Vertical Farming

Vertical farming or vertical farming (English ) is a concept of future technology that will enable a sustainable agriculture and mass production of plant and animal products in the metropolitan area of cities in multi-storey buildings ( so-called Farmscrapers ). It is thus a special form of urban agriculture. Based on circular economy and hydroponics under greenhouse conditions to be created in building complexes on several superimposed levels all year round fruits, vegetables, edible mushrooms and algae. Proponents of vertical farming argue that the traditional agricultural production is to be returned to a natural origin state and can be energy cost of transport from the producers to the consumers thereby reduce. In addition, the greenhouse effect of atmospheric hydrocarbon is minimized by the circular economy. Critics note, however, that additional costs for artificial lighting and other operational work incurred in the vertical farming, which level the benefit effect by the proximity of production and consumption again.

• 7.1 Delta Park, Rotterdam
• 7.2 Casablanca

Background

Dickson Despommier, a professor of environmental health and microbiology at Columbia University in New York City, developed together with his students in 1999, the first idea for vertical farming. The original idea was 50,000 residents of Manhattan with 13 acres ( 5.26 hectares converted ) provide useful plants on roof gardens. His student group calculated that with this the available area is only about 2 % of the 50,000 residents could be fed. Dissatisfied with these results suggested Despommier to grow the cultures in a vertical arrangement, to save space. From this stage of the project gained its own momentum and came into the public eye. In 2001, the first plan sketches of this project were already mature and today scientists are working on a global interdisciplinary development of this project. In an interview with Miller - McCune.com Despommier described the main functions of vertical farming as follows:

" Each floor will get its own watering and nutrient monitoring system. Then sensors measure the nutrient intake of each individual plant. Likewise, there will be systems which monitor the outbreak of plant diseases. DNA chips are to measure the presence of phytopathogens by analyzing the ambient air at random and compare with samples and bacterial infections viroser. "

"In addition there is a gas chromatograph via the measurement of flavonoids statements about the state of maturity of a plant and determines the time of harvest. The Flavenoidkonzentrationen in tomatoes and peppers also provide information on the flavor composition of the fruit. These are already standard technologies that are already available. Possibility the design of a vertical farm is already given, and it required no major innovations in existing technologies. "

The architects have been designed by Chris Jacobs ( United Future ), Andrew Kranis from Columbia University and Gordon Graff " from the University of Waterloo.

The attention of the mass media magazine, among others, an article by Lisa Chamberlain in New York. ( after 2007 created numerous articles in The New York Times, Time Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Popular Science, Scientific American and Maxim Magazine), aroused.

So far, the vertical agriculture was implemented on a small scale, since 2009, there are some practical sophisticated concepts for vertical crop production, mainly hydroponics.

Historical Development

Already operating in the Amazon Indians Floor cultivation in the tropical rainforest, where up to 30 meters high tree crops (eg Brazil nuts ) formed the top level, shrubs and bushes, the middle and the lower level vegetables and root crops such as cassava, sweet potatoes and yams (see floor mounting ( rainforest ) ).

Cesare Marchetti published in 1978 the article " 1012 - A check on the carrying capacity of Earth " and leads as an alternative to the food crisis in the planning of autonomous garden cities. The botanist Patric Blanc coined the term Green Wall, primarily but not for crop production, but primarily for the greening of cities. 2000 designed the Dutch architects MVRDV, a concept for pig on multiple layers named Pig City.

In 2003, the Delta Park project should be realized in Rotterdam. Basic idea for this was the import of animal feed from overseas, which should be introduced directly into the harbor in a circular economy for animal and plant production. A 1000 x 400 -foot tall multi-storey complex with a wind turbine for power generation on the roof. The 5th to 7th floors were provided as greenhouses and their waste products for animal production and fattening. On the 4th floor mushrooms should be grown in the absence of sunlight, in the 1st to 3rd floor and intensive pig keeping chickens. The ground floor was intended for slaughter and loading, also the imported feed should be transported from the silos in the pole barns. In the basement fish basins for aquaculture should be created, battle wastes are used as fodder. Pig manure and chicken manure should be processed into organic fertilizer plant and the carbon dioxide exhaled by the animals for the enrichment of the ambient air in the greenhouses. The waste heat of the animals and the biogas produced from pig manure should provide the complex with heat energy. The realization of this project failed because of the resistance of the people against this form of industrialized agriculture.

