Is vertical farming a sustainable solution to food insecurity?
2019 was certainly a year when food tech developments caught the imagination of FoodNavigator readers.
Vertical farming has been hailed as one solution to the challenges presented by a rising population and increased urbanisation. As our analysis of the emerging technology demonstrated, vertical farming offers a number of benefits. Shorter supply chains are able to deliver fresher products to urban populations and technological advances continue to make vertical farming more effective and efficient.
Vertical farming can produce more food from fewer land and water resources. Vertical farming methods also negate the need for harmful chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
There is, however, a catch.
Growing produce stacked on shelves indoors requires significantly more energy use than conventional agriculture. Vertical farms rely on artificial lighting even if there are windows due to the narrow and deep shelves used to increase the yield per square foot. And while climate control systems provide optimal growing conditions, they are also energy hungry.
To address both the affordability and emissions impact of large-scale vertical farming, a clean energy revolution is necessary.
In the future, technological development is likely to focus on improving affordability and addressing concerns over energy use.