Despommier suggests that dwarf versions of crops ( e . g . dwarf wheat which is smaller in size but richer in nutrients , year-round crops and “ stacker ” plant holders are accounted for , a 30-story building with a base of a building block ( 2 hectares ( 5 acres )) would yield a yearly crop analogous to that of 1,000 hectares ( 2,400 acres ) of traditional farming .
Weather disruption Crops grown in traditional outdoor farming depend on supportive weather , and suffer from undesirable temperatures rain , monsoon , hailstorm , tornados , flooding , wildfires and drought . VF productivity is mostly independent of weather , although earthquakes and tornadoes still pose threats .
Conservation Up to 20 units of outdoor farmland per unit of VF could return to its natural state , due to VR ’ s increased productivity .
Vertical farming would thus reduce the amount of farmland , thus saving many natural resources . Deforestation and desertification caused by agricultural encroachment on natural biomes could be avoided . Producing food indoors reduces or eliminates conventional ploughing , planting , and harvesting by farm machinery , protecting soil and reducing emissions .
Mass extinction Traditional agriculture disrupts wild populations and may be unethical given a viable alternative . One study showed that wood mouse populations dropped from 25 per hectare to 5 per hectare after harvest , estimating 10 animals killed per hectare each year with conventional farming . In comparison , vertical farming would cause nominal harm to wildlife .
Human health Traditional farming is a hazardous occupation that often affects the health of farmers . Such risks include : exposure to infectious diseases such as malaria and schistosomes , exposure to toxic pesticides and fungicides , confrontations with wildlife such as venomous snakes , and injuries that can occur when using large industrial farming equipment . VF reduces some of these risks . The modern industrial food system makes unhealthy food cheap while fresh produce is more expensive , encouraging poor eating habits . These habits lead to health problems such as obesity , heart disease and diabetes .
Poverty and culture Food security is one of the primary factors
AgriKultuur | AgriCulture
Bok Choy Vertical Farm ( Public domain )
leading to absolute poverty . Constructing farms will allow continued growth of culturally significant food items without sacrificing sustainability or basic needs , which can be significant to the recovery of a society from poverty .
Urban growth Vertical farming , used in conjunction with other technologies and socioeconomic practices , could allow cities to expand while remaining substantially self-sufficient in food . This would allow large urban centres to grow without food constraints .
Energy sustainability Vertical farms could exploit methane digesters to generate energy . Methane digesters could be built on site to transform the organic waste generated at the farm into biogas that is generally composed of 65 % methane along with other gases . This biogas could then be burned to generate electricity for the greenhouse .
Acknowledgement : Vertical Farming , text condensed for publication . For Full text and references visit https :// en . wikipedia . org / wiki / Vertical _ farming
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