Urban agriculture and vertical farming
This article in the Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences introduces the novel agricultural practice of vertical farming /urban agriculture. This practice can help deliver safe and nutritious food for a growing world population, in environmentally and socially sustainable ways – improving global food security and citizen health and wellbeing. An effect of this new agricultural revolution is a notable increase in crop yields and quality. World agriculture is undergoing a transition to new technological paradigms driven by innovations in sustainability and resource use efficiency. The development of this new paradigm is enabled by the ongoing “precision,” “info,” and “smart” revolutions, and new demands of the markets. This related article in the journal Global Food Security argues that vertical indoor farming should be taken seriously. Vertical indoor production of vegetables may contribute to better nutrition. Additionally, vegetable production in controlled environments reduces climate change risks and vertical indoor farming would help reducing water usage in agriculture. However, the author states that there is an urgent need for economic assessments of vertical indoor farming.