Group Project ( Vertical Farming) Business 504 managerial communication

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Vertical Farming: Feeding the Cities of Tomorrow

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Vertical Farming: Feeding the Cities of Tomorrow

Business 504: Managerial Communication — Group Project Paper ( Draft)

Executive Summary

With the stresses of worldwide population increase on traditional agriculture, vertical farming presents a very attractive option: indoor, vertically stacked food production, near the consumers of that food. This report will explore the fundamental technologies behind vertical farming, its pros and cons, its environmental effects and the ways it may transform the way cities feed themselves. We believe that vertical farming is not a substitute to traditional farming but rather a required complement, especially to urban food security.

Introduction

Vertical farming refers to the idea of cultivating crops in vertically arranged beds, frequently in a highly controlled environment, like warehouses or converted structures. Instead of depending on soil and open fields, these systems normally employ hydroponics or aeroponics to inject nutrients directly to the roots of the plants (van Delden et al., 2021). With the increasing population in cities and the decreasing agricultural land, it is an urgent question: is it possible to substitute farmland with skyscrapers?

Why Is It Important?

The world is expected to have almost 70 percent of its population residing in urban areas by 2050 (Kaiser et al., 2024). There is a growing pressure on the traditional farmland due to development, climate change, and soil degradation. Vertical farming makes food production accessible to urban areas which makes supply chains shorter and less reliant on long-distance transportation. It also provides a way of achieving increased food security in the areas that have little arable land (Oh and Lu, 2023).

Advantages

Most vertical farms consume significantly less water than traditional agriculture, as hydroponic and aeroponic systems do not lose water to runoff or evaporation, with some estimating that they can use as much as 95 percent less water (van Delden et al., 2021). They also enable year-round production, unaffected by seasons or weather and do not require the use of pesticides as crops grow in regulated and enclosed systems. Since farms may be constructed in cities or close to them, transportation expenses and wastage are considerably minimized (Oh and Lu, 2023).

Disadvantages

Cost is the major obstacle. Vertical farms need significant initial investment in infrastructure, lighting, and climate control systems and artificial lighting may have significant energy requirements, especially crops that need a high light level (Kaiser et al., 2024). The leafy greens and herbs are also currently best suited to the vertical farming; the staple crops such as wheat, rice, and corn are not feasible to cultivate in this manner on a large scale. Additional cost is added due to labor and technical expertise requirements (van Delden et al., 2021).

Environmental Impact

Vertical farms decrease land utilization and water consumption, and remove agricultural runoff that pollutes waterways. It is, however, energy-intensive, is dependent on artificial lighting and climate control, and without energy being supplied by renewable sources, the carbon footprint can negate some environmental benefits. The system design and choice of energy sources in the region play a critical role in determining the net environmental impact (Blom et al., 2023).

Our Take as Subject Matter Experts

In our opinion, vertical farming should be seen as a specific response, not as an outright replacement of the conventional farming. It is well adapted to urban food deserts and where arable land is limited, although its present economics and crop restriction imply that it will probably expand in parallel, not in replacement of conventional farming in the foreseeable future.

Additions, Recommendations and Fun Facts.

One fun fact: depending on the crop, some vertical farms can yield to 20 times more per square foot than conventional farms. To mitigate this risk, we suggest cities keen on food security to launch vertical farms with local restaurants or grocers to minimize financial risks as demand rises.

Why Is It Important for the Public to Know This?

Being consumers, the knowledge of the origin of food makes it possible to make a better decision, not only economically but also environmentally. The knowledge of vertical farming allows the population to assess the new sources of food, promote local urban agriculture, and make well-informed choices regarding sustainability within their hometowns.

Conclusion

Vertical farming is not going to supplant conventional agriculture, but it is an important resource to urban food security, water scarcity and environmental stress. Technology should serve to feed tomorrow cities, and with the falling costs, its contribution is bound to increase.

References

Blom, T., Jenkins, A., & van den Dobbelsteen, A. (2023). Synergetic integration of vertical farms and buildings: Reducing the use of energy, water, and nutrients. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7, Article 1227672. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1227672/full

Kaiser, E., Kusuma, P., Vialet-Chabrand, S., Folta, K., Liu, Y., Poorter, H., Woning, N., Shrestha, S., Ciarreta, A., van Brenk, J., Karpe, M., Ji, Y., David, S., Zepeda, C., Zhu, X.-G., Huntenburg, K., Verdonk, J. C., Woltering, E., Gauthier, P. P. G., Courbier, S., Taylor, G., & Marcelis, L. F. M. (2024). Vertical farming goes dynamic: Optimizing resource use efficiency, product quality, and energy costs. Frontiers in Science, 2, Article 1411259. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/science/articles/10.3389/fsci.2024.1411259/full

Oh, S., & Lu, C. (2023). Vertical farming – smart urban agriculture for enhancing resilience and sustainability in food security. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, 98(2), 133–140. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14620316.2022.2141666

van Delden, S. H., SharathKumar, M., Butturini, M., Graamans, L. J. A., Heuvelink, E., Kacira, M., Kaiser, E., Klamer, R. S., Klerkx, L., Kootstra, G., Loeber, A., Schouten, R. E., Stanghellini, C., van Ieperen, W., Verdonk, J. C., Vialet-Chabrand, S., Woltering, E. J., van de Zedde, R., Zhang, Y., & Marcelis, L. F. M. (2021). Current status and future challenges in implementing and upscaling vertical farming systems. Nature Food, 2(12), 944–956. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00402-w