Coronavirus boost to vertical farming

Vertical farming already has many advantages over traditional agriculture for some produce.

One of our speakers at the first Vertical Farming World Congress to be held in London on 22-24 September recently posted an article on LinkedIn that explained why the coronavirus pandemic might make vertical farming even more compelling.

The article by Dr Joel Cuello, Vice Chair of the Association for Vertical Farming and Professor of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Arizona, pointed out that:

• Germany imports 3 million tonnes of fresh vegetables each year.

• The United Kingdom imports 2.4 million tonnes of fresh vegetables a year.

• The coronavirus has disrupted consumption patterns and supply chains.

He cites 5 vertical farming features that demonstrate “the crucial importance of partial local food production in or around world cities in the context of urban resilience.”

1. Local – enabling production within a lockdown zone.
   
   
2. Automation – avoiding potential labour shortages.
   
   
3. Controlled environment – reducing infection risk.
   
   
4. Modular option – such as easily transportable shipping containers.
   
   
5. Reliability – with no dependence on season or climate.
   
   
   

I shall hope to see many of you at the London Congress.