Vertical farming, a modern sprout with ancient roots, sculpting our future landscape.

Meet Marcel Dugenou, the city-slicker turned high-rise farmer extraordinaire! Nestled in Paris's 15th arrondissement, Marcel doesn’t sweat the weather like his farming forebears. Why? Because his farm defies gravity-three towering skyscrapers, each a hundred meters tall, bursting year-round with juicy strawberries, plump raspberries, crisp salads, chicory, lentils, soybeans, mangoes, and papayas. Seasons? What are those? No pesticides, no artificial fertilizers-just Marcel’s genius artificial intelligence tweaking light, humidity, and temperature to coddle even the most finicky plants. Sure, it’s an energy guzzler, but Marcel’s no slouch. He snagged Jean-Marc, a clone of Germaine Michou’s compact nuclear fusion reactor[1]... You see, Marcel’s mantra is clear: farmer, absolutely! But hands-on farming? Not for him. Who cares if his gourmet goodies have never frolicked in a field or felt a breeze? Taste? A minor concern. Does the planet really need gourmet agricultural products to feed soon-to-be 10 billion people? Do we need truffle-flavoured tofu for all? As long as they impress the 2030 supranational Committee and line Marcel’s pockets generously. Hats off to SH. Daniel Alystair, August 15, 2024.

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The ultimate goal of agriculture is not to grow crops, but the cultivation and fulfilment of the human being[2].

600 B.C. Returning from a long journey to Persia, on the other side of the Euphrates[3]. Accompanied by Amytis of Media, Nebuchadnezzar II descends the stairs. Thousands of lush exotic plants and flowers cascade, seemingly anchored to the sky, along the tall white columns that adorn his summer terrace. Dressed in a long cloak of intense royal blue, his beard freshly trimmed, he follows the movement of the boats slowly descending the banks of the Euphrates. He thanks Marduk[4], his God. The guests wait patiently. The Hanging gardens of Babylon can now be presented to them.

2045. Tokyo, 7,926 kilometres further east. In the tranquillity of his Tanhokutei, Professor Sakamoto Ry?ma savours his Gyokuro, a green tea grown in the shade to enhance its sweetness and flavour. Ancestral, the tea ritual provides him each time with the same moment of pure and eternal serenity. In front of him, vegetated skyscrapers stretch as far as the eye can see, modern works of the New Le Corbusier School. Transformed into greenhouses, the roofs are illuminated by a soft light from high-efficiency LEDs. Below, hydroponic gardens line the streets, offering visitors the illusion of floating verdant ballets. Oases of diversity integrating aquaponic systems, the parks are animated by the laughter of children. Here and there, mini markets supplied with fresh produce grown on-site are bustling with parents. Shopping done, it is time to return home and board the very popular BYD eBus that the city has just deployed. The Professor looks up for a brief moment, mentally visualizing the hydroponic space farm he is about to present to the public. Three thousand years separate the Hanging gardens of Babylon from modern vertical farming. Although their targets and objectives differ[5], the two projects are nonetheless close and complementary, the former often being considered as a precursor to the latter.

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You’ve got it, Gingko International will drive you this month into the exciting world of vertical farming. It’s not merely the dawn of a profound upheaval in traditional agriculture. It’s a solar wind blowing towards the dawn of a new galaxy. Silently, it has entered our lives, strongly challenging beliefs and theories, ultimately providing answers to long-deemed insurmountable challenges, shaping the logistics or health of tomorrow, questioning our eating habits, or the relationship we have with space (urban versus rural) and its use. Vertical farming, a modern sprout with ancient roots sculpting our future landscape.

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From roots to the present day. As we have seen, the idea is ancient and has travelled a long way. It will pass, among others, through the Aztec Floating Gardens (Chinampas, 1150), the works of Francis Bacon (Sylva Sylvarum, 1626), those of John Woodward (Water-culture experiments, 1699), and those of Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure (Chemical research on vegetation, 1804). The term vertical farming only appeared in 1915. In an eponymous book (Vertical Farming), American geologist Gilbert Ellis Bailey explores the idea of growing plants in vertical structures to make food production more efficient. Agronomist William Frederick Gericke coined the term hydroponics (1929), and Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusier laid the first stones of a new architecture[6](Maison Blanche, La-Chaux-de-Fonds, 1912). During World War II, hydroponic crops produced more than 8,000 tons of fresh vegetables (volcanic islands of the South Pacific[7]) to feed the Allies. In the 1990s-2000s, Dickson Despommier[8] and his students integrated the techniques identified by their predecessors into a more comprehensive concept of urban vertical farming, maximizing the use of three-dimensional space while reducing the overall environmental footprint. In 1999, Despommier developed the modern concept of the vertical farm with the idea of feeding the population of New York. In 2010, he published?The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century, where he detailed the advantages and feasibility of vertical farming. The dream takes shape and accelerates.

