Context: The Problem
With a gross farm production value of $60 billion and contributing 3% to our total gross domestic product (GDP), Australia’s Agricultural industry is undoubtedly one of the most envied globally. Occupying 48% of the Australian land mass, providing 1.6 million jobs to the Australian economy (direct and indirect), and exporting enough food to feed 62 million people, it is evident that the Australian Agricultural industry is the backbone of the economy and livelihood of over a million individuals.
Despite this incredible growth in recent years, Australia’s Agricultural industry is currently facing a multitude of complex issues jeopardising the sustainability and future of the industry. In an interview with ‘The Land’ newspaper, Robert Poole from KPMG outlined Australia’s key Agricultural issues, before categorising them into the following:
Market volatility
Pricing of goods
Taxes, tariffs
Overseas competitors
Climate volatility
Extreme weather
Seasons
Natural disasters
Climate change and global warming
A need to better manage risk at farm and corporate level
Increased corporate investment in Agriculture
Changing consumer wants and needs for food assurance (provenance)
Development of ‘niche markets’
Ethics and welfare of livestock
Health benefits of produce and livestock
Place of origin
How to be successful in China and South- East Asia
Global competition and disruptors means low margins in the chain- how to capture more value?
Value adding
Alternative streams of revenue
Automation at farm, factory and customer service levels
Efficiency
Employment
Feasibility (financially)
Cyber- security
Online payments and investments
Hackers and scammers
Security of farm operating and management systems
Agricultural technology and Internet of Things (IoT)
Digitisation of records
Increased use of computers
Digital operating and management systems
As a result, stakeholders have had to research, develop, and invest in innovative and provocative measures- ensuring the livelihood of the industry.
One of the resulting products has been the conceptualisation of ‘vertical farms’. This report explores the development of vertical farming and it’s feasibility as a solution to the myriad of problems expected to be experienced by those in the industry over the coming years and decades. Vertical Farming: What is it?
Dubbed as the “future of Agriculture” by numerous media sources and farmers, vertical farming is essentially the practice of growing produce and medicine in vertically stacked layers. Often found challenging environments, where arable land is unavailable or impractical, this vertical farms may occupy pre-existing spaces such as buildings and warehouses.
Vertical farming can assume many forms: including soil, hydroponic and aeroponic growing methods. Additionally, vertical farming may utilise artificial lighting and environmental control (e.g temperature, gas composition) or incorporate natural sunlight and rainwater.
Whilst vertical farming is currently used primarily for leafy vegetables (e.g. lettuce, book choy), soft fruits (e.g. strawberries) and seafood (e.g. fish, molluscs), vertical farms which incorporate livestock (e.g. cattle, chicken) and larger plants (e.g. banana trees, orange trees) are currently being investigated and designed.
Vertical farms boast a variety of benefits over conventional farming, including economic, environmental and social, which are further discussed in the ‘Advantages and Benefits’s section of this report. Stakeholders In Vertical Farming
Numerous stakeholders are invested in the development of vertical farming. Below are a list of some of these stakeholders, and their respective views on vertical farming.
Government
Throughout Australia’s modern history, the Federal Government has introduced several crucial pieces of legislation and support packages for farmers and suppliers.
The Government has not commenced any official development on vertical farming, but has mentioned the possibility of vertical farming in reducing the environmental effects of conventional farming and meeting future demand for food. It is vital the agricultural industry is viable long term in order to continue providing Australia with economic benefits, such as GDP contributions and employment.
Farmers
In recent years, farmers have faced extensive environmental and economic pressures, including extreme weather and increased costs of production. As a result, many farmers have had to adapt to the changing climate with provocative concepts. Private farmers and stakeholders directly involved with the industry have invested in building their own vertical farms, such as Queensland’s ‘Vertical Farm Systems’ (elaborated upon further in the Case Studies section of this report).
It is important theta the implementation of vertical faring is a viable long- term solution as 99% of Australian farms are locally owned and must be kept economically viable for owners, many of whom have invested their livelihoods into their enterprises.
Consumers
Modern consumers’ knowledge on their produce and food is ever- increasing, accelerated with the Federal Government’s introduction of the Health Stars system for packaged foods and mandatory ‘Made in Australia percentage’ labels. These actions have supported consumers in making well informed choices when it comes to purchasing food. This, in hand with the growing interest in the organic, local produce niche market has driven demand for produce grown locally and sustainably.
Town Planners, Engineers
Town planners and engineers have the ever-growing important job of designing urban centre and buildings to cope with the influx in population in already highly dense centres. Urban sprawl in recent years has also converted rural and semi-rural land into thriving suburban communities. Town planners and engineers must incorporate innovative designs into their plans to meet this large growth in demand.
