from the President What we all have in common

t this year’s AETC meeting number, so here’s another way to think about it: We will need in Kansas City, Missouri, I to produce more food in the first half of this century than we had the honor of presenting did in the previous 100 centuries combined! Along with food A ASABE’s annual AE50 production, clean water will become critical. And renewable Awards to representatives of a vari- sources must supply a major part of our energy. Agricultural ety of companies for theirand recent, biological engineers can provide solutions to these chal- innovative products. Like our lenges, and we’ll do it by improving the efficiency of our Society, the products covered many global food system. areas. There were new tractors and portable food analyzers. The contributors to this special issue have a wide variety New material handling systems and apps for smart phones. of ideas, and they also have something in common: To feed Automated control systems and new spray nozzles. However, the world, the world will need more of us—more agricultural all the award winners had one thing in common: Efficiency.and biological engineers. So encourage bright young people All of these products improve the efficiency ofto productionjoin our profession, as many already have. And work with and promote efficient use of resources. AETC was youralso schoolsthe to promote science and engineering. Many of us setting for the first-ever Silver and Gold AE50 Award presen- participated in E-week in February, but promoting our profes- tations. Working with AEM, we chose ten outstanding inno-sion is a year-round program. The need for agricultural and vations from the two previous years of AE50 winners.biological At engineers will continue to grow as the world pop- AETC, we presented six Silver awards and four Gold awards ulation grows. Together, we provide food, fiber, renewable for these great products. Please see the list of winners below. energy, and clean water in a healthy environment. do And we The theme of this issue is Urban Agriculture and, as sev- it efficiently. eral of the contributors point out, the world’s population will Tony Kajewski hit nine billion by the middle of thisThat’s century. a big [email protected] events calendar AE50 Gold and Silver Awards ASABE CONFERENCES AND INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS Presented by ASABE and Resource magazine on January 29 To receive more information about ASABE conferences and meetings, at AGCONNECT Expo, we celebrate the best in AE50 technol- call ASABE at (800) 371-2723 or e-mail [email protected]. ogy innovations in agricultural, food, and biological systems. Congratulations to the Gold and Silver Award winners! 2013 July 21-24 ASABE Annual International Meeting. Gold Winners Kansas City, Missouri, USA. WR Series Self-Propelled Windrower ACGO Corporation 2014 DuPont™ PrecisionPac™ Herbicide July 13-16 ASABE Annual International Meeting. Dispensing System Montreal, Quebec, Canada. DuPont Crop Protection Machine Sync 2015 John Deere July 26-29 ASABE Annual International Meeting. FieldScout® GreenIndex+Spectrum Technologies New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Spectrum Technologies ASABE ENDORSED EVENTS Silver Winners 2013 Robo-Sharpener Case-IH Agriculture April 1-5 From Waste to Worth: “Spreading” Science and Centurion CDA600 Cultivator Drill Solutions. Grand Hyatt Hotel, Denver, Colorado, USA. Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc. Express™ End-Cap May 19-22 13th National Watershed Conference, A Forum: HYPRO-Pentair Water The Future of Watershed Based Natural Resource Scorpio Spray Valve Conservation. Harrah’s Veranda Hotel and Tunica Conference Center, Tunica, Mississippi, USA. HYPRO-Pentair Water 7R Series Tractor May 27-19 3rd Climate Change Technology Conference John Deere (CCTC 2013): Engineering for Global Sentry 6140 Tip-Flow Monitor Sustainability. Concordia University, Montreal, Tee-Jet® Technologies Quebec, Canada.

2 March/April 2013 RESOURCE March/April 2013 Vol. 20 No. 2 engineering and technology for a sustainable world March/April 2013 Magazine Staff: Donna Hull, Publisher, [email protected]; Sue Mitrovich, Managing Editor, [email protected]; Glenn Laing, Contributing Editor, [email protected]; Melissa Miller, Professional Opportunities and FEATURES Production Editor, [email protected]; Sandy Rutter, Professional Listings, [email protected]; 4 The First Word— Darrin Drollinger, ASABE Executive Director, Exploring Urban Agriculture [email protected]. Guest Editors Gene Giacomelli Editorial Board: Chair Brian Steward, and Michael Munday Iowa State University; Secretary/Vice Chair, 6 Peri-Urban Horizontal Greenhouses Tony Grift, University of Illinois; Past Chair Louis Albright Rafael Garcia, USDA-ARS; Thomas Brumm, Iowa State University; Victor Duraj, University 7 Maximizing Efficiency of California, Davis; William Reck, USDA- in Closed Ecosystems NRCS; Shane Williams, Kuhn North America; Alberto Battistelli Chad Yagow, John Deere Harvester Works; Jeong Yeol Yoon, University of Arizona. 8 The Need for Vertical Farms— Egyptian farmer with crop from new cultivars. Resource: Engineering & Technology Why We Can Have Them Now Photo courtesy of Merle H. Jensen. for a Sustainable World Dickson Despommier with Michael Munday (ISSN 1076-3333) (USPS 009-560) is published six times per year— 9 The Case for Space January/February, March/April, May/June, Michael Dixon 24 Urban Land Problems Yield July/August, September/October, 10 “Systems Agriculture” to Feed to Soil-less Solutions November/December—by the American Giacomo Scarascia-Mugnozza Society of Agricultural and Biological Nine Billion Engineers (ASABE), 2950 Niles Road, Nina Fedoroff and Pietro Santamaria St. Joseph, MI 49085-9659, USA. 11 Meeting Educational Needs in 25 The Future for Urban Greenhouses POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Controlled Environment Agriculture is Well-Grounded Resource, 2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, MI Merle H. Jensen Paul Selina 49085-9659, USA. Periodical postage is paid at St. Joseph, MI, USA, and additional post 12 What PFAL Means to Urban Agriculture 26 A Systems Concept for Controlled offices. Toyoki Kozai Environment Plant Production SUBSCRIPTIONS: Contact ASABE order 13 The Future of Controlled Environment K. C. Ting department, 269-932-7004. Agriculture 27 The Potential—and Limitations— COPYRIGHT 2013 by American Society of Alec Mackenzie of Urban Farming Agricultural and Biological Engineers. 14 Greenhouse Production in Marc van Iersel Permission to reprint articles available on 28 Food Production as Part of request. Reprints can be ordered in large The Netherlands quantities for a fee. Contact Donna Hull, Leo F. M. Marcelis and Silke Hemming a Biobased Economy 269-932-7026. Statements in this 15 The Role of Urban Food Production Peter van Weel publication represent individual opinions. Jennifer Nelkin 29 Spain and la Huerta Urbana Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Jeremy Werner Sustainable World and ASABE assume no 16 Feeding the World in Unexpected Ways responsibility for statements and opinions 18 Urban Growers Battle Food expressed by contributors. Views advanced in the editorials are those of the contributors Insecurity in Kenya and do not necessarily represent the official Allan Odhiambo DEPARTMENTS position of ASABE. 19 Designing and Building 2 President’s Message a Sustainable Urban Community ON THE COVER: Events Calendar Devon Patterson Village Farms, International, Inc. AE50 Gold and Silver Winners GATES™ advanced technology 20 Feeding Nine Billion by greenhouse, Monahans, Texas. Cultivating Innovation 30 Professional Opportunities Courtesy of Village Farms © Haley Paul 31 Professional Listings 2013. 21 Urban Agriculture: A New Paradigm of Planning and Policy Emmanuel Pratt 22 Lufa Farms: A Model of ERRATA Responsible Urban Agriculture In the January/February 2013 issue, author Lauren Rathmell Daniel L. Thomas, Oklahoma State University, American Society of should have been identified as Professor and Agricultural and 23 Bringing Slow Food to the City— Biological Engineers Head of the Biosystems and Agricultural 2950 Niles Road and to the Stars Engineering Department (not the Department of St. Joseph, MI 49085-9659, USA Silvio Rossignoli 269.429.0300, fax 269.429.3852 Biological and Agricultural Engineering). [email protected], www.asabe.org Resource regrets the error. firstv last word Exploring Urban Agriculture

