Vertical Farming Can Provide Needed Crops to Water-Scarce Regions

white-keith

by | Oct 28, 2015

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white-keithIn California, an area highly publicized for its severe water woes, agriculture alone uses 80 percent of the state’s water supply — yet farmers are forced to use less water and sacrifice crops for the good of the masses. When water scarcity affects the agriculture industry, the effects are not just felt regionally. Eight hundred fifty million people worldwide go to bed hungry already, which will only increase without a better solution to the current water-intensive agricultural process. Vertical farming, a process that allows farmers to grow produce year round in a controlled climate, has shown great promise to be the solution we’re looking for.

Vertical farming has grown into a $9 billion a year industry as technology continues to improve the way we grow our food. One technology in particular that elevates a vertical farming structure’s value is atmospheric water generation (AWG) — the production of water from humidity that’s already in the air by bringing it to dew point and filtering it for collection and consumption. This technology is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly, as it alleviates dependency on natural water resources because it forms a continuous water cycle within the structure. The humidity is collected and filtered into water, which is then used to nurture the plants, and in turn sent back into the atmosphere inside the structure where it is harvested again and again.

Pairing atmospheric water generation with a closed-loop structure creates a turnkey greenhouse solution that can control humidity and temperature within the structure while providing a clean water source for agricultural or consumption uses. This is an invaluable resource for many regions across the globe that struggle with water scarcity, with great potential to drastically improve circumstances in the following three areas:

Large Scale Agriculture

Conventional agriculture practices have proven to be rather unsustainable. Farmers already lose a ton of crops due to different hardships related to bugs or weather. New Jersey farmers lose $290 million annually from direct crop loss or damage caused by agricultural pests, and just this past summer Indiana farmers lost $475 million due to far too much precipitation. In states where there are harsh winters that prevent farming all year round, it becomes increasingly important to get the most out of the months optimal for farming.

With vertical farming, farmers can ensure that their crops will grow year-round and in an environment best suited for growth. They will no longer have to worry about harmful weather conditions or pests, and they will see a significant increase in their yield. Farmers will get a significant return on investment as they will be able to sell more product while seeing decreased waste, and will not have to pay for a water source because atmospheric water generation will drastically reduce their water footprint.

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