Using multistory high-rises to grow food is known as “vertical farming,” and The Association for Vertical Farming has found that, when compared with traditional agricultural methods, growing food indoors uses 98 percent less water and 70 percent less fertilizer on average. To generate the amount of light and water necessary to keep plants healthy, while remaining as cost-effective as possible, vertical farmers use a combination of energy efficient LED lights and hydroponic technology (plumbing, irrigation, filtration). By implementing modern automation techniques to regulate these systems, civil engineers can also limit the cost of labor required to maintain these farms. The costs associated with vertical farming are still quite high, but as science in this field advances, civil engineers will be able to provide the populations of un-farmable regions with opportunities to grow their own natural produce.
Many entrepreneurs and scientists are currently evaluating how growing food inside of buildings coincides with improving social and environmental sustainability. Vertical farms also have higher yields than traditional farms, allowing the production of more food, using far less urban space. Significant progress in the study of vertical farming could lead to improved food diversity, especially for residents of population-dense urban areas and in places that are normally unable to grow produce using traditional methods.
