The Idea List

The Earth’s population is expected to grow to 9 billion by the year 2050, 80% of which is expected to live in urban areas. As a result of this anticipated urban population growth and the rising costs of fuel and transportation, there is a growing question: How do we provide fresh vegetables and farm produce to the cities at the lowest possible cost with the lowest ecological impact? One potential solution being considered is vertical farming, a space saving, energy efficient crossover farm that combines skyscrapers with traditional agriculture. Expected to arrive by 2015, these towering “sky-farms” will grow food indoors, no longer relying on mother nature to provide the perfect growing conditions, which, in turn, means no crop failures due to weather issues. Not only that, but the interiors are ultra-efficient, both with their energy and water frugality and in the sheer amount they can produce (4-6 times the production capacity, per acre, of a traditional flat farm!). Indoor farming is entirely organic, meaning there is no necessity for herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers, and significantly reduces issues of fossil fuel usage and agricultural waste, as the process uses no tractors or plows, and the customary shipping costs from rural to urban settings is nearly eliminated. Just picture it: reliable, clean, cost-effective farms where we need them, revitalized rural ecosystems where previous farmland has been reclaimed by nature, and a sustainably greener future.

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