Indoor farming makes sense in places with extreme climates (hot or cold), where land is scarce, and where there is need for a more reliable, predictable supply chain. Turns out this is actually true for many places on Earth (and for future space colonies).
Vertical farming could be an important piece of the puzzle in improving human health. Today, poor diet is the leading global risk factor for disease, disability, and premature death. People overconsume things like sugar, sodium, saturated fats, trans-fats and processed meats. People underconsume fruits, vegetables, whole grain, fish / omega-3, seeds and nuts, pulses, and legumes. And this underconsumption of foods that protect human health from disease is the biggest problem. So we need to make these protective foods more accessible, affordable, and desirable to billions of people. And at the same time as we essentially need to double the consumption of fruits and non-starchy vegetables worldwide, we also must decarbonize the food system. This sounds like a tough equation. But vertical indoor farming can help make this possible. An internal life-cycle assessment of the expected operations of Urban Oasis indicates that the leafy greens produced could have a significantly lower carbon footprint than imports from continental Europe, e.g. Spain, typically required during the colder months.
Read the complete article at www.medium.com.