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Skyscrapers (High buildings) are the symbol of urban life. City people are used to seeing tall office buildings, multistory five star hotels, and apartment towers with thousands of residents. Farms, on the other hand, are associated with rural life. However there are experts who think that some skyscrapers should become farms in order to meet the increasing food needs of our planet.
By 2050, some social scientists suggest, almost 80 percent of the earth's population could live in cities. In addition, the human population could increase to 9. 1 billion people during that time yet the amount of land available for farming will be the same. If current farming practices don't change by the middle of this century, one prominent expert claims, we will need an area of new land larger than Brazil to produce enough food for the planet.
Vertical farms (垂直农场), where urban farmers could grow crops like wheat in environmentally friendly skyscrapers, could be the solution. In spite of concerns over high costs, environmental health experts want to make these urban farms a reality and use these skyscrapers to grow crops. They believe that we can increase food production by changing our thinking from out to up.
Supporters say that vertically grown food would be cultivated with minimal effects on the environment. Unlike traditional farming, vertical farming would not force animals out of their habitats by taking over large areas of land, nor would it pollute the air with the use of heavy farming equipment. Moreover, vertical indoor farming could produce crops constantly and crops would not suffer from weather-related problems like drought or flooding. Also, the use of chemical pesticides for controlling insects would be minimal.
Critics of vertical farming point out that although crops growing in a tall glass building would get natural sunlight during the day, it wouldn't be enough. The plants closest to the windows would grow much more quickly than the plants further inside. The plants growing away from the windows may not produce as many or as high quality vegetables. For these reasons, vertical farms would need additional light sources.
Researchers have found that even in single-story greenhouses, artificial light is often needed for rear-round crops. For example, Thanet Earth is a large indoor farming complex in the United Kingdom that produces 15 percent of the British lettuce crop. During the winter, the complex uses artificial light (人造光) for 15 hours a day. Experts have concluded that generating enough solar energy to support growth requires an area about 20 times larger than the planting area. Therefore, natural light cannot be a practical solution for vertical farms.
Vertical farming is expensive, and unless people want to pay more for fresh, local food, the technique may not succeed in the marketplace. Experts agree that creative farming practices are needed to support the planet's need for more and more food at affordable costs, both to the farmer and to the consumer. Vertical farms may be a small-scale answer, but the best ideas could be yet to come.
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Farms of the future |
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to a new kind of farming practice |
● The problem with urban food shortage will be caused by the increasing population in the city with no of the quantity of the farming land. ● Skyscrapers are recommended to be used as farms to solve the problem of food shortage. |
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of vertical farming |
● The environment is influenced in a minimal way. ● Animals will their habitats without being forced out. ● There is no air from using heavy farming equipment. ● Weather-related problems will not crops. ● Minimal chemical pesticides will be used to control insects and year-round crops will be produced. |
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Shortcomings of vertical farming |
● Natural light during the day is not enough. ● The plants cannot produce vegetables with the same high quality due to their from the windows. ● Additional artificial light is needed despite being better for vertical farms than natural light from a perspective. |
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Conclusion |
● People's to pay more for the fresh local food determines the success of technology in the marketplace. ● The best ideas are still on the way although vertical farms may make small to the solution. |
