Earth Equity News

Is the Future of Farming Vertical? By Dr. Dickson Despommier, Celsias.com, June 26, 2008. "One solution [to the problems created by traditional farming] involves the construction of urban food production centers -- vertical farms -- in which our food would be continuously grown inside of tall buildings within the built environment. If we could engineer this approach to food production, then no crops would ever fail due to severe weather events (floods, droughts, hurricanes, etc.). Produce would be available to city dwellers without the need to transport it thousands of miles from rural farms to city markets. Spoilage would be greatly reduced, since crops would be sold and consumed within moments after harvesting. If vertical farming in urban centers becomes the norm, then one anticipated long-term benefit would be the gradual repair of many of the world's damaged ecosystems through the systematic abandonment of farmland. In temperate and tropical zones, the re-growth of hardwood forests could play a significant role in carbon sequestration and may help reverse current trends in global climate change. Other benefits... include the creation of a sustainable urban environment that encourages good health for all who choose to live there; new employment opportunities, fewer abandoned lots and buildings, cleaner air, safe use of municipal liquid waste, and an abundant supply of safe drinking water. Dr. Dickson Despommier is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. A longer version of Despommier's essay is available at his website, VerticalFarm.com.