his special issue of Resource presents urban agricul- We believe that the current discussion about urban agri- ture as one promising path toward the goal of feed- culture is important and needs to reach a larger audience. Part ing our planet’s growing, and increasinglyof this discussion urban, concerns the role of controlled environment Tpopulation. Many of the tools to makeagriculture that (CEA) path and other technologies in urban agricul- viable come from controlled environment agricultureture. Another (CEA).part of the discussion is the emerging impor- The contributors to this issue, many CEA researcherstance of the andbio-sciences, which is happening in production practitioners, are explorers moving toward that goal. agriculture generally and in urban agriculture particularly. Urban agriculture is a viable, sustainable strategy for Overall, this is an exciting time for production agriculture. local food production that can respond to We asked the contributors to discuss global economic crises, food safety issues, their research, experience, and practices, and environmentalAround stresses. the and to describe the challenges they see. We world, the number of cities embracing urban also asked what solutions, perhaps unique agriculture is increasing. However, most to their geographic region or their area of U.S. cities remain anchored to Industrial expertise, could help feed the growing Age agriculture, with production confined number of people on our rapidly urbaniz- to rural areas far from city markets. Lately, ing planet. In particular, how can we bal- though, there has been a dramatic rise in the ance the decreases in the numbers of farm- numbers of urban planners, architects, engi- ers and farmable acreage, as well as neers, politicians, futurists, and consumers decreases in the resources specific to food who support sustainable food production production, with the world’s increasing close to and even within city limits. Guest Editor and ASABE member food requirements? People are drawn to cities because cities Gene Giacomelli, Director of the Many more contributors than we antic- Controlled Environment Agriculture are the world’s economic engines. Just Center (CEAC) and Professor, ipated returned thoughtful responses, and 600 cities today account for about 60 percent Department of Agricultural and we have tried to include as many as possi- of global economic output. In 2010,Biosystems for the Engineering, University ble. We thank all who participated, and we first time in history, the urban world’s popula-ofArizona, Tucson, USA; regret that we were not able to include them [email protected]. tion exceeded 50 percent of the total popula- all. For readers of Resource, we hope this tion, while occupying less than 4 percent of special issue gives you some understanding the available land area. Given current popula- of the diversity, the technologies, and the tion trends, our cities will be home to billions economies of urban agriculture, as well as more by mid-century. By the end of this cen- how this emerging sector may influence tury, more than 80 percent of the world’s projected populationother sectors of agriculture and food production. of ten billion will be urban dwellers. Disruptions due to climate Urban agriculture means food production in densely change, higher energy costs, water shortages, and food produc- populated areas, and it includes many types of production tion, distribution, and safety issues have also been projected. systems, such as traditional open gardens, protected environ- Fortunately, we have choices. The explorers who con- ments such as tunnel greenhouses, and self-contained sys- tributed to this issue describe some of these choices, many of tems such as hydroponics and vertical farms. Urban which are emerging from current technologies. With hard agriculture also includes intensive CEA systems on less valu- work, and a willingness to change some of our established able land with minimal transport distance to markets and methods, we can meet the challenges ofrooftop the greenhousesfuture. One that increase the efficiency of the built promising area for future development is plantenvironment. production, Large, fully enclosed growing systems within especially given our increasing understanding ofbuildings, plants’ com- called vertical farms, and plant production in plex responses to their environment. Food safety,growth quality, rooms that have been specially designed for efficient freshness, and nutrition are concerns, and there’s an increas-use of resources may lead to the ultimate in closed systems ing demand for locally grown, grown sustainably foods.for food production: off-planet bases, perhaps on the Moon Consumers want to know where theirand food Mars. comes from. Urban agriculture offers solutions for these concerns.

4 March/April 2013 RESOURCE Urban agriculture also complements recent develop- Technical issues that are essential to further develop- ments in field agriculture. In the United States, for example, ments in urban agriculture are treated throughout these con- we have begun to see increasing interest in farming, both as tributions, such as energy, carbon footprint, water use, light- traditional family farms and as food produc- ing, and advanced sensors and control sys- tion systems in urban areas. Many of these tems. In addition, regulatory and policy ini- efforts have adopted controlled environment tiatives will determine the future of urban practices to make better use of small plots agriculture in many locations, and political, for highly productive and high-quality food social, cultural, and aesthetic concerns will production. New approaches haveemerged help or hinder efforts to establish urban agri- in soil-less (hydroponic) agriculture and on culture as well. traditional farmland in protected agriculture No discussion of urban agriculture is (such as high-tunnel greenhouses). Whether complete without considering vertical farm- in community gardens, on traditional farms, ing, which has come to represent urban agri- or on urban rooftops, controlled environ- culture, at least in certain media and to some ment methods extend the growingGuest Editorseason Michael Munday, venture capitalists. Over the past 200 years, and protect valuable crops from damagingScience and Natural Resources various vertical farming concepts have been weather, including frost. By allowingProducer/Editor, more Tech Frontiers proposed, but none were practical. Today, Reports; President, Hungry Planets control over the production process,Systems these and Service; and with recent technological advances in CEA methods give the grower more predictableManaging Producer/Director, and hydroponics, vertical farming may be returns and provide the market withDesert aRain more Research & feasible. Japan is currently the leader in consistent product. Communication, Tucson, Ariz., farming within buildings, particularly in the USA; [email protected]. The contributions in this special issue development of “plant factories with artifi- also include some tentative answers to the question, “Can cial light,” or PFALs. However, even the strongest advocates controlled environment agriculture save the world,of vertical or farming even also encourage development of other pro- feed the world?” High-volume staple crops suchduction as wheat,methods for urban agriculture. corn, and rice, which form the basis of much of theThe world’s future of urban agriculture will proceed along diet, are not suitable for CEA. But CEA can make a whicheverdiffer- paths lead to success in feeding an increasingly ence in people’s nutrition and quality of life while enhancing urbanized, densely populated world. Feeding our global pop- the remediation of resources. CEA complements,ulation but is thedoes primary goal, but nations with space programs not replace, field crop production by extending the growingcan benefit from urban agriculture in another way as well. season and ensuring product quality. CEA therefore has a big The efficient, self-contained production systems that revital- role to play in urban agriculture and can help growers succeed ize our cities can also be the basis for permanent settlements in areas that would otherwise be food deserts, as well as in the in space. Someday maywe realize the dream of contributor greenbelts surrounding cities. Extreme environments and cli- Silvio Rossignoli and “enjoy the tastes of long-forgotten food mate change are also on the minds of our contributors. plant varieties, grown in a sustainable, chemical-free environ- ment, both on Earth and on Mars.”

The NASA Steckler Space Grant Lunar Greenhouse at the University The Lunar Greenhouse Outreach and Teaching Module on display at of Arizona CEAC, Tucson, Ariz., USA. the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Ill., USA. Photo © DRRC, 2013.

