Vertical farming

An fantasy render of Vertical Farming

I'll be taking Vertical Farming as Topic #1. I think I'd better suit to a uniform protocol as i discuss topics and state my opinions.I guess a brief formal introduction followed by a brief/comprehensive personal view on topic would serve a good method of approach.

What it is:

 

Vertical Farming is a concept which involves raising crops, particularly crops serving to the prime food consumed in a specific area surrounding the site, in buildings, hence the name, "Vertical" farming. The most obvious advantages to this would be conservation of space in an otherwise overcrowded or farm impossible area, and an integrated approach to dealing with multiple crops within the same site.

Other advantages which do no directly have to do with crops would be the aversion for long distance transport of crop products which in turn, reduce carbon emissions. Facilitation of artificial atmospheric conditions would imply all year round crop production. Since the product needn't be shipped to distant places, this also greatly reduces their susceptibility to spoilage... which doesn't require the crops to be genetically modified in the first place. Concentration of crops also mean that pesticides, is used, can be carefully applied in controlled manner over large masses of crop which be otherwise impractical owing to the area of crop in regular farming sites. 

What i think: =)

•  Conservation of over head resources:

The fact of concentrating vast fields of environment exposed crop in a single building having whether control and controlled access to pesticides and other technological requirements to critically maintain crop masses... does seem to be quite the perfect solution.

My reasons for assuming this to be quite an ideal solution would be the cumulative and cascading effect it has on all services relating to the crop. I'm saying this because the crop itself, is most definitely taken care of... and measuring success depends on considering the more indirect aspects elements related to farming. Transport of crop to towns and other trading areas are avoided as the vertical farming site is assumed to be as urban as possibly. This would be distribution significantly easier and most certain;y cut down on carbon emissions... of course, only when implemented on a scale relative to the emissions we're aiming at cutting down.

•  Efficiency of related services:

Since crop attention is focused over a highly concentrated and relatively small area compared to general farmlands, it would naturally become easier for all other crop related activities like pesticide furnishing, packaging (if even required in the first place... the crops are going to cater to a mainly immediate location, right?), and cost of sales. The price of the food would be relatively lesser than organic food crop as the elimination of universally catering to these specific needs would be avoided.

• Possible contradictions?

The fact that of high efficiency, throughout and desirable consequences are never questionable. The only points of confusion (atleast as how i see it)... would be the cost effectiveness of the solution. First of all... Maintaining an artificial atmosphere is definitely going to be an expensive and technology intensive investment. A luxury most countries won't be willing to trade off on. Furthermore, facilitating the artificial bio sphere would require vast amount of power, which is again, not exactly readily available in all places of the world. The fact that power, should also be continuous, makes it a near impossible vision for backward countries.