Food grows up on CO2

Newsflash!

Plants grow better with increased CO2!

More articles tell of the emerging vertical farming industry in the U.S. and the world that in some ways may compete favorably with traditional farming techniques.  Vertical farming might not appeal to traditionalists or the self-reliant home gardener, but it may be the way food is grown in the not-so-distant future, and that might not be a bad thing.  For those who believe food production will become even more dominated by big business, I suggest learning how to grow food and to harvest and preserve seeds - then share your knowledge with friends.

See verticalfarm.com website for videos and more. 

How Vertical Farming Is Revolutionizing The Way We Grow Food
Interesting Things, September 15, 2015

Sources: leafcertified.org | USDA

As Alarcon explained to io9, environmentally-controlled farms like the one implemented by IGES have a number of inherent advantages. Compared to conventional farms (and depending on the exact configuration and technologies used), they’re around 100 times more efficient in terms of their usage of space, 70-90% less reliant on water, with a lower CO2 footprint. Foods are grown without the use of pesticides, they’re nutrient-rich, and free from chemical contaminants. And because they can be built virtually anywhere, CEAs can serve communities where certain foods aren’t normally grown.

“In greenhouse production the aim of all growers is to increase dry-matter content and economically optimize crop yield,” Alarcon told io9. “CO2 increases productivity through improved plant growth and vigour.”

Ambient CO2 level in outside air is about 340 ppm by volume. All plants grow well at this level, but as CO2 levels are raised by 1,000 ppm, photosynthesis increases proportionately, resulting in more sugars and carbohydrates available for plant growth.

Why Vertical Farming Might Be Our Planet's Future
Interesting Things, October 7, 2015

Explosive growth that will take place in the

world’s urban centers as we reach 2050. To keep these people from starvation, architects and farmers have combined their talents to create Vertical Farming. Although not entirely new, these farms are becoming more efficient and may appear as skyscraper greenhouses throughout many urban cities. Vertical farming can take many architectural shapes and offers a number of key solutions to the problems of efficient food growth.

See links to sources and more stories on the topic on this website.