There are 7.4
billion people on the planet, and all of them need to be
fed.
What's the most efficient and sustainable method for
accomplishing this? Traditional farming strategies have
monopolized our natural resources, and often prove wasteful
and too heavily reliant on pesticides and other toxic
pollutants.
Many regions don't have the means to produce
their own organic food supply, and must have it shipped to
them from great distances.
In future years, as the global
population continues to rise and viable farming lands
dwindle, our planet could face a food crisis like we've
never experienced before.
The new vpro documentary
'The Rise
of Vertical Farming' explores one possible solution.
Vertical farming literally turns the commonplace farming
model on its head. Rows of crops are no longer earthbound,
but stacked stories high in a tightly controlled indoor
environment.
Housed in abandoned warehouses, factories and
office buildings, these farms can be erected in cities
across the globe, mass produce organic foods for neighboring
communities, and greatly reduce the destruction of our
ecosystem in the process.
Industrialized farming techniques have profoundly altered
the food industry, but they've also contributed to
environmental depletion and widespread chronic disease.
As a
result, the demand for
fresh, locally grown produce is at an
all-time high. Vertical farming could be the key to
fulfilling that demand.
The filmmakers spotlight several of these operations from
the United States to Sweden, including
Aerofarms, the
world's largest vertical farm which is based in New Jersey.
These operations make meaningful use of neglected
infrastructure and have the potential to elevate the health
of the consumers they serve.
Often positioned just a few
miles from large grocers and distribution centers, they can
also slash the span of travel from farm to plate from days
and weeks to mere minutes.
The 'Rise of Vertical Farming' gives us an enthralling tour
inside a modern farming system that appears to be on the
verge of breaking through into the mainstream.
It's a social
experiment that could one day become a full-fledged industry
that serves the needs of billions.
The film pays tribute to
the power of ingenuity, and inspires hopes for a healthier
and more sustainable future.
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