Advantages and Benefits
The United Nations predicts that the world population will increase to 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100. Governments must ensure that proper infrastructure is established to cope with this population surge: including health, housing, transport, employment, and food. It is estimated that we must increase our food production by 60% to meet that demand.
In 50 years, 80% of the Earth's population will reside in urban areas. 80% of the land that can be used to grow crops is already in use, and 15% of that land has been damaged by poor agricultural practices. Yet we rush to find a replacement for our depleting oil reserves when the amount of land we have for food production is diminishing at a much faster rate.
Columbian University Professor Dickson Despommier has stated that “Farm able to feed 50,000 people could 'fit comfortably within a city block’.
As mentioned earlier, vertical farming boasts a plethora of advantages and benefits to all stakeholders. Many of these benefits directly address the ten key Australian Agriculture issues outlined by Robert Poole (mentioned in the Context section of this report).
Environmental Protection
One of the main reasons behind the growing interest in the development of vertical farms is their ability to protect natural environments. There is no doubt that vertical farming can dramatically reduce de-forestation as far less land needed for vertical farming than traditional farming methods. It can reduce pollution by dramatically reducing the transport loads, chemicals and other pesticides used in more recent farming.
Seasonality
Vertical farms allow for seasonal crops to be grown and sold throughout the year; these modern farms are capable of producing traditionally seasonal fruit and vegetables all year-round. Since the environmental factors are completely controlled, produce is able to be grown at optimal conditions no matter the season.
Locality
Modern consumers have become more informed on the food which they purchase and consume. In fact, many consumers will now believe in the principles of health eating, with this niche market become more predominant in recent years. Supermarkets and suppliers have noticed an increase in demand for Australian grown, organic, non-GMO foods.
Vertical farming can help to reduce urban sprawl with less processing factories, transport hubs and transport infrastructure. Having all the facilities within a short range from one another increases productivity whist reducing costs.
As more consumers opt for locally grown food, vertical farms in urban centres will drive this trend. Vertical farms also build transparency between consumers and growers, as consumers are able to determine how their food is grown.
Reliable Harvests
Vertical farms are constructed as weatherproof structures, ensuring that crops are protected from extreme events such as extended periods of drought, cyclones, and flooding, unlike conventional methods of farming.
It is also important to note that in countries where vertical farm shave been implemented, there has been less post-harvest spoilage and food waste since most of the produce can be sold in the same building where it is grown, Conventional farming methods have about 30% of harvests are lost each year due to spoilage. (This is excluding the food supermarkets and consumers throw out)
Water Usage
Vertical farms utilise minimal amounts of water compared to conventional farms. The main methods used in vertical farm systems are either hydroponics, where plants are grown in a basin of water with nutrients, or aeroponics, where the roots of the crops are sprayed with nutrient-filled water (often in mist form). These two methods use significantly less water, as all the water is consumed by the plants; the exact amount of water needed by the plant is the exact amount used.
In some cases, vertical farming promotes water recycling. Urban waste, including black water, can be composted and used for farming inside the facility.
Reduced Risks
Traditional farming has been known to create many health risks (e.g., schistosomes, malaria, geohelminths). These diseases can disable large populations, in turn removing them from the flow of commerce, even in the poorest of countries. Other health risks to farmers include acute exposure to toxic agrochemicals (e.g., pesticides and fungicides), bites from noxious wildlife, and trauma injuries. The latter two risk categories are particularly common among “slash and burn” subsistence farmers. It is reasonable to expect that as the human population continues to grow, so do these problems.
Disadvantages and Risks
Whilst the vertical farm concept demonstrates promising benefits, there are also disadvantages and risks associated with operating this unique farm.
Market Demands
Whilst markets are becoming more inclined in purchasing sustainable foods, ”At the end of the day, the market will buy the cheapest food the market can get and you can't charge a premium for lettuce just because it was grown in a vertical farm,” Vertical Farm Systems’ managing director, Ashley Thomson, pointed out. “A lettuce is a lettuce and it sits on the table and people don't care if it is hydroponic, grown in a paddock or a vertical farm, they ask: 'How much is it?’”
“Consumers here share the same concerns about food safety and sustainability that have made the practice so popular in the US and parts of Asia," Wilkins said. "Australian cities are not so different – people simply care about where their food comes from and place a higher value on food they know was grown locally.” Chris Wilkins, Sydney based vertical growing system company PodPlants won the Australian Innovation challenge in 2014.