RESOURCE March/April 2013 5 Peri-Urban Horizontal Greenhouses Louis Albright

eri-urban farming has been a histor- data show that, even in this cloudy climate, per kg of lettuce (or 0.4 m3 kg-1) to the ically important industry in many 70 percent of the required yearly light atmosphere. One kilogram of lettuce is Pcountries, but it is lessinside important the greenhouse comes from the sun.about six heads; therefore, cross-country 3 today in the United States. Expanding The daily light integral controltrucking provides releases 0.4/6 =of 0.067CO2 m interest in local food production, based 17in mol-2 daym-1 (6205 mol m-2 year-1). If per head. part on the energy required to transportthe sun provides 70 percent of this light, In other words, cross-country trans- fresh produce across the country andthen theelectric lightingport of lettuce emitsmust less CO 2 thanprovide local let- resulting carbon footprint, has1860 created mol m-2 year a-1. tuce production in the northeastern United focus on food-miles The carbon States. Lighting can be reduced in a closed and urban agricul- footprint can be plant factory by about 25 percent when ture. However, high determined with a CO2 is supplemented, but other savings are land and energy few simple calcula- limited. Opportunities also exist for signif- costs, limited access tions. Assume thaticant improvements with greenhouses, but to open spaces of the supplementalit is difficult to imagine how trucking effi- sufficient size and Horizontal greenhouse, Finger Lakes Fresh, Ithaca, lighting has a lumi- ciency can be substantially increased. proper shape, N.Y.,and USA. naire wall-plug effi- Does this mean that neither peri-urban shading from sur- cacy of 3 mol nor inner-urban production is an appropriate rounding tall buildings reduce options PARfor kWh-1. The productivity of the green- alternative to existing production and trans- agriculture in urban settings. One sugges- house is about 760 heads m-2 year-1 (Bibb port systems? Not necessarily. For example, -1 tion has been vertical greenhouses located lettuce, 150 to 160 g head . The electricity the light integral/CO2 control algorithm in the urban core. Peri-urban farmingrequired to inproduce the lettuce with all- detailed in U.S. Patent No. 7,502,655 shows traditional, horizontal greenhouses canelectric be lighting will thus thatbe greenhouse6205/3 =supplemental lighting can a better alternative. 2068 kWh-2 myear-1, or 2068/760 = be reduced by about 50 percent in Ithaca, “Peri-urban” refers to the land between 2.72 kWh head-1. In this horizontal green- New York, with properly controlled lighting the suburbs and the surrounding country- house, only 30 percent of 2.72, or 0.82 kWh and CO2 systems. This control makes both side. It coincides with the headgreenbelt-1, will be required of for supplemental natural and supplemental lighting more effi- many cities, and importantlighting. infrastructure cient. A greenhouse in a different, sunnier components (such as high-speedGenerating roads, electricity releases CO2 to location can easily receive 85 percent of its natural gas, and three-phase electric power) the atmosphere. In the United States today, yearly light requirement from the sun, which are usually available in such areas.averaged Peri-over the grid and all sources, would reduce CO2 emissions by half. This urban food production is typically applied0.46 kg of 2 COare emitted per kWh of would reduce the carbon footprint of the on small to moderate scales, whichelectricity com- generated. The density of CO2 at horizontal greenhouse to less than that of plements the concept of urban agriculture. standard conditions is 1.98 kg m-3. cross-country transport and to a much lower Photosynthetic light for plant growth Generating 2.72 kWh releases 2.72 x 0.46 number than possible for a vertical closed is often undervalued in urban agriculture = 1.25 kg, or 1.25/1.98 = 0.63 m3 of pure greenhouse. proposals, particularly in COdiscussions2 to the atmosphere of for every head of Further improvements in lighting vertical (multi-level) greenhouses and lettuce with all-supplemental lighting. technologies, and creative control strate- plant factories. Closed-buildingHowever, growingwith 70 percent of the light com- gies, will provide exciting opportunities methods require all-electric or nearlying all-from the sun, the carbon emissionand challenges is for CEA engineers to cre- electric lighting, in contrast to horizontal,reduced from to1.25 0.38 headkg -1, or ate even more efficient peri-urban green- glazed greenhouses, which canfrom also0.63 to 0.19use m3. house production systems. solar lighting.As a result, horizontalHow does this compare to the carbon ASABE Fellow Louis Albright, Director of the greenhouses can have a substantial advan- footprint of transporting fresh produce? A Controlled Environment Agriculture Program, tage in energy efficiency and reduced car- frequently touted advantage of local food Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., USA; [email protected]. bon footprint. A specific exampleproduction illus- is its smaller carbon footprint, trates this: because less diesel fuel for truck transport For more information on the CEA Program at Cornell, visit: www.cornellcea.com. Finger Lakes Fresh operates a horizon- is needed. The diesel fuel consumed to tal greenhouse in upstate New York transport lettuce from the WestPhoto courtesyCoast of Fingerto Lakes Fresh, a division of Challenge Workforce Solutions. (www.fingerlakesfresh.com). The operating New York State adds about2 0.8 kg of CO

6 March/April 2013 RESOURCE Maximizing Efficiency in Closed Ecosystems Alberto Battistelli

he Earth is a closed ecosystem, and value. Fine-tuning the hydroponicItaly, we have recently nutrient studied the possi- our growing population is now fac- solution, as well as the bilitylighting, of using a fractiontempera- of the solar radi- Ting the limits of resource availabili-ture, and relative humidity, and the activeation incident on a greenhouse to produce ty. We need to increase the efficiency ofCO2 sink capacity of the crop can all con- electricity. It is possible to integrate a new food production in order to reduce resource tribute to avoiding the feedback limitation type of photovoltaic cell into the green- requirements while also increasingof photosynthesis, food thereby allowing grow-house cover without significantly decreas- availability by extending productioners to fully exploit tothe potentialoth- increase in ing the productivity of the greenhouse or erwise unfavorable lands, limiting theproductivity use due to growth in high CO 2 the quality of the food products. of water and chemicals, and increasing theconditions. quality of the food produced. Environmental factors strongly affect plant growth and productivity, and they also determine the quality of plant food products. The key environmental parame- ter for plant life is solar radiation. Plants use visible light for photosynthesis and infrared light to drive transpiration. The efficiency of photosynthesis decreases with increasing light intensity, while evap- orative demand by the atmosphere increas- es. For these reasons, canopy photosynthe- sis can perform better in diffuse light even if the total light intensity decreases. This implies that, under controlled environmen- tal conditions, less solar energy can be used without incurring a significant decrease in productivity, and with the ben- eficial effects of shading, when necessary, to limit air temperature. “Environmental factors strongly affect plant growth and productivity, and they also determine the The amount of water vapor in the air quality of plant food products. The key environmental parameter for plant life is solar radiation.” is a function of the air temperature. Increasing the air temperature Foodover plants a provide edible carbohy- The energy efficiency of human activ- canopy increases the water vapor concen- drates, proteins, oils, a vast number of ities is becoming a benchmark for the eval- tration gradient between the leaf nutrientsinternal needed in our diet, such as vita-uation of their sustainability. We need new space and the atmosphere. This is the driv- mins and antioxidants, but also a numbercontrolled environment food production ing force of leaf transpiration. Controllingof dangerous and even toxicsystems molecules. in which the integration of renew- the air temperature and relative humidityPlants can also carry environmental pollu- able energy sources increases the overall therefore also controls the amount of water tants. Producing food plants in closed sys- energy efficiency, while increasing the that can be recovered from transpirationtems allows us to maximize the beneficial quantity and quality of the products. Our and the amount of energy needed to con-components of the plants and minimize or research in Italy represents a useful step in dense the water vapor. evenControlling eliminate the detrimental the components this direction. amount of sunlight, particularlyby control of environmental the parameters, Alberto Battistelli, Professor, Institute of Agro- infrared portion, would contributeincluding to the air temperature, humidity,environmental light and Forest Technology, and control of transpiration,intensity, photosynthesis, and concentration.CO National Research Council of Italy (IBAF-CNR), 2 Porano, Italy; [email protected]. and the amount of energy needed to close Control of all these functions in a the water loop. closed growing facility requires energy. If For more information, visit: www.ibaf.cnr.it/English%20version/index.htm. Photosynthesis increases if the CO2 the required energy can be produced on- concentration in the air is increased to two site from renewable sources,Photo © Cammeraydavethen the | Dreamstime.com. or three times the normaloverall atmosphericsystem can be self-sustaining. In

RESOURCE March/April 2013 7 The Need for Vertical Farms— Why We Can Have Them Now

