Ancient Ties
Commercial Vertical Agriculture is not a new concept. The Babylonians were ahead of their time with advancements in methods of agriculture that led to the hanging gardens of Babylon. While the site is not suitable for excavation, accounts by the Romans show the impact and admiration of a culture with sophistication in irrigation of agriculture growing vertically. Walkways lined with fruit trees, bushes, and shrubs at varying levels. This extinguished food scarcity. This was manageable thanks to water reservoirs, irrigation channels, and stacked stone planters.
Fast forward to current times; with the population increase, growing plants in the ground is no longer practical. There needs to be more land to grow for the demand, not to mention soil erosion and climate change, which makes it unsuitable. To resolve this issue, the answer is more space. The integration of ancient vertical agriculture is making a comeback on a commercial scale. Just as the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Chinese used practices of vertical farming, the US is considering indoor vertical farms to meet the food demand of its population.
United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy
Back, in 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy held a conference on vertical sustainable urban ecosystems. Addressing food scarcity, is understanding most of the population resides in urban areas. So, that means food should be grow in cities. This is achievable with warehouses that have plant-engineered systems of vertical agriculture thriving. This allows for year-round produce to be available. Commercial Vertical Agriculture consists of controlling environments, where produce is grown optimizing water, temperature, light, and fertilizer levels. Produce is more nutrient-dense as it is grown locally and frequently harvest. Emissions from harmful chemicals and transportation will go down significantly as this minimizes factors that would contribute to climate change. This goes around water pollution, soil erosion, deforestation, and more.
Emerging Vertical Commercial Agriculture
Currently, companies in the United States are emerging in vertical commercial agriculture. The Department of Agriculture has funded research for widening this and is hoping that this protects the environment while meeting the population’s food needs. As of now, eight companies are utilizing vertical agriculture. These are Agricool, Bowery Farms, Freight Farms, GP Solutions, Aero Farms, Crop One Holdings, Atticus Farms, and One. Moreover, what is fascinating about these companies is how they use hydroponics or aeroponics to grow produce. Some are via freight containers, warehouses, and pods. A California-based company is Crop One Holdings, and their focus isn’t just vertical agriculture but creating breakthrough technology for agriculture. Meanwhile, they produce pesticide-free kale, lettuce, arugula, romaine, spinach, and spring mixes.
The future of food seems tech-fueled, yet the concepts at the core are from ancient practices. Thereby addressing food scarcity, protecting the environment, and supporting population growth are issues that correlate together. The planet’s resources, biomes, and balance are significant. What is good for the earth is suitable for people. Importantly, sustainable measures keep individuals healthy while ensuring the environment can preserve continuously. Instead of deforestation to clear farmland, the use of vertical agriculture can prove to be a suitable solution. There are more benefits than this, and in time of this practice, climate change improvements can be recognized.