It’s also important to note that the demands of the market are constantly changing, and such a large economic investment is considered high risk in today’s economy.
Current limitations
Currently, vertical farms cannot yield all types of vegetables. Usually, they can only produce leafy greens, herbs, and tomatoes because these grow quickly. Other crops like potatoes, wheat, and rice have no place in such farms because they weigh more and require a larger space for growing.
Where aquaculture systems are in place, only certain seafood species are able to be cultivated due to the physical and chemical resources available and technological restraints. In addition to vertical farming, genetic modification will allow species to be grown must faster and more efficient; allowing for the production of a further diverse array of seafood.
In saying this however, current research and development is allowing for the possibility of sustainably growing livestock and larger produce. Relevant Case Studies
Three case studies which I had examined allowed me to further develop my understanding on vertical farms and their feasibility. All runaway successes, these prime examples prove the relevance and efficiency of vertical faming systems.
Vertical Farm Systems: Queensland, Australia
The first of which is Vertical Farm Systems, a private Vertical farm business is regional Queensland. Operating in a warehouse near Yandina, "We basically go from seed to harvest of green, leafy vegetables, salad greens, herbs, inside about a 28-day period," co- owner Mr Thompson said.
”We grow in an evacuated clay medium where we put that into the climate cells. That's where the nutrition, the lighting, the climate control is all undertaken to make sure that that plant has the best environment for growing.
"We had to engineer and design the whole system and make sure that it's structurally correct and functionally correct," co-owner Mr Leslie added.
”Then [we had to go] looking for suppliers around the world — unfortunately there is no vertical farm shop, yet — but we had to then start finding suppliers and get a lot of tooling made for injection moulding, casting and extruding and now we have 43 suppliers globally that provide all our components for us.”
The process in growing produce at their warehouse is at follows:
1. seeds are played via an automatic seeder, directly into clay pebbles.
2. watered with organic germination accelerant
3. transported down line to a climate cell. climate cell has computers controlling light, water and climate for humidity and temperature.
4. cell and growing tray are removed after 28 days. Is then automatically harvested.
5. bench is washed and sterilised, clay pebbles recovered and placed in trays. cycles restarts.
Their system with three climate cells can produce 500kg of cut leafy greens every week per year and is used to grow variety including: basil, lettuce, rocket, spinach, boy choy, pal chop, endives, chard, etc.
Despite this runaway success, co-owner Mr Thompson has stated that “at it that price range, the men are more realistic about the market for their technology; targeting people less concerned about the price of food, and more interested in quality, freshness, and food miles. At the moment, Canada for example is importing up to 95 per cent of its salad greens from South America or California. There's no reason they can't grow them locally with this technology.”
Sky Greens: Singapore
Another significant development in the implementation of the first low-carbon, hydraulic driven vertical farm in the world. ‘Sky Greens’ is located in Singapore, a small island city with a population of more than 5 million, a city which relies heavily on food imports from other countries.
The farm grows veggies in A-shaped aluminum towers about nine meters tall each. Sky Greens calls its technology the “A-Go-Gro”. Each tower has 22-26 tiers, which are rotated at a rate of 1mm/second for an equal distribution of natural sunlight and airflow. Sky Greens is capable of growing 800 kilos of Chinese cabbage, kai lan, spinach, and other leafy greens every day. It has been producing these crops commercially since the year 2012 and has since regained costs of construction and planning through commercial profits.
Discussion: Personal Opinion
Whilst compiling this report, I came to realise that vertical farming had been identified as having excessive potential, but also many constraints and weaknesses. In order to better implement vertical farming in the Australian Agricultural industry, it is important to distinguish all the limitations of this unique farming system.
I believe that the implantation of vertical farming will undoubtedly support the Australian Agricultural industry and it’s key areas for concern, but the current limitations for vertical farming must be recognised and addressed.
1. 40% of the World’s energy is used up in construction. Architects and designers should be presented with a set of sustainability criteria for the whole cycle of creating sustainable buildings, set in accordance to protocols signed by political heads globally. These are combined with designs characterised by optimal energy consumption that takes advantage of advanced technologies so as to lessen the needs for energy and use in terms of heating/cooling services, electricity and so on.
Considering the influence of buildings on the reduction of energy consumption which negatively affects the environment, a number of strategies exist such as: ‘reduced energy needs’, ‘increased energy efficiency’ as well as ‘passive design techniques applied’. These main strategies further imply: cutting down on the use of energy sources, using the sources again, using recycled materials, protecting natural reservoir, ridding of toxic materials, heading to economic matters and enhancing quality. These all are suggested for conceiving sustainable construction. At the same time, we can infer variables are involved in sustainable construction such as enhancing the usability and taking into account financial matters. In order to work optimally, other systems can be also used in vertical farms. They include aerodynamic ventilation, thermal mass storage and rain collection.
