Urban Farming of the Future
Globally, the urban farming market is projected to grow from $137.5 billion in 2021 to $281.9 billion in 2030, a compound annual growth rate of 3.1%. Urban farming involves producing, distributing, and marketing food and other products within metropolitan areas and at their edges. Urban farming includes community, school, backyard, and rooftop gardens, vertical farming, and hydroponics that extends beyond home consumption. The food produced can be sold at farmer’s markets, direct to restaurants or grocery stores, or through community organisations.
Benefits of urban farming
Urban farming generates multiple benefits, including:
- Increasing food security: Urban areas often form food deserts, which are areas where it is difficult to buy good quality or affordable fresh food
- Creating fresher, healthier food: Urban farming creates fresh produce close to where it is consumed, reducing food miles and associated carbon emissions
- Urban regeneration and use of under-utilised spaces: Urban farming can put land to use that is otherwise undesirable and cannot be put to good use. It creates more green space, creating community spaces for relaxation
- Community involvement: Urban farming brings residents together to work towards a common goal. It helps create a sense of belonging among people who would otherwise be isolated from one another
- Efficient use of land: Urban farming techniques, such as vertical or rooftop gardens, can be used to produce extra food in any free urban space that is available
- Economic growth and job creation: Urban farming provides low-income people with limited education an opportunity to develop skills and education, in addition to a source of income
- Less food waste: Urban farms allow people to harvest only what they are going to eat that day or within a few days, reducing waste food
- Water conservation: Urban farming conserves water in various ways, including using irrigation systems on timers and hydroponic systems that allow less water consumption than a conventional farm would use for the same output. Urban farms also prevent water runoff, enabling its reuse. Furthermore, rainwater harvesting systems can collect rainwater from nearby buildings and use the water for crop irrigation
Urban farming technologies
There are various technologies available to increase the efficiency of urban farming production, including the following:
- Grow lights: Indoor farming or areas with intense shade require grow lights, with LEDs being the most popular due to their efficiency. Blue-red LEDs are the best for using as grow lights as chlorophyll best absorbs this purple wavelength
- Solar PV systems: Urban farming can be highly productive, necessitating refrigeration to keep the produce fresh after picking. However, electricity can be costly and so solar photovoltaic panels can produce green energy while reducing carbon emissions
- Smart irrigator controllers: Drip irrigator systems effectively water crops and avoid wasting valuable water. Smart irrigation controllers can monitor and control water usage across crops, reacting to weather conditions in real-time, ensuring the right amount of water is applied through cloud-based smart apps
- Container farming: Container farming is vertical indoor farming inside a container. It is water-efficient (with hydroponic farms using up to 99% less water than traditional farming), automated (controlling the environment and plants’ nutrition and hydration levels), and climate controlled (indoor conditions are curated to be ideal for growing foods)
The take-out
Urban farming enhances food security while generating multiple environment, economic, and social benefits.
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