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Eat what you grow, grow where you eat.

Vertical farming?: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats[9]

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Traditional and vertical agriculture each have their own advantages (and disadvantages). It already appears possible, under certain conditions and in the long term, that the latter could acquire the capacity to cover the entire spectrum of productions of the former. Just as two atoms form a star in a molecular cloud, the two should coexist sustainably, each contributing to overall growth, biodiversity, and resilience, in specific, renewed spaces and roles.

Nowadays, in addition to perfect mastery by producers of ancestral know-how and lower initial investment and development costs, traditional agriculture offers the advantage of a wider range of productions. These include those requiring large production areas (cereals, legumes), those needing depth to grow (tuberous crops, roots), those with long production cycles (fruits, nuts), or those requiring fallow cycles or the use of natural pollinators (fruits, vegetables). For its part, vertical agriculture presents, while legitimately imposing, a series of undeniable advantages: maximization of space usage, continuous production independent of climatic uncertainties, drastic reduction in water consumption (95%) and pesticides (up to 100%), production close to consumers (local fresh products, end of food waste) with increased nutrition (Nutri optimized), and significantly enhanced traceability[10], health, and food safety[11].

In less than 30 years, vertical agriculture will have integrated new advanced technologies. Thus, a new world is emerging, where the latter will assert its dominance in urban areas or those with high population densities, and where its ancestral ally will complete its transition towards a holistic regenerative[12] agriculture, embracing the latest innovations, sustainability, and interconnection.

Midway, it is the key to providing healthy, accessible, and affordable food for all, an urgent[13] need for many populations. The economic and financial stakes are high for the countries of the global south. But also, for their technical and financial partners (public or private) from the north, who could address the main obstacles (energy, high initial investment costs) within the framework of strategic partnerships. There are attractive, profitable, and beneficial solutions for both parties. Thus, vertical agriculture also potentially provides a sustainable and virtuous[14] response to the significant needs for local staple foods (for example lentils for India, beans in Latin America, rice and tofu in Asia) faced by a large part of humanity.

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Ancient method, modern design. Vertical agriculture literally involves growing plants in stacked layers within vertical structures (towers, racks). In this case, the simplicity and accessibility of the method are counterbalanced by major drawbacks (reduced efficiency, spatial restrictions, lack of control over pests and diseases) that annihilate any possibility of addressing the major challenges of the 21st century (food security, urbanization, environment, etc.). The modern concept of vertical agriculture extends far beyond that.

While incorporating the aforementioned principle, it integrates highly innovative, even surprising technologies. Among these, hydroponics (soilless cultivation, where plant roots are immersed in a nutrient-rich solution essential for their growth), aeroponics (where plant roots are suspended in the air and regularly misted with a fine nutrient solution), aquaponics (a combination of aquaculture or fish farming, and hydroponics), LED lighting (photosynthesis through artificial light, energy savings), and environmental control (optimization of growth cycles) are currently the most commonly used. Less common, rotating geoponics (cultivation in soils integrated into rotating modules, uniform light exposure, control over nutrient and water distribution) proves to be very promising. Vertical agriculture can thus be practiced in urban environments. Could it then be the much sought-after agricultural grail to meet present and future challenges?

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Emergencies...?Since time immemorial, agriculture has been a constantly renewed quest to ensure our food security with technologies that yield ever higher returns. More recently, the need to ensure the sustainability of available resources has been added. This goal was maintained until the end of the 17th ?century. Since then, the rapid accelerations in population growth, industrialization, urbanization, the depletion of our natural resources, and the significance of climate change have led many thinkers to point out[15] the limits of traditional agriculture, its inability to feed a population growing faster than the resources necessary for its survival, and the need to react. Published by the United Nations (July 24, 2024), the report on the state of food security and nutrition in the world underscores the urgent need for a rapid transformation of our agri-food systems to strengthen their resilience and address inequalities so that healthy food is accessible and affordable for all. According to this report, the global prevalence of undernourishment is rising sharply. One in eleven people (733 million) experienced hunger[16] in 2023. Besides hunger, the UN estimates that 29% of the global population is affected by moderate or severe food insecurity. Also, according to the UN, 582 million people will be chronically undernourished by the end of the decade, with more than half in Africa, which remains the region with the highest proportion (20.4%) of the population affected by hunger. The report notes a reduction in the gender gap[17], but food insecurity is still higher among women than men. It also states that food insecurity remains systematically higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

...qualitative challenges to meet...?Population growth and urbanization are also accompanied by an increased diversification of food demand, a trend that exacerbates pre-existing disparities between regions of the world. While animal proteins, dairy products, and processed foods are predominant in Asia, the same is not true for Europe (high-quality, ready-to-eat, safe processed products) or Australia (growing interest in local, high-quality, organic, sustainable, plant-based products). In Africa, changes in eating habits go hand in hand with increasing differences between cities (processed foods, fast food, animal proteins) and rural areas (traditional local crops, fruits, cereals, roots, tubers).