Forms of urban agriculture operated since 1993, among others, the U.S. organization Growing Power. A special form is " aquaponics " as symbiotic circulatory system between plants and farmed fish like tilapia cichlids. Ammonia, the Fischaussscheidungen is digested under the fish tank on a gravel bed in bacterial nitrate and other nitrogen compounds. Duckweed plants provide an additional biological treatment. With the treated water lettuce and tomatoes are watered and the excess water flows back into the fish tank.

At the time of food crisis in the years 2007 and 2008, these concepts were re-included, as rapidly rising food prices, especially in the developing countries led to social tensions. VertiCrop High Density Vertical Growth System is a user system of the company Valcent and successfully introduced in the UK in 2009; there rotating system is grown on several levels above the other vegetables in a cost savings for lighting and better ventilation around a axis. Vertical Hydroponics is offered by the company Verti -Gro. The city of Masdar in the United Arab Emirates promotes these sustainable concepts and has signed a letter of intent to build a four-story vertical farm with Dickson Despommier and his company Vertical Farm Technologies.

Benefits

Some advantages are led by Despommier. Many of these advantages are based on expanding the scale of the growth conditions in hydro or aero cultures. Others relate to the fact that vertical farming (eg wind or solar energy) or recycling of waste water treatment or optimized to expand the benefits of renewable energy.

Diet of growing world population

It is estimated that by 2050 80 % of the world population ( 7 billion people ) live in urban areas. For the needs of an additional 3 billion people, the traditional land use procedures should be extended to newly developed land. To provide resources for feeding the world's population, an additional agricultural area of 10 billion hectares is needed, this would correspond approximately to the expansion of Brazil. According to opinions of various scientists, such an increase is not feasible and would lead to massive environmental damage. Vertical farming could create this remedy through resource- use and recycling.

Increase in crop production

In contrast to conventional farming methods, the vertical farming allows year-round harvests. A non-seasonal crop production increases the productivity depends on the crop species by a factor of 4 to 6 In strawberry, a factor of 30 would even arise. In addition, the same infrastructure for the production is simultaneously used for consumption. Distance transport or cooling omitted. This leads to much less spoilage or loss caused by crop failures. Research showed that up to 30 % of the harvested fruit from spoilage can not be used .. Despommier proposes the use of dwarfism types (such as developed by NASA dwarf wheat, little more substantial in size but in the nutrient composition) year-round crops, and " stacker " plant before. For a 30 -storey building complex over an area of 2 acres similar income as on 970 acres Außenbewirtschaft in traditional agriculture could be achieved.

Protection against weather-related crop failures

Field building cultures in outdoor management are often strong abiogenic factors of geological and meteorological nature such as drought, frost, heavy precipitation (eg monsoon ), earthquakes, hail storms, tornadoes, forest fires, etc. exposed. The protection of crops to win in the face of global climate change in importance. " Three large floods in the United States (1993, 2007 and 2008 ) caused billions of dollars in costs due to complete crop failure and loss of fertile topsoil. Sweeping Changes in precipitation patterns and the increase in average temperatures could at the end of the century in India reduce agricultural production by 30%. " Vertical farming creates a controlled environment for plant growth and makes production independent of external environmental influences.

Resource conservation

Each hectares of productive land a vertical farm could allow the return of 10 to 20 acres in natural state Barrens. Vertical farming reduces the need for redevelopment of farmland and conserves natural resources that are threatened by deforestation, desertification, salinization, Nährstoffauslaugung, over-exploitation and pollution.

