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Thinking Vertically: Food Systems of the Future

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Two Idealist staffers recently attended All Day Buffet's Social Innovation Conference, tantalizingly dubbed The Feast. Joanna reported back that she'd heard Dr. Dickson Despommier speak about his ambitious plans for reinventing how we farm. Dr. Despommier is the pioneer behind the concept of the vertical farm, a potential solution to the dual problems of rising populations and the pending farmland shortage. In the interest of helping good ideas travel, I started Googling the topic.

The idea is both simple and ingenious. Let's build off the local food movement, reduce transportation costs and pollution, reduce deforestation, and reduce the need for pesticides by growing food in environmentally friendly urban skyscrapers. Imagine a 30-story building in the middle of New York City with its own irrigation system, recycling system, solar paneled roof, and enough food crops to feed 50,000 nearby people. Doubt all this food can be grown indoors? Hydroponic and aeroponic growing methods (researched by NASA for the purposes of space farming—seriously, the future is now) make it theoretically possible.

The price tag for such a venture is huge, and critics argue the plans aren't cost-effective or practical. In this video from the Big Think Blog, Dr. Despommier responds to the naysayers: "The first one of anything is expensive."

The idea is gaining attention and supporters. Dr. Despommier says there are 12 vertical farms being planned around the world. If you want to learn more about this big idea, check out the Vertical Farm Project.


This entry is by Hannah, who is becoming more and more interested in food issues.