A new concept in urban farms

Urban Farming may bring to mind the city dweller with their speck of land between two townhouses,  showing off their few tomatoes and peppers, or the melons from the community garden grown during the summer months. But there is an entirely new concept that an academic has spearheaded that may make the fields of grain seem quaint, and it's gaining traction and investment.

Vertical Farming, championed  by Columbia University professor Dickson Despommier is the concept of building 30 story urban farms in the middle of cities. Despommier  believes that not only could this be achieved, but he believes that 150 buildings at 30 stories each could provide enough meat, fish and vegetables to feed the entire city of New York. 

The earth's population is expected to grow from 6.5 billion people to 9.2 billion people by 2050. There just isn't enough land to feed this expected increase. Since most people, especially in North America,  will live in urban area's by mid century, vertical farming seems like a good solution.  

There are so many reasons Despommier's  concept makes sense. Although huge farm fields with that tractor kicking up dust in the middle of it is very picturesque, the reality is that it's very inefficient. With vertical farming, 1 acre becomes 30 Instead of spreading out, it rises into the sky. Because it's all enclosed inside a building, pests and parasites won't be a problem. All food can be grown organically. No more concerns about a growing season, a drought or other natural disaster.  With vertical farms in the city, all of the food is truly fresh and not trucked in from another city or another country. No more forrest land has to be destroyed to feed a hungry world. 

Many cities are exploring the concept of vertical farming as wel as companies like Coca-Cola, Kraft, and McDonalds and Nestle. Despommier hopes to have the first working vertical farm fully operational within 10 years.