Vertical Farming

Vertical farming refers to the cultivation of agricultural products in vertically stacked layers rather than on a single level such as a field or greenhouse, typically in environments like skyscrapers, shipping containers, or repurposed warehouses. By 2050, the world population is expected to grow by an additional 2 billion people, and feeding them will be a major challenge. Meanwhile, arable land is diminishing day by day due to factors such as global warming, urbanization, pollution, and industry. Scientists say that the world has lost one-third of its arable land over the past 40 years. It would not be wrong to predict that the increasing population and declining agricultural land will make it difficult to meet food demand in the coming periods. Vertical farming is thought to be a potential solution to this challenge. The global vertical farming market size is estimated to reach USD 12.04 billion by 2026. Advancing technological developments are helping to increase productivity and output in this field. The transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to an agricultural society was a turning point in human history. A similar transformation is likely to occur in the not-too-distant future. Controlled Environment Agriculture technology could be the key to this transformation. This technology means that crops can be grown without being affected by any environmental factors. Artificial control of temperature, light, humidity, and gases makes it possible to sustain food production without being affected by external factors. In many ways, vertical farming resembles greenhouses where metal reflectors and artificial lighting increase natural sunlight. The fundamental goal of vertical farming is to maximize crop production in a limited area.

Criteria Required for Vertical Farming

Vertical farming requires four basic criteria to be realized. These can be listed as: 1. Physical layout, 2. Lighting, 3. Growing medium, and 4. Sustainability. The primary objective of vertical farming is to produce more food per square meter. To achieve this goal, crops are grown in stacked layers within a tower-like structure. Second, it is necessary to maintain perfect light levels in the environment. For this, a perfect combination of natural and artificial light is used. Technologies such as rotating beds are used to increase lighting efficiency. The third important criterion is the creation of aeroponic, aquaponic, or hydroponic growing media instead of soil. Non-soil media such as peat moss, coconut husk, and similar substrates are very common in vertical farming. Finally, the vertical farming method uses various sustainability features to balance the energy costs of farming. The most important point to be emphasized here is water usage. Vertical farming uses up to 95% less water compared to conventional agriculture.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Vertical Farming

Obtaining higher yields per unit area compared to conventional farming is not the only advantage of vertical farming. However, alongside many advantages, vertical farming also has some disadvantages. Let us briefly address these. Urbanization and Vertical Farming: Thirty years from now, approximately 80% of the world's population is expected to live in urban areas. In this context, perhaps the concept of farming areas located outside the city needs to be abandoned. Vertical farming could be the architect of this concept change. More and Continuous Crop Production Per Unit Area: Vertical farming enables us to produce more crops per unit area. With vertical farming, production equivalent to at least 4-6 acres of outdoor capacity can be obtained from a 1-acre (approximately half a hectare) closed space. According to an independent estimate, a 30-story building with a base area of 5 acres could potentially produce 2,400 acres of conventional horizontal farming. Furthermore, with vertical farming technologies, year-round crop production is possible in a completely controlled indoor environment. Lower Water Usage: Vertical farming enables us to produce crops using 70-95% less water than required for conventional farming. Unaffected by Adverse Weather Conditions: Crops in fields can be negatively affected by natural disasters such as heavy rains, cyclones, floods, or severe droughts, which are becoming increasingly common as a result of global warming. Closed-area vertical farms are less likely to feel the burden of adverse weather and ensure more reliable harvest output throughout the year. Increased Production of Organic Products: Since crops are produced in a well-controlled indoor environment without the use of chemical pesticides, vertical farming allows us to grow pesticide-free and organic products. Human and Environment Friendly: Closed-area vertical farming can significantly reduce occupational hazards associated with conventional farming. Farmers are not exposed to dangers related to heavy agricultural equipment, malaria, toxic chemicals, and so on. It is also beneficial for biodiversity as it does not disturb animals and trees in the interior regions.

Disadvantages of Vertical Farming

So far we have discussed the advantages of vertical farming. However, of course, this technology also has some disadvantages. No Proven Economics Yet: The financial feasibility of this new farming method remains uncertain. The cost of building skyscrapers for farming, along with other costs such as lighting, heating, and labor, could be significantly higher than the benefits we can obtain from vertical farming output, at least for now. Building costs for a 60-acre vertical farm could exceed USD 100 million. While vertical farms are attractive for being close to cities, high real estate prices will prevent the financial feasibility of urban locations. However, as the sector matures and new technologies develop, this negative financial situation is likely to change. For example, New Jersey-based indoor farming company Bowery announced in December 2018 that it had raised USD 90 million in new funding. In 2017, Plenty, a West Coast vertical grower, announced it had received a USD 200 million investment from Softbank. Challenges with Pollination: Vertical farming occurs in a controlled environment without the presence of insects. For this reason, the pollination process must be done manually, which will be labor-intensive and costly. Labor Costs: Since energy costs in vertical farming are high, labor costs may be even higher due to concentration in city centers where wages are higher and the need for more skilled labor. However, automation in vertical farms could lead to fewer workers needed. Manual pollination could become one of the more labor-intensive functions in vertical farms. Over the next 10 years, it is estimated that vertical farming could create 100,000 jobs in the United States alone. In conclusion, we can say that vertical farming is not very necessary at present and its implementation is not very profitable for financial reasons. However, many different factors such as global warming, environmental disasters, and wars make it difficult for conventional agriculture to be sustainable. For this reason, we can predict that the importance of the vertical farming concept will increase in the near future. Prepared by: B. Serhat Cengiz References • https://futurism.com/the-age-of-vertical-farming-is-officially-upon-us • https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-you-should-know-about-vertical-farming-4144786 • https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2018/08/14/vertical-farming-future • https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vertical-farming-market-to-rise-at-24-8-cagr-till-2026-growing-demand-for-efficientcrop-produce-will-contribute-to-market-growth-says-fortune-business-insights-300989629.html