Future Prospects of Vertical and Hydroponic Farming

Abstract

Today, according to the most recent estimate by the UN, the population may reach 9.1 billion by 2050 due to which food demand is expected to increase to 77% [oESA22]. Nearly 33% of the world’s arable land has declined due to desertification and the trend continues with increasing urbanization, pollution, and improper agricultural practices [IU15]. This has had a huge impact on the agricultural sector and if sustainable framing methods are not adopted, we will not be able to produce sufficient amounts of food in the future. This creates the need to look at alternate methods and this is where hydroponic farming comes into play. With growing population and less availability of arable land, vertical framing has been receiving immense popularity as an efficient farming method to meet today’s demands. There have been recent advancements in making vertical farming more efficient and they have shown promising results supporting that hydroponic farming stands as a viable solution for agricultural concerns. One example being Singapore where hydroponic farming has been immensely successful in feeding the local population despite having minimal availability of land for production of food. It is essential to adopt ecofriendly methods as climate conditions degrade each day and hydroponic farming proves to be a self-sufficient and sustainable agriculture practice.