Cultivation in consumer proximity also reduces the consumption of fossil fuels and other energy sources, as well as activities such as tilling, sowing and harvesting accounts with combine harvesters. Thus, an essential part could be made to reduce global CO2 emissions. Vertical farming enables the use of locally most efficient use of energy such as geothermal energy in Iceland, Italy and New Zealand, in the Near and Middle East through the use of photovoltaics and coastal areas with wind and water energy .. Another advantage would be the treatment of industrial water and polluted air. Through photosynthesis released oxygen would provide for the upgrading of the environment in the vicinity of a vertical farm.

Low-residue cultivation

Controlled environment conditions reduce the biocide and fertilizer use significantly. In plant protection can be optimally after the damage threshold concept ( regulation of Erreger-/Schädlingspopulation only after exceeding a defined threshold limit ) can be used in plant nutrition and nutrient uptake and release can be controlled very precisely. Since biological or ecological agriculture based on a nature-friendly, self-regulatory approach, bottomless cropping systems, regardless of the measurable residue burden is not a biological or ecological agriculture are compatible. If, despite the building closure to a pest infestation, this usually is much stronger than in the open field vegetables, as well as the harmful organisms from the idealized environment conditions and the absence of natural enemies profit. In these cases, pesticides are applied in a non -negligible scale in greenhouses.

Closed water circuit

The consumption of water in a closed system decreases significantly. In New York City 5.3 billion liters ( 1.4 billion U.S. gallons) of treated water introduced unused into the surrounding rivers daily. Vertical farming would allow the conversion of polluted " Black and gray water " in drinking water by the water discharged through evapotranspiration is collected. In the cycle of the food chain of a big city wastewater would be recycled and composted organic waste. The sewage of a city could be prepared by a slurry carb machine by hydrocarbon and water are separated. The remaining liquid slurry may be similar to coal burned in steam turbines and are used for the production of electrical energy. Another part of the sludge is treated with chemical biocides to kill pathogenic bacteria, and is converted by heat and drying in rich humus. The dirty water is through bioremediation ( "bio- remediation" ) in a first step with reeds, cutting ( Cladium ) / saw grass ( Cladium jamaicense ) and zebra mussels ( Dreissena polymorpha ) biologically cleaned and can be recycled for irrigation. As a result of further treatments potable water may also arise therefrom.

At the present time more than 70 % of the fresh water is used for plant production and strongly contaminated by fertilizers and pesticides. The use of water for irrigation, the vertical agriculture to help that no other " algal blooms " and eutrophication in natural waters caused by the removal of nitrogen fertilizers ..

Conservation of wild stocks

A retreat of human activities could stop the global extinction of species. Agriculture in natural areas has often led to a sharp decline in wild animal populations. Also in cultural landscapes, the intensive nature of agriculture leads to a decline in species. Studies show that wood mouse populations of 25 individuals per hectare after tillage, fertilization, plant protection and harvesting processes fall to 10 individuals per hectare. Vertical farming would have little effect on the natural wildlife populations.

Human Health

Traditional agriculture provides some health risks for workers, such as infectious diseases, malaria and schistosomiasis ( fluke ) or contact with toxic plant protection substances. In addition, encounters with dangerous wildlife such as poisonous snakes or injuries from accidents with farm machinery. In the traditional slash and burn economy ( "slash and burn " ) are exposed to all these dangers farm workers, not in controlled environments. Unhealthy diet with too many "fast food" products with a high fat content results in particular in the U.S. and Mexico to lifestyle diseases such as overweight, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The daily production and availability of fresh products such as fruit and vegetables from the vertical farms could positively influence the eating habits, the "daily production and availability" of fruits and vegetables is naturally given already and does not depend on vertical farming.

Urban growth

Vertical farming could promote the expansion of metropolitan areas in an environmentally friendly manner, which are thus largely self-sufficient in their food production. Deforestation peri-urban areas would thus be omitted. Other factors include a higher employment rate through the use of farm workers in the vertical farms. The conventional agriculture would continue to exist, as not all crops are suitable for vertical farming.

