A busy metro station in the middle of Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, is paving the way for more accessible fresh produce. The Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) just inaugurated its “Metro Fresh” indoor vertical farm last week. An entire floor in the underground station was transformed into a 40-square-meter hydroponic farming zone, housing vegetables such as lettuce.
According to Unimicron Technology, the company behind the initiative, the “smart farm,” uses high-tech equipment to ensure that the vegetables are cultivated in optimum environmental conditions. Also, instead of using pesticides and herbicides, the farm relies on LED lighting to create a sterile environment that is safe for plants and humans alike.
In a bid to promote agriculture, they designated the farming zone as an educational site where students can learn agriculture technologies. Efficient land use, such as vertical farming, is crucial in sustaining the increasing needs of more than 23.6 million people in the relatively small island of Taiwan. Furthermore, technology-aided urban farming is also driving the youth’s renewed interest in agriculture.
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