Dickson Despommier is professor emeritus moving agriculture from the farm to the M: And the current crises of global cli- of microbiology and medical ecology at city.” People would laugh at those peo- mate change, for example, generate Columbia University's Mailman School of ple because they would say, “Are you greater food security issues? Public Health. He is the author of The kidding? You could never replicate what D: Once these food crises occurred over Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the they are doing outdoors. There is so much land used for farming, how could the last 20 years—floods, droughts, 21st Century and a champion of strategies you possibly generate that indoors?” political unrest, civil unrest, you name to feed the future. it. Then, “urban agriculture” started to Over the last 20 years, remarkable emerge from the primordial ooze of The following transcript is from an hour-long things have happened. Climate change ideas. And now today, we have a bur- video interview that Despommier shared has come to the fore and rearranged geoning industry throughout the tech- during the 2012 Continuing Professional the agricultural landscape. It has creat- nologically gifted world and in some Education Greenhouse Short Course at The ed emergencies of food shortages, food other places, too. University of Arizona Controlled Environment crises, starvation, and of actual deaths Agriculture Center in Tucson. The interviewer from starvation. And not necessarily in Now presently, we have a new crop of is Michael Munday, Producer/Editor, Tech the gifted countries, such as portions of engineers right here, and no pun intended, Arizona is a hotbed for this. Frontiers Reports. Western Europe, the United States, or North America, but in places that could The University of Arizona is a wonderful Munday: What do you observe about really afford it least. Sub-Saharan place to go if you want to learn how to developments in urban agriculture? Africa, China, India, all of the densely grow food indoors. It is in the middle of What questions need to be asked and populated areas that are not necessarily a desert! How much better can you get? to whom? as technologically gifted as some of those other places I just mentioned. I can raise any crop you want in a build- Despommier: That is a good question! ing, and of course I saw that over the I want to start several years ago at a M: Is there no systematic approach that last two days. A tour here at the CEAC point where the ideas began for doing can make the world’s food supply more showed me some wonderful examples of all of the things we can now do. workable? that. While a handful of vertical farms have come on line, the establishment of If you go back 20 years, you wouldn’t D: There is cause to rethink the entire, vertical farms in places that currently find anybody in a city discussing agricul- well, if I use the word food “system,” cannot afford them is the Holy Grail of ture. There wasn’t a single voice. Not please take me outside and beat me this approach to supplying food for the one person would come forth and say, 20 times before you take me back inside world. I believe that the future of verti- “You know what we should be doing is again, because there is really no food cal farming is bright, provided that the “system”! Okay, it’s a series of constructs, efficiency of LED lighting continues to which are predicated on subsidies, poli- improve at its current rate. But it may tics, geography, need, and economics. take more than just buildings for the less And when you put all that together, it’s developed world to have free access to a hodgepodge. Every country approach- technologies needed for robust vertical es this differently. France, for instance, is farming operations in sub-Saharan totally different from, let’s say, England, Africa, south Asia, or Latin America. and different from Ireland, and that’s part of the European Union. I mean Earlier, we visited a place where they those people should be coordinating weren’t raising necessarily food items. their efforts, and yet there are sover- They were using a plant, a single-celled eignty issues with regard to food. plant, an algae, in the same way as George Washington Carver used the M: By “sovereign” do you mean each peanut. So now, we’ve got another country looking after its own interests, organism to play with, and that is the economic as well as political or cultural? single-celled plant. We call them algae, but they’ll do whatever you’d like, you D: Sure, and what’s the best way to just have to ask the right questions. protect your money, what you value? Put it in a bank. Now I know years ago Contact Despommier at [email protected]. Willie Sutton said that’s why he robs For more information, visit: http://verticalfarm- them, because that’s where the money blobgspot.com/2009/10/read-my-lips-vertical- Höweler + Yoon Architecture and Squared is, you know, that’s okay. But if you put farming-can-solve.htm/#more. Design Lab proposes to build a vertical algae- your food in a similar bank, namely powered bioreactor in downtown Boston. The inside a controlled environment, how Illustrations courtesy of the author as included structure would be made of prefabricated mod- much better would that be in terms of in The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the ules, or “eco-pods,” containing materials to man- yields, the amount of produce that 21st Century. ufacture biofuels. The robotic arms would recon- actually makes it to market? It would figure the pods to optimize growing conditions. be like money in the bank.

8 March/April 2013 RESOURCE The Case for Space Michael Dixon

pace exploration is an ideal driver the quality of hydroponic nutrient recy- sunlight is not available for much of the for the development of technologies cling, rather than the indiscriminate meas- year, will see the introduction of food pro- Sand management urestrategies of electrical conductivity as toa means of duction systems that support horticultural address the growing need for safe, environ- control. The implication for entrepreneursEarth-based and raise the quality of life mentally sensitive, and economical produc- controlled environments—that is, green- in remote areas. These challenges are also tion of food. The supply houses—is finally to have stimulating the development of alternative of food is the main limi- the means to achieve energy sources to offset the very high cost tation to the long-term compliance with environ- of conventional systems in these regions. exploration of places like mental legislationFinally, and let’s consider the atmosphere Mars and even the Moon, mitigate environmentaland the challenge of maintaining air quali- which is only three days impacts, while improving ty in the tightly sealed environments that journey from Earth. The production and qualityare necessary in space. Maintaining the development of contain- with more reliable oxygenman- supply and scrubbing the carbon ment systems for food agement. dioxide that we respire are jobs well suited production on Mars will Another aspect of to a plant community.The associated yield a rich source of space exploration that is ecosystem, comprising a host of microbial recycling technologies, driving the development communities, especially in the biofilms of products, and practices of innovative technolo-the root zone, can function as a biofilter to eminently suited to solv- gies is the radiation envi- absorb and metabolize a wide range of the ing environmental issuesCara Wehkamp inspects an experi- ronment. In space,volatile organicit compounds that we typi- in terrestrial agriculture.mental setup using tomato plants would be difficultcally associate withor poor-quality indoor prior to testing under low pressure And the adventwithin a custom-engineered of hypobaric impossible to take advan- air. Advances in this biotechnology have increasinglyplant growth chamber.efficienttage of “free” solar radia- been commercialized successfully and are artificial lighting promis- being applied in numerous institutional es to improve on the performance of and commercial buildings as a means of the Sun in optimizing plant produc- mitigating “sick building syndrome.” tivity. Scalable domestic applications in condo- The harsh challenges of space miniums and private homes are in the exploration have prompted the works. development of a range of technical With increasingly adaptable and effi- solutions to some rather unique cient technologies for food production in problems. For example, there can be controlled environments, stimulated by the no “garbage” on the Moon or Mars. requirements of space exploration initia- Explorers will be required to recy-Single plant growth chambers, like this “beet patch,” are tives, we are getting closer than ever to cle virtually everything in the artifi- designed for short-term studies of photosynthesis under solving some of the pressing problems of cial ecosystems that comprise theirvariable pressure conditions and different light sources and feeding our growing population on Earth. life support. In particular, food pro- intensities. The prospect of widespread, small-scale, duction systems must provide the means to tion as the energy source for photosynthe- urban agriculture, in which individuals recycle the hydroponic nutrient solution. sis due to the harmful effects of cosmic supplement conventional food distribution Currently, of all the environmental vari- radiation. Therefore, efficientand neighborsand tradeeco- tomatoes for lettuce, is ables (light, CO2, temperature, humidity, nomical artificial lighting must be devel- close to reality. And we have space explo- water, and nutrients) that controlled envi- oped. Recent advances in LED technology ration to thank for it. ronment agriculture seeks to manage withhave made this prospect a reality. The Michael Dixon, Professor and Director, some means of feedback control, the nutri- selection of optimal wavelengths from theControlled Environment Systems Research ent solution suffers fromsolar thespectrum fewest and, in turn,Facility (CESRF),optimizing University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada: [email protected]. advances in technology. plant productivity through the physiologi- However, the necessity of using plants cal stages of germination,For more informationvegetative on the CESRF, visit: www.ces.uoguelph.ca. as an integral part of a long-term life sup- growth, and reproductive growth will rev- port system in space has stimulated olutionize controlled-environment agricul- Photos courtesy of the University of Guelph. Border photo © Dawn Hudson | Dreamstime.com. research into innovative sensors to manage ture on Earth. Our polar regions, where

