How can vertical farming address our sustainable development goals?
How can vertical farming address our sustainable development goals?
Sunday 24th October is United Nations Day. The UN is responsible for collating our Sustainable Development Goals. These are a call for action by all countries to promote prosperity whilst protecting our planet. To celebrate UN Day, we take a look at which of the Sustainable Development Goals can be addressed by indoor and vertical farming technologies.
Goal 2: Zero hunger
Innovations in our agricultural systems are key to eradicating hunger. Vertical farming technologies and urban farms can be part of the radical changes we need to make within our food systems. Allowing people in any community or environment to grow their own food in any weather, all year round, could result in huge steps towards supporting local farmers and ending hunger. Growing near the point of consumption also generates less food waste because it reduces the journey from farm to fork.
Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation
Water scarcity is a huge threat. Of all the water on Earth, just 3% is fresh water and much of that is trapped in ice or underground. Our aeroponic irrigation systems recapture and reuse water, meaning that they use up to 95% less water than outdoor growing. Since it is a closed loop system, this also prevents waterways from becoming contaminated with excess fertiliser.
Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
Vertical farming is a relatively new industry, meaning there is huge potential to create jobs in both rural and urban areas. As the industry develops, so will its opportunities for entrepreneurship, investment and innovation. Urban farming offers the chance for agricultural jobs and training to reach a far wider range of people, in geographic locations where jobs in farming wouldn’t usually be available.
Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Indoor farming allows us to intensify food production, without industrially farming our natural environment. Innovations to irrigation technology, LED lighting and environmental control can all enable this industry to become even more efficient, productive, and sustainable.
Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Indoor and vertical farming could play an exciting role in enabling cities and urban areas to become more self-sufficient. Growing food within cities boosts local food security, local economies and reduces reliance on imports. It also reduces the carbon emissions involved in transporting food, brings agricultural jobs to new demographics and increases educational opportunities.
Goal 12: Responsible production and consumption
Indoor and vertical farming can encourage responsible consumption and production patterns by localising food growth and distribution. For example, growing based on demand would prevent over-production and food loss. There is also the possibility for innovations such as shoppers picking their own fresh produce, or being able to more accurately control and predict plant growth based on distribution and delivery schedules.
Goal 13: Climate action
Changing the way we grow food is crucial to tackling the climate crisis. If used in the correct circumstances, indoor and vertical farms could reduce the environmental impact of food by growing more with less land and resources. These farms often use far less water, less fertiliser and associated emissions, reduce fertiliser runoff into waterways and don’t need any harmful pesticides.
Goal 15: Life on land
Half of the world’s habitable land is used by agriculture. Vertical farming uses far less land, whilst still intensifying food production. By using vertical farms in certain locations and for certain crops, we could take pressure off our rapidly degrading soils. By optimising food production in this way, there would be less need to industrially farm our natural environment. This would provide more opportunity and space for biodiversity to thrive, to participate in regenerative or organic farming practices and for rewilding or forestry projects.
Goal 17: Partnership for the goals
Vertical farming is just one piece of the puzzle. It is one solution as part of a much wider range of changes that need to be made to our food supply chains and global infrastructure. It is important that new technologies are introduced whilst partnering with existing farmers, community projects, or technology providers. There is also the opportunity to work alongside other industries - for example, our food networks would benefit hugely from cooperating with energy production industries in order to improve the carbon footprint of food. Collaboration between existing industries is key to agricultural innovations being successfully integrated into our food networks.
Want to know more about how vertical farming can help us build a more sustainable food system? You can sign up to our newsletter to have more educational resources, blogs and content land in your inbox once a month.
