Vertical Farming Becomes Viable As Arable Land Decreases – May Be The Future For Cities To Feed Themselves

One of the doom-and-gloom theories scientists have about the future of mankind is the lack of food to sustain an exponentially increasing population. Presently, the world’s population is estimated to be 7 billion. By 2050, that number increases to 10 billion. That is a lot of mouths to feed despite the fact arable land isn’t forming at the same pace people reproduce.

Because of this problematic theory, many scientists – especially those of the environmental kind – try to find ways to increase the production of food. The Inquisitr reported on some of those successful tries such as proficient indoor farming and solar-powered floating farms.

The aforementioned methods are great, but when it comes to urban establishments – cities for example – the only viable way to farm would be up. Such a method seems unbelievable given the fact conventional farming is always viewed horizontally. However, vertical farming has been analyzed and might possibly be the future for cities to feed themselves.

According to Inhabitat, data solutions organization Dickson explored vertical farming as a means to boost urban food security. They provided an infographic (pictured right) of vertical farming’s many benefits, complete with data.

Dickson’s infographic utilizes the scenario of a 30-story building turned into a vertical farming facility. Apparently, such a structure could feed 50,000 people a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet for an entire year. Not only that, the said vertical farming facility is also efficient. Some efficient benefits include light utilization which cuts plant growth time by six to 12 weeks and using 90 percent less water than conventional farming through unique water-recycling methods.

For the problem of losing arable land, it is the most viable solution for said problem, as reported by Minds. From one estimate by NASA, it would require a landmass the size of South America to grow enough food for our current population of 7 billion people. By “stacking the land on top of each other like shelves,” vertical farming becomes an ingenious way to cut down on that space.

For those who want to learn more on vertical farming, a video on it has been attached below. In it, professor of Public Health in Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, Dickson Despommier, explains the impact vertical farms have on society.

[Featured Image via Minds, Post Image via Dickson]