RESOURCE March/April 2013 9 “Systems Agriculture” to Feed Nine Billion Nina Fedoroff

ur ability to grow food for all of about policy, and it’s about planning. excess. In aquaculture, this integrated humanity is facing severe chal- Planning not just for one farm, but for one approach is called “aquaponics” or “inte- Olenges in coming decades as ourworld. Water management. Soil manage- grated multitrophic aquaculture.” In animal numbers grow from seven billion to ment.nine Crop management. A worldwide opti- husbandry, this means developing methods billion. Groundwater is being depleted, the mization effort. It’s about seeing the systemto ensure that pathogens don’t get through climate is warming, and the demandas a whole for and using science effectively. from farm to people. We need to use modern food continues to grow. At the same time, We have systems biology and systems science and technology to improve the pro- we need to reduce agriculture’s detrimentalengineering, but we haven’t yet developed ductivity and water-efficiency of greenhous- impact on the environment, be it from eco- a real “systems agriculture” that works es—closing the water cycle in each box, for logical simplification, example—to grow more nutrient pollution, or fruits and vegetables on greenhouse gas emissions. each square inch of land Is there a path to achieving with each drop of water. It the needed intensification means learning how to cool that is both sustainable and greenhouses with seawater less harmful to the envi- and sunlight in a desert. It ronment? means unleashing the inven- This question is as tiveness of biotechnology to profound as any we face. accomplish Rachel Carson’s Said another way: How can dream of plants that are bio- we produce more food on logically protected from less land with less water, pests and pathogens. less energy, and less chem- So what stands in the icals—even as the climate way? Attitudes. Beliefs. warms? The answer is in Policies. We wax nostalgic many bits and pieces, yet it about our agrarian past of demands that we get the small farms and hard labor whole picture: a planetary from which we fled to system of land, water, and cities, higher wages, and air that must support not grocery stores. We engineer just the burgeoning human our homes and cars and population of today, but planes, but we recoil in hor- maintain beauty, diversity, Children stretch out their hands at the Dadaab refugee camp where thousands of Somalis ror at the thought of geneti- and productivity longwaited into for help in 2011. cally engineering our food, the future. ignorant of the profound So what are the pieces of the food, across geographies and between sectors. genetic modification that transformed wild feed, fiber, and fuel puzzle that need We resist 21st century “industrial agricul- plants to food for people and their animals. invention and reinvention? Grasses and ture” and love our 19th century “organicAnd most of all, we don’t yet think like fel- grains that can grow in the desert on sea- agriculture.” Yet we can’t go back to a sim- low passengers on a small globe with a water. Irrigation systems that deliver water pler time with fewer people and plentifulfragile atmosphere, one we must begin to by the drop just where and when required. land—that time is gone. steer toward a safer operating space. Plants that don’t need pesticides and thatIt seems to me that the way forward lies Nina Fedoroff, Distinguished Professor of use every scrap of nutrient supplied. Just-in using the essential principles of organic Biosciences, King Abdullah University of in-time fertilization. Greenhousesagriculture— thethat integration of nutrient Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Evan Pugh Professor, make their own electricity and fresh water. cycling from animals to plants and back—in Pennsylvania State University, University Park, And so it goes. It’s about biology, a chem-modern scientific context. This means USA; [email protected]. istry, and engineering, and it’s aboutintegrating the animal and crop production to For information on Fedoroff’s Center for Desert wiser use of land and water. better utilize the nutrients that we currentlyAgriculture at KAUST, visit: www.kaust.edu.sa/ In many parts of the world, it’s about extract from the air and earth and that research/centers/plant.html?submenuheader=0.now roads and rails and markets as well. It’s pollute our land and water whenPhoto used © Sadikgulec in | Dreamstime.com.

10 March/April 2013 RESOURCE Meeting Educational Needs in Controlled Environment Agriculture Merle H. Jensen

he traditional role of agricultural Unfortunately, agriculture has been a must work together to reach a balance research is rapidly changing, horrible business for the past 30 years. between long-term fundamental research Tbecoming increasingly complex,Today, the average age of farmers is 58 in and near-market research. It is imperative and being challenged by off-farm interest the United States, 66 in Japan, and that58 intomorrow’s agricultural graduates groups, such as governments, environmen- Australia. Hundreds of thousands of farm- have a thorough knowledge of the basics tal organizations, and even of plant sciences and engi- urban society. Consequently, neering, along with “learn by programs that center on agri- doing” experience in their cultural research, extension, chosen field. Our future and education are continuous- agricultural programs will ly being re-evaluated. Taking need to extend beyond the precedence are the new inter- textbooks. We need to pro- ests in the sciences of plant vide facilities where students biology, microbiology, and can get hands-on experience, plant molecular biology. whether in the field, green- While new technologies house, or laboratory. As an are having a great impact on analogy, when training air- world agriculture, it may not plane pilots, you don’t elimi- be in the best interest of agri- nate runways due to budget- cultural schools to dismantle ary considerations! their well-established applied/ Another excellent near-market research and method of extending a stu- educational programs in order Assistant Professor Pat Rorabaugh, University of Arizona CEAC, explains the finer dent’s education is to provide to provide the massive capital points of hydroponics with an avid note taker. internships in agriculture. needed for the new programs. This experience can range Instead, the existing applied programs ers in India commit suicide every year. In from working in the lab of a biotech com- could benefit from newthe findingsUnited Kingdom, thein highest rate of pany to participating in research at an agri- biotechnology. In fact, the advancements suicide is in agriculture. Food pricescultural will experiment station or on a private in biotechnology will undoubtedly create a have to go up as a younger generationfarm. of It is important to give our students, massive need for near-market researchers farmers receives the most recent scientificespecially those in controlled environment and educators to transfer these new find- advancements in food production. Ifagriculture this (CEA), the experience and ings to the young, aspiring farmersdoesn’t who occur, then, as renowned interna-skills they will need to pursue their profes- will feed our future generations. tional investor Jim Rogers has stated:sion in“A a regenerative and sustainable way. catastrophe is looming. The world is going CEA is the most intensive system of food to have a period when we cannot get foodproduction in agriculture today. It is a at any price in some parts of the world.”high-tech, capital-intensive, and highly He added: “There will be a huge shiftproductive in approach to conserving the American society. The stock brokersever-diminishing are resources of land and going to be driving taxis, and water.the Oursmart agricultural schools must meet ones will be driving tractors, workingthe for challenge of transferring this new tech- smart farmers. Instead of getting an MBA,nology and inspiring today’s young farm- get yourself a farming degree. You’ll make ers, so that they will be able to feed tomor- a lot more money.” row’s world. The question is: are most agricultural Merle H. Jensen, Professor Emeritus, schools adequately preparing the farmers Department of Plant Science, The University Doctoral student Efrén Fitz-Rodriguez measures of tomorrow? Probably not!of Arizona, Tucson,University USA; [email protected]. experimental crops of tomatoes at the University administrators and agriculturalPhotos leaders courtesy of Michael Munday. of Arizona CEAC.

RESOURCE March/April 2013 11 What PFAL Means to Urban Agriculture Toyoki Kozai

rban agriculture is becoming pop- Water consumption for irrigation in PFAL-produced leaf vegetables, such ular in large cities like Tokyo. PFALs is reduced by about 95 percent as spinach, are also used to produce baby UTraditionally, urban agriculture compared to open-field productionfoods and foods by for the elderly and hospi- meant production of vegetables and orna- recycling the water transpired by leaves, talized because of their stable nutrient mental plants in open lots for local sale or using the air conditioning system as a con- composition all year round. In the near for home use by the growers. Increasingly, denser. No water is needed for washing the future, PFALs will be used to produce however, hydroponic growing systems, harvest because it is already clean and Chinese chives, Chinese cabbages, and with or without enclosures, are being hygienic. Energy use for transport from other products for use in pickled and installed on rooftops, to take advantage ofproduction to consumption sites andfrozen loss foods. PFAL-produced herbs and solar energy, or inside buildings, withof the produce during transportmedicinal are plants also will be used to produce help of artificial light sources. reduced considerably. various kinds of food and drink additives, This indoor urban agriculture is often PFAL systems can also be economi- traditional medicine, supplements, cos- called “plant factory with artificial light” cal. In Japan, the depreciation cost metics, etc. or PFAL. As of last year, there were moreaccounts for roughly 30 percent, the labor Given that promising future, contin- than 150 commercial PFAL systems oper-cost for 25 percent, and the electricity cost ued adoption of PFALs is also facing some ating in Japan for year-round production of for 20 percent of the total production costchallenges, including: leaf vegetables, without soil, herbicides, or of a PFAL. Lighting, air conditioning, and • Life cycle assessment to determine the insecticides. Japan’s largest PFALnutrient solution pro- control account for about long-term viability of PFAL systems. duces about 25,000 heads of leaf80, lettuce 15, and 5 percent, respectively, of• theDevelopment of on-site PFALs at per day, or nine million headstotal per electricity year. consumption. As this tech- schools, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, Other, multi-level PFAL systems, with nology spreads, the initial costs and oper- community centers, etc. floor areas of up to 1002, are mused for ating costs could both be reduced by about • Improvements in lighting systems and commercial production of seedlings at 50 percent within ten years, compared light quality to match the needs of locations throughout Japan. with costs in 2012. plants. Basically, a PFAL system consists of Plants that are most suitable for com- • Automation of operations, including six components: mercial production in PFALs are those that handling and harvest of the plants. • An opaque, airtight, thermally insulated grow well at relatively low light intensity • Software development for integrated warehouse-like structure. and at high planting density, and thatenvironmental are control and total systems • Up to 20 tiers, or levels, of hydroponic mostly edible (leaves, stems, and roots)management. or culture beds equipped with artificial salable at a high price. These include• Integration trans- of PFALs with other biopro- lighting, such as fluorescentplants andor seedlingsLED of all kinds, leaf veg- duction and resource recycling systems. lamps. etables, herbs, root crops, medicinal plants,• Third-party evaluation of the safety and • An air conditioning system with air cir- miniature ornamental plants, and beddingsecurity of the plants produced. culation fans. plants of about 30 cm height or less. Low-• Streamlined cooperation among related

