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How Vertical Farming is Revolutionizing Urban Food Security BY RONIT SHARMA AND ANMOL BALI
As the world’s population reaches an all-time high, the need for sus- WDLQDEOHIRRGSURGXFWLRQLVVXUHO\JRLQJR̆ WKHFKDUWVDVZHOO:LWK WKHZRUOGEHFRPLQJDFRQFUHWHMXQJOHLQWKHKLJKWLGHRIXUEDQL]DWLRQ the traditional farmlands are becoming extinct. This has raised some serious concerns about urban food security. %XWPRGHUQSUREOHPVJLYHELUWKWRPRGHUQVROXWLRQV$VDUHVXOWLQ - novations are emerging to solve the demand for fresh, local food. One RIWKHPRVWH[FLWLQJLQWKHDJULFXOWXUDO¿HOG literal and otherwise ) has been that of vertical farming , the method that uses stacked layers to grow crops indoors. This solution is taking root in the heart of bus- tling cities, quite literally. The Urban Food Security Challenge 8UEDQ IRRG VHFXULW\ LV WKH DYDLODELOLW\ DFFHVVLELOLW\ D̆ RUGDELOLW\ DQGXWLOL]DWLRQRIVẊ FLHQWVDIHDQGQXWULWLRXVIRRGIRUWKHSRSXOD - tion residing in a city. It’s a highly complex issue being challenged E\UDSLGXUEDQL]DWLRQSRSXODWLRQJURZWKLQIUDVWUXFWXUHOLPLWDWLRQV and socioeconomic disparities, mostly due to climate change and oth- er global shocks. &RQWULEXWLQJIDFWRUVRIWKHFKDOOHQJHLQFOXGH ł 5DSLG8UEDQL]DWLRQDQG3RSXODWLRQ*URZWK Cities are ex- periencing an insane amount of population • growth, leading to in- creased demand for food and resources, putting a strain on local food systems and infrastructure. ł Infrastructure Limitations: Poor infrastructure, including transportation networks, storage facilities, and distribution chan- QHOV KLQGHUV WKH Ḣ FLHQW PRYHPHQW RI IRRG IURP IDUPV WR FRQ - sumers, leading to wastage and shortages. ł 6RFLRHFRQRPLF 'LVSDULWLHV Urban poverty and income in- equality exacerbate food insecurity. The urban poor often face higher food prices and limited access to nutritious food, contribut- ing to malnutrition and food insecurity. ł ,QḢ FLHQW )RRG 6XSSO\ &KDLQV Long and complex supply FKDLQV FDQ OHDG WR IRRG ORVVHV DQG LQḢ FLHQFLHV LQFUHDVLQJ IRRG prices and reducing access for urban residents. ł Inadequate Storage Facilities: Lack of proper storage facili-
WLHVFDQUHVXOWLQVLJQL¿FDQWIRRGZDVWHDQGVSRLODJHUHGXFLQJWKH availability and quality of food. What is Vertical Farming? Vertical Farming is an innovative approach to agriculture where crops are grown in vertically stacked layers, often in controlled indoor HQYLURQPHQWV7KHVHIDUPVXVHVFLHQWL¿FZD\VWRJURZFURSVLQFOXG - ing hydroponics, aeroponics, or aquaponics. Vertical farming is an HDV\DQGH̆ HFWLYHZD\WRPD[LPL]HOLPLWHGVSDFHPDNLQJWKHPLGHDO for urban areas where the land is scarce and expensive. Vertical Farming is a high-tech method, and it is mostly powered E\DUWL¿FLDOOLJKWLQJ RIWHQ/('OLJKWV FOLPDWHFRQWUROV\VWHPVDQG SUHFLVLRQIDUPLQJWHFKQLTXHVZKLFKKHOSLQRSWLPL]LQJSODQWJURZWK 7KLVDSSURDFKDOORZVIRUḢ FLHQWODUJHVFDOHIRRGSURGXFWLRQLQVSDF - es like warehouses, rooftops, or even underground tunnels. Key Ways To Enhancing Urban Food Security 9HUWLFDO)DUPLQJLVUHYROXWLRQL]LQJWKHXUEDQODQGVFDSHE\SURYLG - ing an innovative and practical way to curb food insecurity. Here’s KRZLWLVHQKDQFLQJWKHODQGVFDSH ł Water Conservation: Vertical farming uses 95% less water than traditional soil-based farming methods. This is highly helpful in cities where freshwater resources are rapidly depleting. The closed- loop system used in this method helps recycle and reuse water ZLWKLQWKHIDUPWKXVXVLQJZDWHUSUHFLRXVO\DQGḢ FLHQWO\ ł Year-Round Production: Traditional farming is highly depen- dent on weather conditions and seasons, but tech-savvy vertical farming is not. Vertically farmed crops can grow year-round, re- gardless of the season; this ability ensures a steady, and reliable food supply, especially in urban areas where fresh produce access is highly limited. ł 6SDFH (̇ FLHQF\ 9HUWLFDO IDUPLQJ Ḣ FLHQWO\ XWLOL]HV OLPLWHG spacing in urban cities as its entire structure is stacked crops in layers. These farms can be set on rooftops, in vacant buildings, or even repurposed warehouses, making food production accessible
48—PATHWAYS—Winter 25-26
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