We’re Hungry and we Need Indoor Farming
One in every nine people around the world suffers from hunger or undernourishment, and this number has risen since 2015, reaching the level it was at in 2010.
The problem of food insecurity, the state of having no access to adequate quantities of affordable and nutritious food, doesn’t end at the shores of undeveloped nations. Even in America, children and families suffer from undernourishment and malnutrition, which includes such things as obesity and overweight. Food deserts, areas in which affordable and nutritious food is unavailable, are prevalent in America.
Despite the fact that we cannot feed our current population, 9 billion more people will join us in just 30 years, meaning there will be even less food to go around.
Current agricultural methods are degrading our soil and polluting our environment, but new trends in the ag sector could help feed our growing population. Regenerative agriculture, which uses a combination of sustainable farming methods to improve soil health, limit water waste and pollution, increase biodiversity, and reverse climate change, is one of these current trends.
Other trends include robotic farming, which uses AI to more efficiently monitor and tend to crops; growing GMO crops, whose genetic makeup is modified to include needed nutrients; and indoor farming, whose name, well, sort of tells it all.
But we’re going to talk about it anyway.
Indoor Farming
Indoor farming is, yes, the practice of growing produce indoors. Simple but genius.
Indoor farming can employ such practices as hydroponic farming and vertical farming, both of which have proven to be much better for the environment. Traditional agricultural methods account for 80% of America’s water consumption. Vertical farming uses 95% less water than traditional farms.
Growing produce indoors is also more efficient, as it decreases production time, but it is also much smarter. By growing produce indoors, farmers have eliminated the element of unpredictability. Severe weather, such as floods or drought, won’t harm crops. Additionally, produce can now be grown in places whose climates are unsuitable for crop growth. Ninety-five percent of head lettuce grown in the United States comes from California and Arizona, whose land is drought-prone, but with indoor farms, these states can continue to produce and sell lettuce.
In addition to this, indoor farming eradicates the chance of contracting food-borne illnesses caused by pests and animals.
Now I’m sure you’re wondering: If indoor farming is such a fantastic idea, why isn’t it more popular?
With all great ideas come roadblocks.
The Challenges of Indoor Farming
Vertical farmers stack plants vertically toward the ceiling so plants can use LED light for photosynthesis. By using light bulbs rather than the sun’s rays, farmers ensure that plants have access to light even during low-light periods.
Before the Obama-era, the cost of growing plants indoors was prodigious, as cooling costs and electricity bills soared. Recognizing this, in 2007, the Department of Energy switched from incandescent light bulbs to LEDs in industrial settings, making LED lighting more affordable. After merely a few years, costs plummeted by 85% and efficiency doubled.
A new proposal, however, will reverse these energy efficiency standards as well as the progress indoor farmers have made within the industry. In January of 2020, the Trump administration plans to roll back the 2007 decision to phase out incandescent light bulbs, which will slow the demand for LED bulbs.
Other challenges include real estate costs; lack of plant diversity, which leads to disease; the replication of a natural outdoor process; and specific energy and environmental conditions.
While some indoor farms continue to combat these challenges, others fail. Plenty (San Francisco), Local Garden Vancouver (Canada), and FarmedHere (Illinois) have all crashed and burned in an attempt to tap into a blooming market.
The Bright Side
Despite looming problems, indoor farming is growing in popularity.
One grocery chain has even begun to dabble in this innovative agricultural trend.
Quality Food Centers (QFC) in Seattle, Washington has begun growing such produce as kale, cilantro, and lettuce in its very own store. By partnering with the vertical-farming company Infarm, QFC shoppers can now buy locally grown, fresh produce just inches from where it is cultivated.
The challenges associated with indoor farming might be irrepressible, but there is something that could improve its efficiency.
xVital, our nitrate fertilizer, is proven to increase crop yield; prevent root rot; reduce algae growth in hydroponic systems; and promote plant health. It perfectly complements hydroponic systems as well as traditional farming practices. By investing in xVital, indoor farmers can produce healthier, more attractive plants. Learn more about our all natural fertilizer here.
Sources:
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World
Growing Produce Inside the Grocery Store? Some QFCs try a new Approach
