled environments, sophisticated lighting, resource management and robot automatization (among other things!)
The quickest explanation begins with an example- AeroFarms is one of the most ambitions vertical farming projects with a capacity for producing 1.7 million pounds of greens annually. It is a truly state of the art facility that pushes the boundaries of agriculture. Watch this video to learn more!. Here are some other great vertical farm examples.
(Source: https://www.dtnpf.com)
Technology is constantly being improved and becoming quite efficient. Because of this, many are considering it to be the future of food production, but there are also opposing opinions concerned with the environmental impact of vertical farming.
Vertical Farming Advantages
Let`s continue with some of the major benefits in order to gain a better overall understanding of the field. This will later enable us to adequately weigh the pros and cons related to the limitations of vertical farming.
Reliability
The dependability of vertical farming is by far one of the best perks of it.. The environment is closed and highly controlled, impervious to weather conditions. This means that the growers can ensure a steady production flow but it also provides predictability. Furthermore, the crops are not seasonal and production can go all year round.
Resource efficiency
Vertical farming uses 80% less fertilizer than traditional farming, but on top of that it also uses a staggering 95% less water thanks to clever circulation and reusability. Operational costs are also reduced with the help of robot automation and there are very few hands-on workers involved.
Lighting
The biggest improvement comes from the lighting vertical farming utilizes. Growing plants indoors requires a lot of light and in order for it to work state-of-the-art equipment is needed. Efficient full spectrum LED grow lights are incredibly energy saving and can provide plants with the precise amounts of light and correct spectrum for each growth stage.
(Source: https://advancedledlights.com/)
Space efficiency
Due to the vertical nature of growing the plants, space efficiency is achieved- just as the name ‘vertical farming’ suggests. A vertical farm uses 88% less air space than a regular farm for the same amount of growing space.
(Source: http://www.businessinsider.com)
Transportation costs
Vertical farming can be implemented almost anywhere, including in the heart of big cities. This means that there isn't any need for lengthy logistics stunts and transportation costs are minimized even more.
Vertical Farming Disadvantages
Now that you're familiar with the concept of vertical farming and what makes it so great, it`s time to take a look at the other perspective. As in many fields, there are plenty of opposing opinions with skepticism involved.
The main concerns critics point out are the large operational costs involved and the carbon footprint on the environment. Despite optimization in all of the growing processes, vertical farms still need to use a lot of lighting as opposed to regular farming which relies on the sun. LED lighting is developing at an incredible pace and becoming ever more efficient, but still only 50% of the used electricity can be converted into light.
Dr. Louis Albright from the Controlled Environment Agriculture Findings department at Cornell University says in a recorded seminar that for each kilo of lettuce produced indoors there are four kilos of carbon dioxide generated. Presumably, this is without the further environmental burden added by devices such as ventilation, climate control and humidifiers. According to an article found on Washington Post producing lettuce indoors can leave a carbon mark of up to 20 times more than producing it outdoors.
(Source: http://www.cnn.com)
In the same seminar mentioned above, Dr. Albright makes a strong case by providing an example of the hypothetical carbon footprint left, if all of New York City`s wheat for a year was grown on a vertical farm. The average New Yorker consumes about 24 kilos of bread annually and it's estimated that in order to grow the necessary amount of wheat it would take 3 vertical farming facilities, each the size of Empire State Building. And while it might seem cool to have such a centralized wheat production point, the costs of running it are quite large. If the facility operates using efficient LED lights, running at $0.10 per kilowatt/hour, the cost would be $11 per loaf of bread- and that’s only to cover the lighting costs! Further production costs are sure to drive the cost of a single loaf significantly up, making it affordable only for the economically stable folks. In the seminar Dr. Albright also makes a similar case using lettuce and tomatoes, and again it turns out to be very pricy.
The Verdict
So there you have it, the two main arguments against vertical farming – cost and carbon footprint. Are they really an issue? Yes, of course. But are these issues resolvable in the foreseeable future? Yes again.
History shows us that technology is always developing, especially when it comes to important matters such as feeding the world. What seems difficult to achieve at the moment might be solved with a simple improvement in a tiny process along the chain. Agricultural equipment manufacturers are putting massive efforts into R&D, especially in the vertical farming field. For example, EdenWorks is an aquaponics vertical farm operation that is researching ways to integrate intricate sensors throughout the facility in order to gather valuable data and then use it for input optimization.
What is essential at this point is for industry leaders to share information and learn from each other, which is understandably difficult in the global competitive market. If the true potential of vertical is unlocked, it would benefit us all.
Author’s Bio: Luis Rivera
Luis has 20+ years of experience in global market expansion, business development, mergers and acquisitions, business re-engineering, finance and investor relations of software companies. He is passionate about technology, spectral science, indoor farming, food production, automation, and more. Since 2015 he is the president of Advanced LED Lights, a leading LED grow lights manufacturer based in Hiwasse, Arkansas. When not at work, Luis enjoys swimming, yoga, as well as growing grapes and flowers in Sonoma, California.
