URBAN FARMING

URBAN FARMING
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(19th April, 2012)
Will Urban Farming Revolutionize Sustainable Food Production
One billion people are starving. Today, 25,000 people will die from malnutrition. The global farm yield is currently growing by 1.1% a year. Before 1990 it was increasing at 2.0% a year. The United Nation`s Food and Agriculture organization projects that the growth will continue to fall. On the other hand, the human population is steadily increasing. The world`s farmers will have to double their output by 2050 to meet the demand. Current farming techniques are ruining the environment, and not enough arable land remains to feed a projected 9.5 billion people by 2050. A revolutionary concept promises that in one-square-block farm 30 stories high could yield as much food as 2,400 outdoor acres, with less subsequent spoilage.
In a city like New York, space is too limited for serious farming, that a sustainable urban food system seems impossible. The Science Barge, a new urban farming experiment in New York, is bringing local food production closer than ever. The Barge, a floating greenhouse, demonstrates how urban space, can be used to cultivate. Self-powered by alternative energy sources, it uses computer technology and hydroponics (urban agricultural technique) to grow fruits and vegetables using much less water and space than field farming.
Apart from the barge which shows us how to utilize rooftops, we also have vertical farming. It is a way to grow food in an increasingly urbanized world. As food security becomes an issue, traditional farming methods will not be able to keep pace. Some estimate that more than 80percent of the land available for farming is in use. If organic and permacultural methods are used, there may be decreased productivity, further decreasing the ability of traditional agriculture to keep up with food needs.
Vertical farming is an idea that has existed through the 50s. it involves cultiv...