Vertical Farming Takes the Stage at U.S. Conference of Mayors

At the U.S. Conference of the Mayors last week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke about the environmental and agricultural importance of vertical farming. Specifically, he spoke of VertiCrop high density growth systems; suspended tray systems that use UV lighting and filters in place of herbicides and pesticides, and which produce “approximately 20 times the normal production volume for field crop” with about 5 percent of normal field crop water requirements. In his speech, Kennedy highlighted the beauty of vertical farming — that it can be done in virtually any environment (urban, suburban, dessert) and that it behaves as its own distinct ecosystem. He also argued that “substitution of this technology for conventional food production can revitalize agricultural land damaged by traditional farming, rejuvenate abandoned city properties, and help combat health problems such as Type II diabetes and obesity that result, in part, from lack of quality produce in our diets.” In addition, the placement of vertical farms in urban environments would seriously aid in the reduction of many cities’ giant carbon footprints and help provide local, environmentally sustainable produce to nearby residents.

Mayors in San Francisco, Providence, Denver, Salt Lake City, and number of other cities will be working to both “site and build” vertical farms in 2010. Hopefully, with cities as these taking the lead, vertical farming will soon be an element seen in cities across the world.

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