2. In the matter of agricultural technology view of vertical farming, these attempts need to cause secure and good-quality food or other products of farms.It can act as the criterion to select acceptable tasks in each production phase which are sustainable both environmentally and socially. However, it is demanding to incorporate them in a framework which aims to strengthen farming and fulfil nutrition and energy requirements. Growing crops with such instruments as marker-assisted selecting tools as well as genetic engineering can be influential indeed as they pave the way for providing new biofuel products. The way to reduce this pressure is to make optimally sustainable farming attempts which benefit from harmony and homogeneity all along the way. Therefore, reusable sources of energy can be used safely and with no damage to the environment. There is a need for investigations to delve into the interrelations of these constituents and to be convinced of gaining the most and the best outcomes, the best-quality technologies are to be used in order to take care of the environment and cut down on waste and at the same time guarantee the quality and safety of foods. Many links should, therefore, be created among multiple phases of food production and processing. The existing gap among agronomic attempts and between various fields of research need to be filled so that industrial, collective thinking is created and the effect of diverse technologies, attempts and materials are strengthened on productivity. It also better characterises sustainability at local and global levels. Sustainable farming is not a brand new concept since there currently are quite a lot of attempts that try sustainability. Producing food can be added to for 4 to 30 times as much as horizontal agriculture by employing advanced technology in aeroponic and aquaponic systems. The volume of crops is also increased since each acre of hydroponics equals about nine acres of farm land.
3. As a reassuring idea, vertical farming integrates contextual matters and the economical. It emphasises the downsides of present farming and tries to solve problems according to prospective social status. Nevertheless, there is a chance for development in any new concept. One such development is technological. This can be realised in vertical farms. These sustainable agricultural methods with sustainable building method can be applied to the vertical farming model to pave the way for urban sustainable farming. Conclusion
Agriculture is one of the activities that play the main role in supporting a human in the world. However, drinking water is already in shortage stage, but, most of the available freshwater, is already using for agriculture. More than 20% of the fossil fuels annually is using for agriculture in industrialised countries. Farming has become more fund centralised during the last years. Developing the high-tech farming systems are the results of the energy sources and new methods of farming. Moreover, overpopulation of cities needs new agricultural methods so as to bring conventional farming inside cities. A single technological strategy cannot be a panacea to the ever-growing food production system. Instead, there is a need for a mixture of multiple techniques to guide us towards the 21st-century green revolution.
Vertical farming is one of the greatest interesting examples of somewhat new that may contribute to these answers. Others have mentioned to this occurrence as controlled environment agriculture or agriculture integrated building. Also have basically involved it as technical elements within the superior phenomenon of urban or local agriculture with different food production. Vertical Farming has the potential way for sustainable progress to produce food or related services in urban areas. The goals and future vision have been planned with the purpose of generating sustainable cities around the world. To sum it up, to create a city context where most of human food needs are met by self- production and recycling and reusing drinkable water would not be far-fetched since the required technologies are already availed. Where there is strong enough motivation and adequate social pressure, prospective eco-city can be actualised soon enough.
The recent traditional farming approaches due to a great imbalance in the environment. In the other hand, the recent environmental approach caused by concentrated traditional farming approaches that contribute to the ecological problem has been overviewed. Agriculture it still plays a very significant role in many cities. It causes thousands of acres of forest land to be plowed up sacrificing thousands of acres of land. Endmost, it appears that the concept of the vertical farm in the city centre of urban areas could solve a lot of real issues related to food production and environmental degradation. Then no harvests would fail by severe weather phenomenon like droughts, floods, and hurricanes, etc. Hence, the vertical farming making of a sustainable city environment that encourages the people to live there for the safe and healthy environment, cleaner air, safe drinking water, safe usage of public liquid waste, new employment chances, and less abandoned lots and constructions. Vertical farming has the benefit of a seasonally wet and warm weather.
They can easily minimise cooling and heating water, use of indoor temperature and artificial light and also have a plentiful amount of natural resources such as long hours of sunlight and enough water from daily rain to cultivate.
As a conclusion, the number of technologies provided for decreasing the agricultural effect on the earth as well as oceans is restricted although it helps to sustain the increasing human population. From my own personal perspective, vertical farming is among the few novel paths to fully delve into the following 10 to 20 years particularly if we really aim to live in a balance with other living organisms and not to threaten their life nor ours.