Energy

Proponents argue that can produce energy on vertical farms. Methane biogas plants can be operated from the compost industry. Biogas, which is composed of 65% methane. The biogas thus obtained can then be converted directly into electricity.

Technology

Vertical agriculture requires a variety of technologies to effectively and efficiently operated. The appropriate combination and integration of these technologies can realize the vertical farming. Some of these technologies are still in development stage. They are already usable:

• Greenhouse computer in modern greenhouse under utilization of solar energy
• Drip irrigation
• Aeroponic / Hydroponic
• Lighting technology for plant growth
• Composting
• Phytoremediation
• Skyscraper, high-rise building technologies

Meanwhile, the development has progressed so far that, for example, the Israeli company OrganiTech has designed automated greenhouse containers in which robots perform the cultivation of vegetables.

Projects and feasibility

Professor Despommier argues that the technology to operate a vertical farm that already exists and can be managed profitably and effectively. Developers and local authorities at the following locations have an account gesteigtertes interest in vertical farms:

• Flag of South Korea South Korea: Incheon
• United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi
• Dubai

• Dongtan
• Shanghai
• Beijing

• New York City
• Portland / Oregon
• Los Angeles
• Las Vegas
• Seattle, Surrey, B.C.

The Illinois Institute of Technology is currently developing plans for Chicago. It was proposed initially to develop prototypes and larger universities to take part, to failures such as the Biosphere 2 project in Oracle project to avoid Arizona.

Economic evaluation

The analysis of the economic feasibility of vertical farming has not yet been made ​​. A detailed cost analysis for operational processes and procedures, transport, fertilization, plant protection, soil treatment, care, renewable resources, recycling, renewable energy and employment factors is necessary in order to compare the different management systems together. More effort and additional costs due to lighting, heat generation and energy supply could potentially reduce the benefits in reduced transportation costs. Due to the Storied can be so much less sunlight than are used by the field crops. The lighting and energy expenditure in a year-round production on a vertical farm could be significant. Critics argue that the artificial lighting could even be a critical factor in the growth zones of the crops are not exposed to natural sunlight. Bruce Bugbee, a crop physiologist Utah State University is of the opinion that the extremely high energy cost of vertical farming is too high and not competitive compared to field construction. The light requirement of crops in a vertical farm is 100x higher than that of office workers.

The economic and environmental benefit of vertical farming is clearly to minimize the transport costs from the producer to the consumer. A recent study shows that the transport only to a small extent affected the socio-economic cost structure of the food supply of the city population. Pierre Desrochers mentioned, the author of this study and professor at the University of Toronto that "food miles" at best a marketing ploy had.

In contrast, Despommier sticks to his statement that vertical farming is feasible. According to its estimates, including the currently viable technologies, could be a 30-story vertical farm the size of blocks to feed 10,000 people.

In other sources, he increased the number to 50,000. At this stage there are not enough data to disprove the theory of competitiveness of a vertical farm in contrast to conventional agriculture and horticulture.

