The idea is simple: make maximum use of small spaces by filling greenhouses planting beds stacked on top of each other. In fact, modern agriculture is now available to the vertical due to financial and environmental pressures. While the world's population could exceed 9 billion people by 2050, the struggle for farmland will increase. Four fifths of the population live in urban areas with high density and regional products are appreciated for their low emission of greenhouse gas emissions and poor water use.

We therefore turn now to a system which could multiply by 20 the productivity of existing farmland, but also waste less water, reduce mileage and energy costs and comply with food standards.

I think vertical farming and mechanized farms are eminent to lead in future. Agriculture in future will be a high tech industry rather than simple small agriculture farms that we see in third world.

Vertical farming, in the case of greenhouses, is applied as A-shape growing soilless systems. The most important problem in these systems are shading effect of above plants over lower ones. In that case complete artificial growing systems, including artificial lighting would be solution.

Regards

Whilst I love futuristic appeal of vertical farming (which very quickly leads to indoor scenarios due to light constraints as mentioned by M.K.Meric), I still struggle to see how the real commercials will play out. Vertical farming often is more energy intensive due to factors like (potentially) artificial lighting, more complex operational handling, often pumping of fairly significant quantities of water/nutrient solutions and undoubtedly requires fairly significant capital investments. Yes, solar can play a role, yes, energy might become cheaper but ultimately you are still competing with "free" through sunlight which will be tough, especially the more you move towards sub-tropical and tropical regions.

Furthermore, remember that today we face a major distribution challenge, not necessarily an output problem. Vertical farming almost certainly will be driven forward by rich countries who can afford massive investments, but not the countries struggling with famine. Instead, it seems to me that very low-cost but high impact yield improvement methods promise much more potential for widespread adaption and results answering the issues around arable land. Technologies like simple low-tech aquaponics which can yield 5-10 soil based output for things like vegetables, adding some fish to rice paddies together with high quality seeds all seem to be things promising much more potential to me than vertical farming to become the "future of agriculture" as I personally strongly believe that no matter what, commercials will decide which path it goes down (and looking at a total cost including everything currently externalized, I struggle to see a way for cheap vertical farming).

I would be very keen though to see cases of sustainable vertical farms with an ability to properly scale based on rigid analysis and financial planning (apart from maybe marijuana, which frankly I assume would be even more profitable if grown properly managed but horizontally but for obvious reasons is not done on a large scale).

Best regards!

Maybe the following commercial videos give an idea about future of vertical farming...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjh97obNgUI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84zh7XL15n8

Thank you for the links - as always with these systems, beautiful to watch! :-)

For another system you can take a look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nFQOkzEjxQ

However, if we look at fundamentals, will such systems ever be able to compete on a large scale? As one of the guys in the youtube comments section was calculating, converting US farmland to this would in the end game feed 3 trillion people, obviously, meaning a massive crash of prices due to oversupply and plenty of surplus farm land where some people could grow from a much lower cost basis outperforming these growers (no matter how cheap energy gets, it'll never be free in a proper fully accounted way with out externalizations).

I guess (in a free market) it might come down to the question of whether your energy input in such a system can end up being less than the transportation energy required for the produce to get it to the place of consumption in a fresh way from a place using a much lower energy intensive method.

I am not the expert of the economics of these systems, but in near future (never think only earth, just imagine space stations in which may be the energy harvest would be much more cheap) these systems will be necessary i think. So, in my point of view, these system are not just for the eyes with their beauty.

Moreover, it would be possible to grow plants, of course not all of them, on demand areas, since energy requirements will be lower and thanks to to the artifical climate conditions.

Dear @Julia, read Bill Gates about the future in agriculture. It brings news about some innovation, digital agriculture...

Why the Future Is Bright for the World’s Poorest Farmers!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-future-bright-worlds-poorest-farmers-bill-gates?trk=eml-b2_content_ecosystem_digest-hero-14-null&midToken=AQHLIjW6KB_ESw&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=1UsZFA8ASsED41

How about this practice?

THE VERTICAL FARM

Growing crops in the city, without soil or natural light.

An excellent article!

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/09/the-vertical-farm

I think yes, because vertical farming requires less water and fossil fuel than outdoor farming, eliminate agricultural runoff and provide fresh foods devoid of pesticide residues.

Chapter Advantages of the Vertical Farm

Article Future food-production systems: Vertical farming and control...

Article The Vertical Farm: The sky-scraper as vehicle for a sustaina...

Article The vertical farm: Controlled environment agriculture carrie...

Article Vertical Farming: Social Work and Sustainable Urban Agricult...

Is Vertical Farming Really the Future of Agriculture?

"By now, the images of shelves full of perfect greens in hulking warehouses, stacked floor to ceiling in sterile environs and illuminated by high-powered LED lights, have become familiar. Food futurists and industry leaders say these high-tech vertical farming operations are the future of agriculture — able to operate anywhere, virtually invincible against pests, pathogens, and poor weather, and producing local, fresh, high-quality, lower-carbon food year-round...

Most vertical farmers are only hoping to claim a percentage of the conventional produce market, not replace it. To these founders and their investors, the market for lettuce and greens ..."

https://www.eater.com/2018/7/3/17531192/vertical-farming-agriculture-hydroponic-greens

Sounds a great idea. It might be successful in some areas.

yes,,but it needs good management