Four myths about vertical farming debunked by an expert

06.05.2024 - 06:05 / theunconventionalgardener.com / guest

Header image: ifarm.fi, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Zoe Harris, University of Surrey

Vertical farms look hi-tech and sophisticated, but the premise is simple – plants are grown without soil, with their roots in a solution containing nutrients. This innovative approach to agriculture is growing in global market value and expected to reach US$23.23 billion (£18.55 billion) by 2029.

Typically, this soilless cultivation happens in huge greenhouses or warehouses, with plants stacked high on rows and rows of shelves. Parameters such as lighting, temperature and humidity can be controlled by computer systems, so vertical farming is sometimes called controlled environment agriculture.

There are three types of vertical farming. In hydroponics, plant roots are held in a liquid nutrient solution. In aeroponics, roots are exposed to the air and a nutrient-rich mist or spray is applied to the roots. In aquaponics, nutrients from fish farm waste replace some or all of the chemical fertilisers being delivered to plants through hydroponics.

There’s huge scope to produce a lot of food using these methods of cultivation but there are four key myths about vertical farming that need to be dispelled:

Some people may worry that vertical farming puts traditional field cultivation at risk, but this could not be further from the truth. At present, it’s only profitable for a limited range of small, fast-growing and high-value plants such as lettuce and leafy greens to be grown in this way.

Vertical farming costs are expected to fall due to economies of scale and standardisation of processes, so a wider range of crops could be grown. But there is an ethical issue to consider: just because something