The world's population is anticipated to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050, representing a 2 billion increase in the number of mouths to feed compared to now. It will be tough to meet that demand. Producing more food sustainably will be considerably more difficult, but it may be required given that current techniques would exacerbate both climate change and existing food supply concerns caused by 20th-century industrial farming.
Because of these issues and a growing population, the Food and Agriculture Organization predicts that by 2050, productive land per person will be a fifth of what it was in 1960. Jones Food Company, situated in England, operates Europe's largest vertical farm and is a pioneer in an industry that believes the future of food is more highly optimized indoor farms rather than more agricultural land.
Vertical farms may be one of the most environmentally friendly methods to meet increased food demand in the twenty-first century.
Vertical farming is a type of agriculture in which crops are grown on top of one another rather than in horizontal rows. Growing crops vertically saves space and results in a higher crop yield per square foot of land used. Vertical farms are typically found indoors, such as in a warehouse, where they can regulate the environmental conditions necessary for plants to thrive. Plants can thrive 365 days a year without sunlight, herbicides, or pesticides under well managed settings.
Unlike agricultural land, which must be arable and is often placed far away from consumers, vertical farms may grow almost any type of crop almost anywhere on earth.
The supply chain is shortened by being close to clients. Consider how imported produce arrives at your local supermarket: Much of it was likely grown hundreds or thousands of miles away before being packed into a series of transport vehicles, where it was either chilled or preserved with chemicals (both of which can affect the taste of the product). These expenses can mount up quickly.
In certain places of the world, such as the Middle East and North Africa, where food production is particularly difficult. They get a lot of sun, require very little water, and have enough of land to build on a vast scale, vertical farming is ideal.
In the United Arab Emirates, there are over 35,000 farms, many of which utilize modern technologies such as vertical farming. The UAE has made significant investments in food security. In a dry area with limited water and arable land, growing melons, tomatoes, strawberries, and kale should be impossible, but the UAE's dedication to innovation-driven food security proves anything is possible.
A vertical farm will be built in the agricultural technology and engineering cluster, which will use cutting-edge food technologies to cultivate year-round important commodities. The cluster will also assist capacity building across the food ecosystem while generating novel projects in bioengineering, automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence. However, while working toward food security, the country is simultaneously undergoing an energy transformation, with the goal of becoming net zero by 2050.
Africa is confronted with comparable tendencies that necessitate the consideration of vertical farms. To begin with, it is rapidly urbanizing. More than 70% of the population is predicted to live in cities by 2025. Second, many of these city dwellers desire and are ready to pay significantly more for high-quality, pesticide-free food.
Despite the fact that the vertical farming movement has been fueled by sharing tendencies, Africa has yet to experience a surge in the business.
In Uganda, for example, urban farmers are experimenting with vertically stacked wooden crates units due to a lack of financial means to establish a contemporary vertical farm and limited access to land and water. A central vermicomposting chamber makes up these simple units. The crops are irrigated with water bottles on a constant basis. These stacking basic vertical gardens use less water and allow urban farmers to serve urban marketplaces with veggies like kale. In Kampala, 15 such farms have been established so far, with the number expected to rise in the coming years.
Ukulima Tech, based in Nairobi, also constructs contemporary vertical farms for clients. It currently has four vertical farm prototypes: tower gardens, hanging gardens, A-Frame gardens, and varied gardens. Each of these prototypes employs a variation of the vertical garden concept, conserving water while producing vegetables in a contained, insect-free environment.
Vertical farming – and its modifications – is one of the most inventive ways that can be used to raise fresh, healthy, nutritious, and pesticide-free food for consumers in Africa's fast rising urban population. Now is the time for African innovators and entrepreneurs to invest in their design and construction
