I came across an excellent opinion essay recently in the New York Times. I knew that indoor farming was in growth mode, but was surprised to learn that “Last year, more than a third of the fresh tomatoes sold in the United States, including every slice that topped a Wendy’s burger, were grown indoors.”
Greenhouse for tomatoes
“Controlled environment agriculture” continues to be seen as a potential method for feeding the planet. It mitigates weather-related dangers (frost, storm damage, heat), and requires less water and pesticides. But it does come with a cost – higher energy and up front costs. And the energy costs are not just financial – many of these farms are dependent on fossil fuels to regulate their enclosed environments.
However, there is a path forward as more growers work on efforts to use renewable energy. Locating greenhouses near power or waste treatment plants allowing them to capture waste heat is one option. Leveraging vertical farming techniques which move the farms closer to the urban market where demand for product is the highest is another.
“For the first time in the 10,000-year history of agriculture, societies don’t need to be blessed with fertile soil and favorable weather to farm. Already, greenhouses have helped turn tiny, soggy Holland, a county with a land mass just two-thirds the size of West Virginia, into the world’s second-largest agricultural exporter by value, sending $10.7 billion in tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers annually to its neighbors, including Germany, Belgium and Britain.”
The sheer amount of money being expended into sustainable farming leads me to believe that this is a concept that is not only here to stay, it will get more efficient as more individuals apply their growing intellect towards the problem of feeding the growing world’s population.
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