Summary
"The Vertical Farm" argues that vertical farming, a concept developed by Dr. Dickson Despommier, is essential for feeding the 21st-century global population due to the unsustainable nature of traditional agriculture and rapid population growth. The book contrasts the historical origins and modern innovations of farming with proposed changes to current practices, including the elimination of herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers. It details how vertical farms would be constructed, utilizing abandoned buildings in urban environments, funded, and operated.
Readers will learn about the specific advantages of vertical farming, such as year-round crop production, elimination of weather-related failures and agricultural runoff, reduced water usage (70-95% less), minimized transportation costs, and enhanced food safety and security. The book posits that vertical farming is not a question of if, but when, and advocates for its adoption to ensure food availability for future generations.
Key concepts
- Vertical farming — Farming in vertically stacked layers, often in controlled environments.
- Agricultural runoff — Pollutants from farms that enter waterways.
- Urban vertical farming — Vertical farms located within city limits.
- Postharvest plant material — Leftover parts of plants after harvesting crops, which can be used for animal feed.
From the book
Title: The Vertical Farm by Dickson D. DespommierDescription: There comes an idea every once in a while that has changes the ways in which we live and help us to live longer and to prosper. The next truly great idea, originally introduced and developed by Dr. Dickson Despommier, is that of vertical farming, or farming vertically, however you want to define it. Dr. Despommier is a professor at Columbia University in the Department of Environmental and Health Services and started this concept back in 1999, which has gained considerable steam and attention this past decade, including the October 2010 publishing of his research entitled, The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century. In the beginning, Despommier briefly goes over the origins of agriculture, and how and why it…