Smart Green Housing: Vertical Farming

The human population explosion has led to global issues like food security, shortages in land required for production of food and food miles, and increase in emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The global population will attain the value of around 9.6 billion by the year 2050 as per the estimation, which leads to the concern of modifying agricultural methods and practices to achieve optimum crop production. Food shortages and spiking food prices are already affecting the urban population in most regions of the world, owing to rising oil prices, water limitations, deterioration of other agricultural resources, and shrinking arable lands. Urban farming offers promising future in securing food growth and production as well as a paradigm shift in the traditional farming by minimizing maintenance and also maximizing yield, and it can be implemented in any areas which can be adapted for reuse, or new building in an up-down or vertical manner. Vertical farming is a practically high-tech approach that produces enormous amount of food crops and also medicinal plants in a compact area, making it ideal and efficient for urban cities and ensuring sustainability as well. The design, configuration, and pattern of high-tech vertical farms offer optimal exposure to the daylight and appropriate measured nutrients. The controlled enclosed-loop atmosphere avoids requirement for toxic chemicals like herbicides and pest killing chemicals called pesticides while simultaneously improving the nutrition and quality of the food. To revolutionize agriculture, vertical farming is being practiced in 13 various ways globally and every technique is technologically very advanced. The chapter discusses some rapidly evolving and diversifying vertical farming techniques like hydroponics, aquaponics, sky green, skyfarm, etc. It also focuses benefits and obstacles in vertical farm implementation. Some latest and cutting-edge technologies that are being coupled with smart green housing techniques to get the most out of them, like the Internet of Things, robotics, block chain, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology, are also talked about in the chapter.