...and aggravating imbalances to consider.?While the world population was about 2.6 billion in 1950, it grew to 8 billion in 2022. It’s expected to reach 10 billion by 2080, and 11.2 billion by 2100. This growth will be very uneven across regions. According to the UN, nine countries (only[18]) have concentrated 50% of the world’s population growth since 2017. Asia remains the main contributor to this increase. At the same time, the populations of 61 countries or regions (notably in the Americas, Europe, and Japan) will decrease.

Mechanisms, themselves heterogeneous across major world regions, will accentuate these phenomena. Among others, these include the global aging and urbanization of the population. In the second half of the 2070s, the number of people aged 65 and over is expected to reach 2.2 billion, surpassing for the first time the number of people under 18. At the same time, the global urbanization rate is expected to exceed 70% (compared to about 55% in 2024).

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Markets and Trends.?Figures and rankings vary depending on the sources. However, here are some pieces of information that faithfully reflect reality. Vertical agriculture is globally experiencing strong growth. This trend, which has intensified between 2000 and 2023, is expected to continue up to 2032.

The global vertical agriculture market is driven by issues related to food security, population growth, and climate change. In 2018[19], it was worth 2.7 billion US dollars (USD). In 2023, it reached 5.8 billion USD. It is expected to reach 30 billion USD by 2032. Recent trends confirm a preference for vertical farming in urban areas, with production-distribution centres located close to populations (fresher products, less logistics, food waste and overall costs reduction). Reports confirm a dominance of hydroponic technologies, followed by aeroponics and aquaponics. The bulk of production consists of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. In terms of revenue generated, the north American market dominates (21% of revenue in 2023). China and Europe (Germany as leader) are the most dynamic regions, with the Middle Kingdom expected to take the global lead in the sector by 2030, according to projections.

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Brief overview of achievements across the world

Germany?: Infarm. Urban modular vertical farms using hydroponics, and advanced climate control technologies. Most of the production is intended for large scale distribution networks. Infarm doesn’t use any pesticide. Infarm’s modules are 400 times more efficient than traditional agriculture, use 95% less land and 95% less water. Implemented in town, near consumers, Infarm modular vertical farms have a 90% shorter logistic chain. Every new unit produces the equivalent of 10 000 M2 of agricultural lands. Between 2021 et 2024, Infarm has reduced its production cost of 80%, and improved its yield around 250%. In March 2024, Infarm’s production counted 75 different varieties of herbs, salads and leafy vegetables. Infarm now expect to produce mushrooms, tomatoes, peas and strawberries.

Australia?: Cultivate. It’s the 1st vertical farm ever build in Australia. Cultivate uses advanced? hydroponic, full spectre LED lighting, integrated climate control, and water recirculating. Cultivate is situated in the same neighbourhood as its partner, a large supermarket where Cultivate markets its products. Cultivate can produce 50 ?tons of leafy vegetables, aromatic herbs and small fresh fruits. It’s also a research centre for innovating agricultural technologies.

United-States of America: AeroFarms. Opened in 2015, AeroFarms is one of the world leaders of the sector, with a year production of one million tons of leafy vegetables and microgreens. AeroFarms uses advanced aeroponic, high accuracy LED lighting, integrated climate change, artificial intelligence, IoT, water recirculating, and nutriments optimization.

France?: GéoFarm?: supported by the start-up Futura Ga?a, GéoFarm uses a combination of advanced ?technologies including rotative geoponic, LED lighting, climate and environment management, automatization, robotics, and artificial intelligence. It can produce a wide variety of short to long cycles plants, highly profitable (leafy vegetables, aromatic herbs, small fruits, microgreens). Ten new GéoFarm farms are expected before 2030, each able to produce thousands of tons of fresh vegetables per year.

Japan?: Mira?. The 1st Mira? vertical farm has been launched in 2004 by Shigeharu Shimamura. Mira? farms use LED lighting, hydroponics, climate control, automatization and robotic. They use 40% less energy, and 90% less water than traditional agriculture. A Mira? vertical farm can produce 10 000 lettuces per day. The most important Mira? vertical farm is located in Tagajo (Miyagi).