• A CO2 supply system. value, high-production staple crops (rice, interests, including outdoor agriculture, • A nutrient solution supply system with wheat, potatoes, etc.) are not suitable for protected horticulture, natural energy, pumps, tanks, and piping. commercial production in PFALs. and information technology. • An environmental control system, includ- Currently, most leaf vegetables and • Universal PFAL design to ensure sys- ing temperature and humidity sensors. herbs produced in PFALs are not sold at tem safety, accessibility for the aged PFAL systems provide a great benefit supermarkets or grocery stores. Instead, in and physically challenged, and good in urban areas, where land is at a premium, Japan, these products are sold to the fooddesign in all aspects. by providing clean, fresh vegetables for service industry, including the home-meal-Toyoki Kozai, Chief Director, Japan Plant Factory local consumption. The annual productiv-replacement industry. In this industry,Association, the and Professor Emeritus, Chiba ity per unit land area of a PFAL withlabor ten cost for hygienic processing of fresh University, Chiba, Japan; [email protected]. tiers is roughly 100 times that of an equiv- food is drastically reduced by using PFAL- For more information on the Japan alent open field. In addition, this produc-produced leaf vegetables. PFAL produce Plant Factory Association, visit: http://npoplantfactory.org/file/English.pdf. tivity is not affected by climate or containssoil no pesticide residue, no soil fertility, so a PFAL can be built in virtuallydebris, and no insects, Photoeliminating © Robyn Mackenzie | Dreamstime.comthe . any location and in any building. need for washing and visual inspection to remove such contaminants.

12 March/April 2013 RESOURCE The Future of Controlled Environment Agriculture Alec Mackenzie

uman food production is a com- plex, interdisciplinary process with Hmany competing technical and bio- logical solutions. The Green Revolution was the 20th century’s enormously suc- cessful response to increasing food requirements, and continuing advances in food production technology will help meet future demands. This new technology will both influence and be defined by powerful socio-economic forces. Increasing field crop yields and shifts from industrial feedstocks to human food production have the potential to feed much larger populations, even without net increases in agricultural production effort. In the absence of catastrophic climate changes, this relatively elastic food supply will work to keep basic food costsTomato croprela- within a semi-enclosed greenhouse owned by Houweling’s Tomatoes, a family-run tively low over the long term. Thisoperation flexibil- in Camarillo, Calif., USA, and Delta, B.C., Canada. ity will apply downward pricing pressure on other food productionchoice sectors, or higher quality, too, and this is a great cessful operations, whoever and wherever since many consumers are price sensitiveplace to start since this market is less they are. and will substitute lower-costprice-sensitive. foods However, for with the excep- My optimism for the future of CEA is more expensive foods. Against this price-tion of some specialty crops, such as fresh tempered by the additional demands that limiting backdrop, controlled environment basil, most crops that can be producedCEA in places on society. CEA has com- agriculture (CEA) is gradually carving out the urban environment can bepelling produced values, but these come with signif- market share with a combination of higher and distributed more economicallyicant externalities by that are not always fac- yields, food security, betterlarger quality, CEA factory and farms. As a conse- tored in. We must pay close attention to the other social benefits that can collectivelyquence, the transition to broader commod- environmental impact and more specifi- offset the added operating costs, complex-ity production in urban environments willcally unit energy costs, we need well edu- ity, and investment typically associatedbe challenging, and this transition willcated be customers with money in their pock- with CEA systems. more likely to fail unless theets, pricingand we need is good infrastructure and a CEA is well suited to large-scale, effi- strongly supported by politicalpool ofor well social trained, motivated workers and cient production of high-quality, secure interests. managers. CEA is a high-tech response to a fresh produce. Currently, only a few high- The tension between the interests of basic human need. To be successful, it must yielding crop types are amenable to thisbig business and small business will con- be more than just technology for technol- type of production, but I expecttinue. this list Large corporationsogy’s will sake; continueit must respect the admonition will grow over time, particularly astheir new push toward commodity productionof economist E. F. Schumacher (1911- varieties are developed specifically for and lower costs, but they are also likely to 1977) to use technology appropriately: CEA applications. pay more attention to socially important “There is incredible generosity in the CEA is also well suited to small-scale issues, such as the organic andpotentialities locovore of Nature. We only have to production. In fact, it’s the only way to movements, as long as society remains discover how to utilize them.” integrate meaningful volumes of food pro- engaged with these issues. In the faceAlec M aofckenzie, Director of Research and duction into the social and economic fab-this stiff competition, smaller urbanDevelopment, pro- Argus Control Systems, White ric of an increasingly urban society. At the ducers will be better positioned to respond Rock, British Columbia, Canada; argus@argus- controls.com. moment, most urban CEA initiativesquickly areto the changing demands of local targeting what was once called consumers.the “car- In either situation, CEA has an For more information, visit: www.arguscontrols.com. riage trade,” those consumersimportant role whoto play. Asare a CEA technol- Photo courtesy of the author. willing to pay a premium forogist, I’llgreater be happy to work with the suc- Border photo © Brighton | Dreamstime.com.

RESOURCE March/April 2013 13 Greenhouse Production in The Netherlands Leo F. M. Marcelis and Silke Hemming

