 At humankind’s current rate of growth, it is estimated that by the year 2050, the planet will be host to three billion more people than it is today, making for a 40% increase over Earth’s current population. Yet at present, over 80% of the planet’s arable land is already in use, which leaves one to wonder how such a large number of people will be fed.
No doubt improvements will be made in the efficiency of farming techniques, but only so many calories can be coaxed out of the fertile portions of the Earth each year. Dr. Dickson Despommier of Columbia University has been leading an effort to address that very problem before it becomes a crisis, and his proposed solution is interesting and well-researched… it involves a series of high rises in urban areas where fruit, vegetables, and livestock can be raised by utilizing greenhouse growing methods and recycled resources year-round, allowing cities of the future to become self-sufficient. This concept is called the Vertical Farm.
The Vertical Farm Project website goes into great detail on how such a structure could feed up to 50,000 people year-round, assuming 2,200 calories per person. Plans are currently underway to establish a prototype of the Vertical Farm in New York City in order to further investigate the feasibility of the project, and to address the negative consequences as they might arise.
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