VERTICAL FARMING: Can cities feed themselves from highrise farms?
The idea that large-scale agriculture could occur in the buildings of densely inhabited cities is still relatively new and experimental, but it is not as fanciful as it once seemed. The term usually is traced to Dickson D. Despommier, Ph.D., an emeritus professor of parasitology and environmental science at Columbia University Medical School and the author of The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century, first published in 2010.
Since then, vertical farms have emerged around the world. Locally AeroFarms in Newark and Gotham Greens in Brooklyn have mounted sizable crop-growing operations without soil or natural light, in beds stacked vertically inside a controlled-environment building. To learn more about this fascinating and potentially earth-changing phenomenon, see the recent article by Ian Frazier on “The vertical farm: Growing crops in the city, without soil or natural light” in The New Yorker (9 January 2017).
+Farm Featured at “AgTech's bright future: Growing food (and data) with IoT” Panel
Agritecture’s designer Elaine Kung encouraged those developing ag tech IoT solutions to use +Farm, a DIY hydroponic farm, as a tool for prototyping and experimentation.
The panel was hosted by AgTech-x and the IoT NY meetup group at Galvanize in New York City. Panelists discussed IoT solutions in ag tech, investor trends, prototyping, grower adoption, as well as challenges and opportunities for the industry. Panelists included:
Louisa Burwood-Taylor- Head of Media, AgFunder
Michael Fernandez- Lead Systems Engineer, AeroFarms
What's FRESH on Your Plate? Meet NYC's Local Urban Farmers.
RSVP
A panel about sustainable, equitable food production and distribution with NY's visionary urban farming organizations. Panelists include: Alina Zolotareva, Shelley Golan, Scott Carrus, Robert Laing, Emily Pilkington, Nabeela Lakhani and moderated by Tinia Pina
When: Wednesday, August 16th / Join us for gin cocktails at 7:00 PM / Panel begins 8:00 PM
About
We are well aware that eating more local, responsibly-grown food is better for our health and the health of the planet, but how can we be sure about what is on our plates and where it came from? Moreover, as more of us move into cities and out of rural areas, how will our booming urban communities maintain a connection to our food and the farmers who grow it?
The NYC Metro area has become a fertile hub for urban farming organizations of all kinds, from small community gardens to high-tech indoor farms. Join us for a conversation with some of NYC’s leading farming organizations, and learn how they are working to provide our communities with sustainable, local and equitable food by consciously disrupting the current agricultural paradigm.
One of the goals of this panel is also to draw interest and awareness for NYC AgTech Week in September, put on by our urban farming trade organization Farming.
NYC: www.farming.nyc.
More details on Ag Tech Week here:
Delicious hyper-local produce and cocktails will be served!
Price
$20 advance
$25 at the door
When
August 16th at 8:00pm
Where
The Alchemist's Kitchen 21 East 1st Street , New York, NY 10003
10 New Trends in Hydroponics: What to Expect in 2017 and Beyond
By Luis Rivera
Hydroponics is a soilless plant growing method that uses water, nutrient solutions and a growing medium.
This can give the plant exactly what it needs in the proper amounts, resulting in fresh and natural products while also maximizes resource efficiency.
Other benefits of hydroponics include:
· Higher yields
· Food can be grown in almost any place
· No pesticides
· 90% more water saving
· 75% more space efficient
· 50% faster growth
Here is what a typical hydroponic system looks like:
(Source: http://ledlightsnation.com)
Hydroponics provides answers to many of the limitations traditional plant growing has, especially water usage and land availability. The importance of hydroponics is set to increase tremendously due to global food production challenges and how efficiently the system works should help substantially.
(Source: https:/infograph.venngage.com)
How has hydroponics developed?
Hydroponics has actually been around for a long time but has flourished in recent years as scientists are constantly looking for ways of improvement.
Among the latest innovations in the field are solutions that balance pH and non-synthetics with the help of biologically alive nutrients and more and more farmers are setting their eyes on this growing method and realizing the benefits.
With the involvement of hydroponics in fields such as vertical farming and the R&D efforts of equipment suppliers, such as LED grow lights, which are vital to the process, we can expect that the use of hydroponics will only continue to grow.
By examining the most recent trends in the field we can gain a better understanding of how it will develop in the future and play an important part in feeding the world.
1. Locally Grown Food
One of the great things about hydroponics is the functionality on different scales, viable for large warehouse scale production and also for small store operation, enabling for the supply of fresh and locally produced food to nearby consumers.
With an increasing trend for healthy eating and demanding quality fruits and veggies, hydroponics is set to play an important role in terms of supply. More people are starting to buy locally produced organic food, which in turn drives the industry and stimulates demand.
