By Lori Zanteson | Premium Health News Service, Environmental Nutrition Newsletter Farming is moving indoors to help bring fresh food to urban environments and, ultimately, to feed the world efficiently, sustainably and cleanly. To feed a rapidly growing population, costly farming practices need to change. Industrial agriculture is responsible for over 70% of the global water supply, hundreds of millions of pounds of pesticides in the U.S. alone, the loss of arable farmland and a high carbon footprint. Indoor agriculture is successfully tackling many of those challenges. It may not be a cure-all for all that's broken in modern agriculture, but it's certainly a leap into the future of farming and food production. What is indoor farming? Indoor farming is growing plants or crops entirely indoors. Often seen on a small scale, like a home greenhouse or basement, it usually refers to large scale commercial farming, popular in large cities where plots of land are not easily available or ideal for growing crops. Urban locations are being used to bring fresh, local produce to communities where it's not always accessible. Many utilize vertical farms (multilevel, green walls), which maximize the plants grown in a small area, producing far more than traditional outdoor, soil-based farms.
There are many variations of indoor growing methods, but hydroponics, aeroponics and artificial lights are commonly used to provide plants with nutrients and light needed for them to grow. Some indoor farms, like greenhouses, utilize a combination of natural and simulated resources, such as natural sunlight and liquid nutrient fertilizers. Others are completely controlled by the farmer. In controlled environment agriculture (CEA), farmers determine precise amounts of light exposure each crop receives, the nutrient levels provided, moisture levels and temperature. Not all crops are grown indoors, but lettuces, herbs, tomatoes and fruits are popular. Eco-friendly? Indoor farming is more efficient and uses fewer resources than traditional farming methods. A fraction of indoor farm space has the same crop yield as a much larger outdoor space. In fact, it's 100 times as productive as traditional agriculture. Indoor crops need less water (85% to 95% less), no pesticides, and grow twice as quickly because the climate, weather and seasons are controlled. They are also located in large cities, and are closer to consumers, so they don't travel long distances to market.
61°north | August 2021
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