This World Economic Forum article talks about water scarcity and the innovative technologies that are being used to produce food for human consumption without relying on traditional methods of agriculture. The authors state that approximately 70% of the global freshwater resources are used for agricultural purposes (Burrows, 2023). This is just astounding, especially when seen in relation to the prediction made by the authors of another study (Impact of wastewater irrigation on soil attributes – ScienceDirect), concluding that “around 60% of the global population is expected to experience the physical unavailability of freshwater by the year 2025” (Singh et al., 2023).
So-called CEA (controlled environment agriculture), which includes methods such as vertical farming and incorporates technologies such as machine learning will be essential for the future (Burrows, 2023). Burrows emphasizes that traditional large-scale agriculture is needed, however the transition to growing crops suited for indoor environments such as lettuces and herbs can be greatly beneficial when done correctly. This means, analyzing the characteristics of the country that one is considering growing in, such as the weather of that region, as well as the possibilities to use renewable energies. Taking all these things into consideration will help come to a conclusion if there will be emissions saved. This is not always as straightforward to determine as one might think. There are the costs and emissions associated with transportation, raw materials needed to build the building, as well as physical structures used to grow the plants.
Agriculture is undoubtedly essential for human survival, yet the industry causes much damage to the environment and perpetuates anthropocentric climate change. Today we still have many problems with erosion, degradation of land, lower soil quality, overuse of pesticides leading to loss of biodiversity, heavy reliance on fossil fuels, as well as much water being wasted are all things that the agriculture industry have to deal with.
Growing techniques that focus on sustainability, i.e. using less water and incorporating renewable energy sources, are a great opportunity for reducing emissions as the agriculture industry is responsible for creating around 9.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide (FAO, 2018). Consumers have a voice in demanding industries to change. We have purchasing power and can promote sustainable brands or not.
YASAI ‘grow more with less’ is one such Swiss vertical farm led by a team of young entrepreneurs. They are currently growing a variety of herbs that can be found in the leading grocery chains in Switzerland. Many benefits can certainly be seen in these new-aged growing techniques. As this industry continues to grow, there is much hope that it will become more sustainable and adopt holistic approaches.
Reference:
Burrows, J. (n.d.). Vertical farming uses 98% less water than traditional agriculture. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/06/how-vertical-farming-can-save-water-and-support-food-security/
Singh, V., & Kumar, A. (2022, November 30). Impact of wastewater irrigation on soil attributes. Advances in Chemical Pollution, Environmental Management and Protection. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468928922000065
Vertical farming uses 98% less water than traditional agriculture. World Economic Forum. (n.d.). https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/06/how-vertical-farming-can-save-water-and-support-food-security/
Yasai vertical farming: Switzerland. YASAI. (n.d.). https://www.yasai.earth/