The Upward Trend for Vertical Farming
By the year 2050, it is predicted that the global population will exceed nine billion. More people on our planet means that there will be more bellies to feed, but less space to grow crops.
In the future, two-thirds of the population will be located in urban rather than rural areas because less and less people want to pursue a career in farming. This is reasonable because outdoor farming is not an easy task–it requires labor, proper weather conditions, irrigation systems, and pest control.
To further contribute to this issue, we are also running out of clean water, and the agriculture industry currently uses 70 percent of it. All of these factors will cause our food supply to become scarce and prices at the grocery store to skyrocket. Fortunately, vertical farming may be the solution to this impending problem by helping to ensure food security.
What is a Vertical Farm?
Vertical farming is a unique agricultural method hat has the potential to be more efficient than both greenhouse and traditional outdoor agriculture. It is defined by growing produce in large warehouses in vertically stacked layers.
Crops can be grown in hydroponic or aeroponic systems in a controlled environment; aspects such as light, temperature, water and carbon dioxide levels are tightly regulated. This allows for produce to be grown year-round practically anywhere. Vertical farming is not only cherished for its high-tech capabilities, but is also more sustainable and uses far less water than traditional agricultural practices.
But that’s not all–food coming from vertical farms could make it on your plate in a matter of hours. How? They sell their produce to grocery stores located only a few miles away. Traditionally grown crops can be shipped thousands of miles to get to their final destination–for example, strawberries that are grown in California and shipped all across the United States. Because vertical farming is an indoor method of farming, there are no limitations deriving from the specific climate requirements of certain crops.
Growth for the Vertical Farming Industry
Recently, the vertical farm industry has been getting a lot of attention – it has been projected that market will grow by $7.7 billion. Currently, AeroFarms is the leading competitor in this industry and already has two massive vertical farms located in New Jersey. Their produce is already being sold to nearby grocery stores. Not to mention AeroFarms just received $100 million in funding from INGKA, the parent company associated with IKEA.
These vertical farms use 95 percent less water and are 390 times more productive than a commercial field farm, making them a true prospect for the future. In addition to AeroFarms, government-regulated USDA is funding vertical farming research opportunities.
With the world of technology in full blossom, the agriculture industry is getting hit by a strong wave, especially in this new agricultural realm.
xVital’s Prospective Role
Increased innovation in farming methodology requires the modernization of fertilizer. xVital, a liquid plant supplement produced by light and water rather than harsh chemicals, may be the future of fertilizer.
xVital can be added easily to hydroponic systems within these farms to supply plants with an elixir of both water and nitrogen. Even if hydroponic systems are not used, xVital still surpasses the effectiveness of traditional solid fertilizer.
Applying solid fertilizer to the stacks in a vertical farm would be extremely time and labor intensive. Because the produce in vertical farms must be watered as well, xVital can simply be introduced into the watering system, creating a consistent flow of nitrogen to the plants. The amount of nitrogen can be controlled precisely and altered based on the needs of various crops, resulting in optimum yield without over or under-fertilizing.
To top it all off, xVital is eco-friendly and will not introduce harsh chemicals into produce while still accelerating the growing process. Purchase xVital today, the fertilizer of the future!
Sources:
Feeding the Future of Agriculture with Vertical Farming
Vertical Farming for the Future