o feed nine billion people in 2050, artificial lighting, LED technology is rap- Now that the genomes of most crops the ratio of food produced per unit of idly advancing. This technology provides a have been sequenced, or soon will be, the Tarable land must be increased sub- new array of possibilities, such as con- potentials for yield increases through stantially. Greenhouses will be part of the trolled light intensity, duration, timing, and genetic improvements are numerous. As an solution. Greenhouse horticulturespectrum, as well is as positioninga the lights example, ideotyping tomatoes for better resource-efficient and dynamicallyenvironmentally in response to the plants’ plant architecture can increase the growth friendly production system with enormous needs. Smart use of lightingrate. For amay full exploitation also of these poten- yield per unit area. Greenhouse-grown food improve product quality. tialAs yield an increases,example, breeding should focus products have consistently high nutritionalthe vitamin C content of tomatoes canon be cultivars that are already adapted to value, and greenhouse operation is econom-doubled by localized lighting of the fruits.greenhouse conditions. An efficient breed- ically profitable. In The Netherlands, only ing process requires high-throughput phe- 0.5 percent of the arable land is used for notyping tools, such as vision and greenhouses, but the production value of fluorescence techniques. Crop models can these greenhouses is 22The percent of then be used to predict the productivity of a Netherlands’ total agricultural production genotype under diverse growth conditions. value. In addition, while agriculture uses 70 The combination of sensors and crop mod- percent of the world’s potable water, and els is a powerful tool for monitoring and millions of people will have no access to controlling plant growth in greenhouses. clean water in 2025, the water use efficien- Consumer responses and government cy of greenhouse production can be more initiatives can stimulate growers to pro- than ten times higher than that of open-field duce in a sustainable way. In Dutch nurs- production. eries, pesticides use is very limited, and Greenhouse production is incredibly many pests are controlled by biological efficient in water use. In a typical agents. However, we should completely Mediterranean country, 15 to 20 kg of abandon the use of pesticides. The way tomatoes can be produced with one cubic A greenhouse with tomatoes grown with LED forward is to create robust crops as well as lighting in Wageningen, The Netherlands. meter of water in an open field. However, resilient soils. in The Netherlands, in a controlled green-The input of energy in greenhouse Greenhouse horticulture is a well estab- house with water recirculation,systems isalmost also essential to intensify lished,pro- sustainable production system for 70 kg tomatoes are produced, and in a duction. At the same time, energy efficien- high yield per unit of land, high quality prod- closed greenhouse tomato productioncy percan unit of product is an important fac- ucts, and high nutritional value. The knowl- be increased to 250 kg per cubic metertor of for ensuring sustainability. Reductionsedge gathered from these production sys- water. Full closure of the water cycle isin also greenhouse energy use oftems more can thanbe applied to urban agriculture important to minimize loss of nutrients50 and percent have already beentechniques, obtained including in plant factories and ver- pesticides to the environment. Ion-selective The Netherlands since 1990. ticalThese farming, ener- as well as to production of new monitoring and control of nutrientsgy-saving will measures include: high-value crops, such as algae and pharma- further improve product quality• Better and insulation yield using energy screens ceutical plants. Unlike open-field agricul- in the near future. and high-tech covering materials. ture, greenhouse production can be located For many greenhouse crops, produc- • New growing strategies that take close to urban areas, which will become tion has doubled in the past 25 years. It is advantage of natural energy sources increasingly important as the majority of the technically feasible to double greenhouse and off-peak energy costs. world population lives, or will live, in cities. food production again in the next 25 years. • Development of semi-closed green- Leo F. M. Marcelis, Professor, and However, lighting is the limiting factor to houses, in which solar heat is captured Silke Hemming, Researcher, Wageningen UR this growth. New greenhouse designs andand stored. Greenhouse Horticulture, Wageningen, The Netherlands; [email protected] modern covering materials allow better In the future, greenhouse production and [email protected]. transmission of natural light. Diffusing the without fossil fuels can be achieved by using For more information, visit: incoming light enables a furtherheat pumps, yieldgeothermal heat, waste heat www.glastuinbouw. wur.nl/uk. increase. If all other growthfrom factors other industries, are and green electricity. Photo courtesy of the Leo F. M. Marcelis. controlled, less screening on sunny days Border photo © Gerhard Seybert | Fotolia.com. can also lead to a production increase. For

14 March/April 2013 RESOURCE The Role of Urban Food Production Jennifer Nelkin

produce in New light and more affordable real estate with- York City, do it in the city, but this does not come without year round, use challenges. Zoning regulations, lease sustainable pro- negotiations, and structural engineering duction prac-analysis all determine the feasibility of a tices, and deter-site. Once our basic criteria are met, we mine the eco-still have to work within the constraints of nomic viabilitythe building. Moving water around is one of an urbanthe biggest challenges on a roof. Water farming venture. storage tanks are very heavy, even for The rooftop production greenhouse of Gotham Greens, Brooklyn, N.Y. USA. What we havestructurally sound buildings. And design- discovered so far ing all the plumbing and irrigation at s the population increases, we need is promising. Urban farming using CEA grade, without the ability to bury tanks or to grow more food, more effi- really works. It is economically viable, irrigation lines, is a challenge. Aciently, and waste less of it. Urban highly productive year round, and the agriculture, local food production, and products are in great demand by the mar- controlled environment agriculture (CEA)ket. can all play a role in meeting these needs. Future food security will depend on a It has been estimated that Americans variety of crops, requiring a combination throw away 40 percent of their food supply of growing techniques. Our focus has been every year. Add on CEA using green- that to the shrink- houses and hydroponics. age on the farm CEA has a proven track and along the dis- record in the production tribution chain, and of highly perishable, we can find oppor- high-value fresh fruits tunities to increase and vegetables, which is food availability perfect for our leafy without the need greens and herbs. Our Technical staffing is one of the keys to for more arable greenhouses maintain success in any greenhouse venture. There land. Local food the optimum environ-is great enthusiasm for urban agriculture offers an opportu- ment for plant growth from the market, the consumer, and nity to increase all year long,investors, buteven finding skilled growers to shelf life by reduc-Jennifer Nelkin at Gotham Greens production greenhouse. through the coldoperate New technically sophisticated facilities ing distribution York City winters. This is an ongoing Trainingchallenge. new time, passing the increased shelfuniform life productionand throughout the year is growers will be necessary for the growth quality on to the consumer. important in maintaining desired shelf of urban farming ventures to keep up with We started Gotham Greens with a few space with our customers. Wethe usemarket NFT opportunities. goals in mind: produce the highest quality (nutrient film technique) as our hydropon- Is urban farming the best answer to ic production system, which is lightweight, the future food demands of our increasing modular, extremely water efficient, and population? Probably not. But it certainly gives us good control over the plant nutri- has a role to play, and it will be part of the tion. These highly controlled environments larger combination of solutions that are also allow us to produce products that arenecessary. pesticide free and meet the highestJennife r foodNelkin, Greenhouse Director, safety standards. Gotham Greens, Brooklyn, New York, USA; Light is critical for plant growth and [email protected]. for our solar panels. To get enough of this For more information on Gotham Greens, important resource, we built our green- visit: http://gothamgreens.com. houses on a roof. Rooftops offer access toAll photos by Ari Burling, courtesy of Gotham Greens.

RESOURCE March/April 2013 15 Feeding the World in

he future for greenhouse food production in Australia looks good. There is have heard a number of individuals claim that “ag Tincreased recognition of the importance of safe, high-quality food. There is Iis sexy again.” I am not sure that we have reached also increased awareness of the need to care for the environment. Generally, all that point, but it is clear that agriculture is again green life is considered a positive contributor to urban livability as well as human being recognized by the public as a vital part of our health and well-being. Greenhouse vegetable production is well positioned to modern society. The solution to feeding seven billion deliver in all these areas. people (and growing) will require technological Geoff Connellan, Honorary Fellow, Department of Resource advances, balanced needs assessments, political will, Management and Geography, University of Melbourne, Australia and social change. We need to continue this dialog and foster these changes so that we can feed the increasing multitudes of our growing world. In the meantime, there are excellent jobs available for engi- neers in agriculture and related fields. Mark Riley, Professor and Head, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA

n current vertical farming projects, energy cost plays a major role in determining Iwhether or not the project gets off the ground. With advancements in heating, cooling, and lighting systems, project investors have options for meeting the requirements of the crops. However, this is where the current climate for finance and the limited funding in the horticulture/agriculture world collide. I believe the technology is available to overcome the energy challenges. But to succeed we need to come together as an industry (especially industry and academia) to collaborate and innovate. Chris Higgins, General Manager, Hort Americas LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

hen I look at our urban environments, I see Wpossibilities of growing food within these spaces: backyards and front yards, rooftops, parks, ur current agricultural supply chain is a abandoned properties, and unused open spaces in Ologistical tour de force. Crops are grown intensive ways. Parks and green spaces can be par- at large scale in locations where they grow tially devoted to edible plant production. We need easily to be transported all over the world to bring basic thinking back into our food sources, once harvested. Seasons, locations, and inci- and garden as close to the kitchen sink as possible. dents such as frost, flood, and drought mean Alex Kallas. President, Ag PALS, that supply hardly ever matches demand. San Diego, Calif., USA Most of the time, there is either not enough or far too much. The current supply chain was created because we were not able to grow crops locally. Today, in order to feed the increasing population, we have to do things novel idea for meeting the increasing food demands of a growing population has been differently. In the first place, we have to grow Againing ground in recent years. In fact, it’s not so novel; the first incarnation came in our food in a smarter way. Secondly, we have a 1915 book by Gilbert Ellis Bailey, a professor of geology at the University of Southern to grow our food close to where we live. And California. Gilbert argued for using explosives to increase farmland surface area vertical- thirdly, we have to produce more nutritious ly, as opposed to horizontally. Inexpensive explosives, wrote Bailey, “enable the farmer to food. Our current agricultural techniques, farm deeper, to go down to increase his acreage, and to secure larger crops.” Bailey’s book current supply chain, and current food pat- bore the same name as his idea:Vertical Farming. In the decades since, a handful of peo- terns have to change. These changes will not ple, from Buckminster Fuller in the 1930s to Malaysian architect Ken Yeang in the 1990s, be extremely complicated in themselves, but took the idea in a more modern direction. Why not integrate plants into vertical spaces— they will take courage and some tough para- namely, buildings? Growing plants in buildings would help meet the food needs of the digm shifts. local communities, and the growing environment could be optimally controlled. Gertjan Meeuws, Managing Partner, David King, Writer, Chicago, Ill., USA PlantLab, Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