Case Studies

Delta Park, Rotterdam

The Delta Park should allow a city close to, energy-efficient and resource-saving production of vegetables, fruit, meat and fish in an " agricultural factory" by ideas of the Dutch Agriculture Minister Laurens Jan Brinkhorst and Agrartechologen January Broeze of Wageningen University. It should be continuous, semi - automated and regardless of the season meat, fish, eggs ( 250,000 laying hens, chicks 1,000,000 ), vegetables ( lightless rooms for chicory and mushrooms ) and fruit are produced. The light emitted by the breath of the animals should allow carbon dioxide on ventilation systems, the biomass growth of crops. In the intermediate floors were planned to breed locusts and other insects as a high quality protein feed for fattening pigs ( 300,000 fattening pigs ). In order to enable a proper housing, open-air terraces were intended for the pigs. The spreading of manure and nitrogen deposition associated remains one of the major environmental problems of the Dutch intensive farming, the manure of the Delta Park should be processed by fermentation processes and used either in its own system in the form of methane as biogas or other energy or exported as manure solids. The planners expected a production of 600,000 gigajoules. While the increasingly intensive agriculture should concentrate in urban areas, large areas for the restoration could be free in return. Was realized a project in Oostvaardersplassen, where deer, wild horses and wild cattle were released on a Dutch steppe landscape. Ernst Ribbe criticized by the environmental foundation EUR nature that cost leadership would be recovered at the Delta Park Rotterdam only by factory farming and an increase in concentration. The system is also dependent on feed imports from overseas for animal production, in the other direction repatriation of recovered organic fertilizer would be done. In his opinion, should not be placed in the industrialization of urban agriculture, but on rural development. Delta Park as industrialized " Agro Production Park " with different coordinated production clusters under controlled environmental conditions should of managers, not be operated farmers. Thomas Cierpka of IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement) stated that farmers who run an organic farming, though their but do not want to control production of nature as a whole. particular Dutch farmers are in the EU with a progressive intensification of their production at great cost pressure and the fierce competition with farmers from Eastern Europe. Ruud Poppe of the socialist Party of Holland are some concerns that one animal production can not compare with the production of a car, but is a part of human culture. way, the project Delta Park was the tension between ecology and technology. Rotterdam the Delta Park should be completed in 2010, was rejected by the public.

The project " Green Port" in Shanghai, which is managed by landscape ecologists Peter Smeets, is the successor to the Delta Park. Wheat, rice and maize are not suitable for urban production and will be generated in the future in the fields of process industry.

Casablanca

Another case study in the Moroccan city of Casablanca was investigated in 2007 by a working group of the University of Hohenheim. Special attention was paid to the synergies created between urban and more rural agriculture. Due to its specific climatic conditions such as highly variable continuously decreasing rainfall and increasing air temperatures Casablanca was chosen as the fast-growing urban metropolitan area with 3.5 million inhabitants. Among the key topics include energy efficiency and climate- friendly agricultural use of small-area gardening of tomatoes, strawberries and eggplant. The water supply from the Atlas Mountains is limited and much of the water is heavily polluted waste water as verloren.Lokale cycles are most efficient use for irrigation of fruits and vegetables the water.

New Developments

John Hantz, investor of the Hantz Group, is planning in 2010 with the broad support of local politics in Detroit after the economic crisis, the conversion of brownfield sites in agricultural areas. This would create a number of new jobs in all areas and allow the generation of cheap and healthy vegetables. Large U.S. food companies like Coca -Cola, Kraft Foods and McDonald's as well as European companies such as Unilever, Groupe Danone and Nestlé have joined forces to Platform SAI (Sustainable Agricultural Initiative) to develop case studies for the implementation of the Urban Farmings.

In the Swedish city of Linköping, the company Plantagon plans with the local power company Tekniska Verken and the community to build a 50 -meter greenhouse. The waste heat from a waste incineration and a biogas plant of Tekniska Verken to be used and, conversely, the waste will be used for growing vegetables in the biogas plant. The groundbreaking ceremony took place in March 2012, and completion is scheduled for 2014.

Articles and Publications

• Design Examples of vertical farms have been University of Illinois at Urbana -Champaign, for example, developed by the Graduate School of Architecture, to continue the Zabeel Park Vertical Farm, Harvest Green Project, the Pyramid Farm and several others.
• Ideas and innovations to the Third Green Revolution by Prof. Dickson Despommier
• Interview with Professor Dickson Despommier
• Interview with Professor Dickson Despommier from the year 2009 on the development of modern cities
• Large Scale Urban Agriculture
• Animation about how a vertical farm
• Article from designer Chris Jacobs by the company United Future on a draft of vertical farms
• Article from CNN Money on vertical farms
• Article in the Columbia Daily Tribune on vertical farms
• Eco Tower "Tour Vivante "
• BBC article on urban agriculture in New York City
• Another article on vertical farming in New York City
• Article on the SkyFarm project in Toronto
• Article with numerous graphs on vertical farms from 2004
• Articles about vertical farm technologies as one of the top 50 innovations in 2009
• Website of the Canadian offices of the City Farmer