Romania?: Ultragreens. Located in Bucharest, it uses hydroponics, LED lighting, artificial intelligence, climate control, and automatization. Ultragreens is associated with major retail chains. The production cycles go from 10 to 20 days. The vertical farm produces mainly microgreens (young plants with a 40% superior nutritional value compared to an adult plant). Varied, ?the production includes lettuces, radishes, aromatic herbs. One year after it began its activities, Ultragreens has produced 1.2 million plants, saved 3000 m3 of water, avoided 34 000 kilometres of transport and reduced its carbon footprint of 12 tons.

Switzerland?: Yasa? (vegetables in Japanese). Founded in 2020 and based in Zurich, Yasa? uses hydroponics, artificial intelligence, climate control, LED lighting, automatization, IoT, and data analysis. Powered by renewable energies, Yasa? can produce 300 tons per year of leafy vegetables (lettuces, spinash, arugula), aromatic herbs (basil, mint, parsley), and microgreens (watercress, radish, sunflower).

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2045, a disruptive world is on the way, thatcan only be seen with the heart. Essential is invisible to eyes[20].In 2045, the foreseeable convergence of the advent of advanced everyday[21]technologies, tinges the human horizon with uncertainties and deep changes. The uncertainty will affect to who we are, what we want, and our physical, mental, and natural ability to absorb the shock. The profound changes will affect our lifestyles, our environment, our relationships with others and with space. These will be reinvented. A world is emerging where the pioneering work of Masonabu Fukuoka finds a privileged echo in this quest for harmony. Too silent, almost trivial, the entry of modern vertical farming into our daily lives is both a pillar and a symbol of this evolution. It is a global public good. As such, and at the very least, it deserves our attention, and beyond that, our full support. Failing to see this is to choose to ignore the importance of the imbalances that are widening, with the equally predictable consequences they can only lead to. Complex, for influenced by considerations of food security, technology, environmental sustainability, economics, and regulation, the context is thus favourable. Everything can be done to better anticipate, to better act. How much longer will humanity have to wait for it to rain to cultivate the land and feed itself? Can we finally emerge from this state of permanent personal insurrection, so important to many eco-ideologists, and fully embrace, while savouring them, the fruits of scientific discoveries that have taken centuries to mature? Hats off to SH. Daniel Alystair, August 1, 2024. All rights reserved ?./

[1] See the article published on June 25th, 2024.

[2] Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008), Japanese microbiologist, agronomist, philosophe, precursor of permaculture. The one-straw (1975).

[3] Philon de Byzance, Greek scientist (3rd century BC).

[4] Marduk (alias Mardouk, bull-calf) : God of Babylon.

[5] The Hanging gardens of Babylon had an aesthetic and symbolic purpose: to show the royal power, and offer a place for rest. Vertical farming aims to feed a growing population sustainably and efficiently.

[6] Spatial optimization, improvement of the living environment, human-habitat harmony, rooftop terraces... principles that will be more pronounced in his later works, notably in the Radiant city of Marseille (1947-1952).

[7] Thanks to the war of 1939-1945 hydroponics spread to many countries, and agronomists around the world began to see the immense possibilities of soilless cultivation (Unesco, Le courrier 8-9. 1955).

[8] Dickson Despommiers, public health and environmental health Professor, Columbia University (Berkeley).

[9] SWOT?: strength, weaknesses, opportunities, threats. Strategic analysis tool.

[10] Production control process, automatised systems, accurate documentation.??

[11] Reduction of pathogens, minimising use of pesticides, water quality, input monitoring and control.

[12] Able to restore and improve the health of agricultural ecosystems (agroecology, permaculture, soils biology…).

[13] Report from Department of economic and social affairs (July 24, 2024)?: World population prospects 2024 (link ).

[14] In the South, in terms of reducing dependence on imports, food security, production, creation of added value and local jobs, environmental preservation...and, in the North, in terms of expanding activities, as well as high investment returns (global demand and the vertical agriculture sector experiencing strong growth).

[15] T. Malthus (1798), D. Ricardo (1817), R. Dumont (1962, 1973), V. Shiva (1991), J. Diamond (Collapse, 2005)…

[16] Measured by the prevalence of undernourishment, world hunger increased between 2019-2021, and then stagnated.

[17] The gap went from 3,6 in 2021 to 1,3 in 2023.

[18] United states of America, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Uganda, Pakistan, R.D. Congo, Tanzania.

[19] Marketsandmarkets, companies’ communication...

[20] Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le Petit Prince, chapiter XXI. 1943.

[21] Though the following technologies are already being developed.