Signal 1: Vertical Farming, or how to Feed the Cities of Tomorrow

Link: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/could-indoor-farming-help-address-food-shortages

As more people move to cities, food security will become an even more present issue. The planet, of course, only has but so much arable land at its disposal. So how do we feed everyone, while minimizing land use, and (hopefully) pushing towards sustainability? Enter the vertical farming movement. Spearheaded in the Netherlands, researchers and businesses are constructing indoor farms, in which the crops are aligned vertically, to maximize space. Advantages include removing harmful bugs (and pesticides), and more control over climate (i.e. LED lighting, temperature control, etc.)

There are still questions to be asked, however. One is about scalability. Is it possible for these farms to pop-up in cities as disparate as New York, Chicago, or Houston? There are also tremendous costs related to building construction and energy usage. Lastly, indoor vertical farming could fundamentally alter current food production and distribution. The current design of transporting food from farms to markets and grocery stores thousands of miles away would take a major hit. In San Francisco, startup company Plenty developed its first farm in an abandoned warehouse. Subsequent cities may (theoretically) grow their own crops. This shift will affect consumer prices, and the job market.