Climavores: Are vertical farms a real solution?

Farmland covers almost 40% of the earth's land surface. When we think about all that farmland, most of us imagine endless fields of grain or corn. But vertical farms flip that idea on its head, literally. Instead of growing out, vertical farms stack plants in multiple layers indoors where they grow impressive yields under the steady glow of LED lighting. 

Vertical farms are an attempt to sidestep many of the problems associated with traditional farming – bad weather, pesticides, fertilizer runoff, hard labor, food miles, and agriculture’s gigantic land use footprint. On the surface, they seem like a farming win. But there’s a problem – and it’s a deal-breaker.

In this episode, Tamar and Mike explore the ins and outs of vertical farming, and dig in on that deal-breaker (hint: it’s all about energy). They also take a look at what vertical farms get right, and what outdoor farming can learn from them. 

Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a future episode. 

Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.

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