Opinion: Hydroponics: A Novel Solution Revolutionizing Approaches to Food Scarcity and Climate Crises
By Blessen Kuriakose, Global High School Fellow (Syosset High School ‘24 — Syosset, New York)
Novel agrarian technology has the capacity to solve the issues that have plagued our planet for centuries, beckoning the question: How? Hydroponics has been found to be one of the main focuses on resolving these extreme issues due to its versatility and practical nature. Sustainable farming methods, like hydroponics, provide a new outlook on an age-old practice that has had a multitude of beneficial impacts not only on agriculture but on solving age-old dilemmas.
Though many list soil as an essential component of plant growth, science has found a new method of eliminating such a dependency on hydroponics in its various forms. The elimination of this reliance allows for the vast expansion of farming into lands once unfamiliar, and not yet explored, namely in modern urban settings. Due to its versatile properties, it has grown tremendously with an estimated market value of $37.7 billion and an overall increase in agricultural production in comparison to modern-day farming. Beyond its immediate benefits, hydroponics provides immediate and long-term relief to climate crises and food insecurity around the globe. As traditional farming demands a variety of needs such as acres of land, constant fertilizer, pesticides, etc. with detrimental impacts on our environment, hydroponics nearly eliminates such needs thus reducing the carbon footprints of many farms and increasing their production.
These past few years, we have witnessed the horrors induced by catastrophic events ranging from ravenous flooding in Pakistan to scorching droughts in Ethiopia. With growing rates of food scarcity and the effects of climate change becoming ever more dangerous, disaster lies at our doorstep. Global warming has also led to the infamous California wildfires and intense heat waves which severely undercut overall food production. In the US, 5.1 million households were recognized to have low food security with a total of 34 million people having little to no access to food. Food scarcity primarily occurs in areas labeled as food deserts, characterized by their limited accessibility to fresh food, often found in low-income areas primarily by minorities. Such little access to food leads to the development of chronic health conditions like mental health disorders, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, etc. thus furthering the economic strain on impoverished areas.
Hydroponics allows for a more well-structured and probable means of tackling these issues, all the while making agricultural production more effective. As these systems require no land, they are able to utilize a more compact design meant to increase yield significantly in a given space in which nearly 3 to 10 times more plants can be grown within 7 to 14 more growth cycles. Such an objective is crucial as every year, vast swaths of forests are cleared leading to habitat destruction for the growth of produce. Its simple, yet effective layout also allows for production in urban and suburban areas where agriculture is typically not seen. Gardening made easy in these settings facilitates the growth of access to fresh foods in urbanized areas which are typically victim to food scarcity. While production via traditional farming depends greatly on a variety of factors like temperature, rainfall, humidity, etc., all of which can change drastically due to climate change, hydroponics almost completely avoids this dependency and wishful thinking. Rather, it allows users to adapt their systems to the type of plants being grown by controlling the intensity of lights utilized, altering water cycles, balancing pH conditions, and more. These capabilities greatly ease plant growth in areas prone to unfortunate weather conditions ranging from intense frost to tornadoes and hurricanes. Not only does it avoid the effects of climate crises, it also actively prevents the worsening of these conditions. In areas with restricted water capacities, farming is made easy as hydroponics utilizes up to 90% less water than traditional techniques. Hydroponics is also considered to be a form of carbon-negative farming as it reduces the need for large equipment for maintenance and harvesting which typically utilize gas and other fossil fuels to function.
However, many attempts to fault the use of hydroponics by the mention of its costly requirements to maintain and begin, especially in a large-scale, business setting. Despite the initial cost, hydroponics systems require little to no substantial changes allowing for greater revenue in the long run in comparison to soil farms. Many also question the plants’ susceptibility to disease development thus lessening the yield of harvests. As a matter of fact, hydroponically grown plants are less susceptible to disease than traditionally grown plants as they are victim to only waterborne disease whereas soil-based plants can fall prey to waterborne diseases as well as those stemming from the soil itself, insects, etc. In addition, hydroponics avoids the need for harmful pesticides to prevent these diseases further improving its efficacy and cost effectiveness.
Through this novel technology, we can improve agricultural production thus reducing the impact of climate change and food scarcity worldwide. Though many may overlook the substantial potential hydroponics holds to act as a key component of solving these issues, it is time the public awakens from the haze of hysteria to make use of this trailblazer to defeat these impending dooms.
