Vertical farms are not a new idea, but their viability and the motivation for their construction has reached new heights in recent years. Growing concerns about overpopulation and food supply are coming to the fore once again and indoor environmental control technologies are helping to make the idea a reality. The current world population of 7.6 billion is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050, then 11.2 billion in 2100, according to The World Population Prospects report: The 2017 Revision, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Such increases will put huge strain on our already stretched agricultural systems and the fact that the majority of growth will happen in cities only exacerbates the environmental footprint of the food supply chain. “By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth’s population will reside in urban centers,” says Disckson Despommier in his book ‘The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World […]