(Source: http://sustainableagriculture.net)
2. Aquaponics Sustainability
Food production sustainability is a hot topic in light of global challenges such as diminishing natural resources. Aquaponics is a growing method that combines hydroponics and fish farming, resulting in a sustainable microsystem. It uses the waste the fish produce in order to feed the plants while simultaneously using the plants to filter the water for the fish.
Here is a video example of how the system works.
(Source: http:/www.purenutrient.net)
3. Hydroponics in Cannabis Production
According to The Hemp Business Journal the cannabis market has the potential to grow 700% by 2020, amounting to $2.1 billion market and hydroponics might play a vital part in the production process. With each state having its own regulations, the need to grow it locally will be even greater, leading manufacturers to look for different options.
The hydroponic process of growing cannabis results in an all-natural and clean product, which is especially vital when it comes to medicinal purposes. Furthermore it enables growers to feed the plant with a calculated amount of nutrients and results in a substantial yield increase.
4. Solar Panels in Hydroponic Systems
Future hydroponics will integrate with other advanced technology in order to bring efficiency not only to plant growing, but to other fields as well.
One such example is a hydroponic system which uses solar panels to power the circulation pumps. Electricity is a big concern in agriculture such a system can bring costs down and provide self-sufficiency.
(Source: https://www.pinterest.com)
5. Homemade Hydroponic Systems
Global commercial farmers and small local growers are both recognizing the benefits of hydroponics and it's only a matter of time before more people start adapting it to their everyday needs.
There are already numerous examples of home growing systems utilizing hydroponics and LED lighting, enabling people to produce fresh greens in very limited spaces like balconies, basements or kitchens.
In case you`d like to try it out, here is an instruction of how you can make a hydroponic system of your own.
6. Decorative Function
Aside from providing nutrients to plants, the intricacies of a hydroponic system might be used as a decoration piece, especially in restaurants that produce their greens in-house. Admittedly this is one of the stranger developments, but considering how many food establishments have fountains inside this might not be strange at all.
The possibilities expand to growing real flowers and herbs inside, bringing both an assurance of freshness and also appealing to the customer's eye.
(Source: http://www.decoist.com)
7. Growing Plants Anywhere in Any Season
Hydroponics enables farmers to produce tasty, pesticide free fruits and veggies in almost any location during any season. This is especially beneficial for places with harsh weather conditions or insufficient arable land, such as Dubai or Alaska.
This video shows the success story of a local family farm in Virginia that uses hydroponics to grow lettuce year round. What her customers point out as a great benefit is the great taste and quality of lettuce even in the winter.
8. Hydroponic Education
In order to ensure the development of hydroponics, efforts are being put into not only research but also education. There are increasingly more aquaponics educational facilities opening up, programs being offered and resources published.
One such facility is Green Acre Aquaponics in Florida, which teaches students how to develop and maintain a thriving aquaponics farm. The program includes lessons focused on building the system but also features more business oriented topics like farming market analysis and sales development techniques.
9. Spectral Science and Hydroponics
(source: https://advancedledlights.com)
Plants need to photosynthesize in order to grow and any hydroponic system needs to be supported by a full spectrum LED grow light installation.
The benefits include higher yields, adjustable light spectrum for each growth stage, electricity efficiency and heat efficiency. Low heat output LED grow lights eliminate the need for additional cooling systems and bring further compactness and efficiency to hydroponic systems.
10. Aeroponics in Vertical Farming
Aeroponics in reality, is a nutrients delivery system and as such it can be applied to almost any plant growing method with vertical farming being at the top.
Vertical farming with aeroponics addresses many of the issues related to conventional agriculture and there is an increasing amount of farms all around, with AeroFarms being one of the best examples.
Here is how their production method works:
(Source: http://aerofarms.com)
With aeroponics being an incremental part of vertical growing, it`s safe to say that the two fields are very closely correlated both in terms of innovation efforts and development. Systems for maximum oxygen delivery to the roots, better nutrients circulation and resource management are just a few of the aspects that are being improved.
Hydroponics is becoming a widely used growth method and more people are realizing its potential. There are constant R&D efforts to improve its efficiency, but there are also system adaptations from other fields.
With global shift towards organic food and the importance hydroponics plays in its production, we can predict that the growth is just starting.
By Luis Rivera
Author’s Bio:
Luis has 20+ years of experience in global market expansion, business development, mergers and acquisitions, business re-engineering, finance and investor relations of software companies. He is passionate about technology, spectral science, indoor farming, food production, automation, and more. Since 2015 he is the president of Advanced LED Lights, a leading LED grow lights manufacturer based in Hiwasse, Arkansas. When not at work, Luis enjoys swimming, yoga, as well as growing grapes and flowers in Sonoma, California.