16 March/April 2013 RESOURCE Unexpected Ways

hile we face the daunting task of meeting society’s future needs for food, he biggest economic transformation the world Wfiber, and other plant products, let’s not forget that we have a large tool kit Thas ever seen is occurring today simultaneously available to meet this challenge. Ultimately, we must take advantage of both kinds with the population expansion of cities in emerging of technologies—engineering and plant science—and implement each in the markets, generating hordes of new consumers with areas where it is most appropriate. rising incomes, whose spending power will change Neil Mattson, Assistant Professor and Floriculture Extension Specialist, the way the world— shopsincluding the billions of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA urbanites buying more of their food locally. ASABE member Joel L. Cuello, Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA enn State University’s involvement in the Purban agriculture movement is a noble undertaking, and it is exactly in keeping with ore food will be made available by challenging the mission of a Land Grant university. There what we think we know. For example, last year, are many challenges particular to farming in M we experienced an unacceptable premature softening the urban environment, but these issues can be of our tomatoes, resulting in waste. After checking the resolved. While working in urban agriculture, I technical literature, along with numerous Google have learned that we need a very large table for searches, we decided to test a new concept for storing all the interested parties to sit around. There are and shipping the finished product that many people a lot of opportunities and tremendous excite- said would not work. However, by understanding the ment surrounding this movement. principles of respiration, evaporation, and the impact William James Lamont Jr., of the post-harvest environment, we designed a storage Professor of Vegetable Crops, Department of and shipping process for our specific tomato, and this Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, new process has been an overwhelming success. The University Park, USA result was more food availability at the cost of zero more water, zero more land, and zero more applied nutrients. Dave Shaver, Vice-President of Quality Control and Packing, ood production, energy use, and environmental conservation are all closely Desert Glory, Ltd., San Antonio, Texas, USA Flinked. To supply sufficient food for an increasing global population, a food pro- duction system that simultaneously requires more energy and conservation of the environment is becoming more difficult to maintain. The light efficiency of plant production is on average less than one percent, which means that large amounts of free energy are wasted. Basic innovations to improve this efficiency are necessary, and controlled environment agriculture is a potential method to increase food pro- duction with small artificial energy inputs. However, because light penetration decreases exponentially in a vertical plant canopy, we should use available lands in urban areas in a horizontal way before pursuing vertical farming. The sun can replace the vast amounts of energy that are otherwise necessary for artificial lighting. ASABE Fellow Tadashi Takakura, Invited Senior Researcher, Okinawa Agricultural Research Center; Adjunct Professor, University of Arizona; Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo and Nagasaki University, Japan

ustainable production systems must include safe, efficient use of resources. Greenhouse production Soffers the possibility of complete control over all conditions of crop production. In addition, recent advances in software and hardware allow low-cost, continuous monitoring of plant responses as an indi- cator of crop status. Using the plants themselves as sensors, and integrating crop response based climate monitoring and control strategies, along with web-based decision-making and grower support tools, we can optimize the resource use efficiency, production quality, and environmental friendliness of crop pro- duction in controlled environment agriculture systems. ASABE member Murat Kacira, Associate Professor, Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA

RESOURCE March/April 2013 17 Urban Growers Battle Food Insecurity in Kenya Allan Odhiambo

t’s 6:30 a.m. in the Kenyan capital 41.6 million, an average annual increase of Saharan Africa will reach almost 600 mil- Nairobi, and a small group of women 3.3 percent. In the same period, urban pop- lion, twice what it was in 2010. Iare busy at work in a vegetable gardenulation growth has averaged 5.4 percent per According to the FAO, “African cities in Kibera, one of the world’s largest slums.year. The population of Nairobi has grown already face enormous problems: more Barely a mile away, in the middle-classfrom 530,000 to 3.3 million and is project- than half of all residents live in overcrowd- neighborhood of Langata, 32-year-olded to reach five million in the nexted slums;eight up to 200 million survive on less Esther Mwende is tending to her family’syears. The Ministry of Agriculture thansays USDthat $2 a day; and poor urban chil- kitchen garden. This scenario is replicated36 percent of the urban populationdren prac-are as likely to be chronically mal- all around Nairobi and ticesin cropmany and livestock other production. nourished as poor rural children.” towns across Kenya. Free-range livestock keeping, aquacul- Analysts say that African policymak- “The demand for food isture, growing, and intensive peri-urban and production of ers need to act now to steer urbanization we have to find a way ofmaize, meeting groundnuts, beans, our and sorghum are from its current, unsustainable path needs using the readilythe dominant activities on 80available percent of the toward healthy, “greener” cities that resources,” says Joyce Akello, one of the land area of Kisumu, Kenya’s third largestensure food and nutrition security, decent women at work in the Kibera vegetable city. “It is now common knowledge thatwork and income, and a clean environ- garden, surrounded corrugated by metalmost urban households in Kenya are taking ment. Meanwhile, market gardening in lean-tos and huts. Her sentiments are to farming to help improve their food secu- Africa has grown with little official recog- echoed by Mwende: “It makes more eco-rity,” Mwende says. nition, regulation, or support. In some nomic sense to grow vegetables in my idle The Kenya experience is being cities, it’s becoming unsustainable: to backyard than to rely on supplies fromreplayed across Africa, where the urban maximize returns, market gardeners are farflung markets that are quite costly.”population is growing faster thanusing that ever of larger quantities of pesticides But even with such obvious benefits,any other region on Earth. By theand end polluted of water. most urban families in Kenya cannot thetake current decade, it is estimated that 24Developing sustainable market gar- advantage of urban agriculture for fearof the of world’s 30 fastest growing cities will dens to serve African cities requires, first, reprisals from the government and council be in Africa. The FAO projects that, within that policymakers recognize the sector’s authorities that run the cities18 and years, town- the urban populationcurrent contribution of sub- to the urban food sup- ships. Many councils’ by-laws ban the cul- ply and to urban livelihoods. Then, they tivation of crops on public streets and need to zone and protect land and water for unoccupied land in Kenya, while the market gardens, and encourage growers to Ministry of Health is empowered to stop adopt eco-friendly “save and grow” farm- irrigation within and around townships. ing practices that produce more food while “It is considered criminal to practice reducing contamination risks and protect- urban agriculture. In extreme cases, they ing the environment. slash crops found in gardens around the According to Modibo T. Traoré, city and confiscate livestock,” Akello says. Assistant Director-General of the FAO’s Archaic council by-laws on land use are Agriculture and Consumer Protection fueling food insecurity and poverty in Department: “All stakeholders will need to Kenya’s urban areas, despite the availabil- cooperate in building an efficient urban ity of huge tracts of arable land. fruit and vegetable supply system, one that “While most local authorities in Kenya provides fresh produce at a price all resi- tacitly accept horticulture within urban dents can afford.” boundaries, many have, and sometimes Allan Odhiambo, Writer, Nation Media Group, enforce, by-laws that ban the growing of Nairobi, Kenya: [email protected]. crops in public areas, which is where veg- For more information on life in Kibera, etables are often grown,” the UN’s Food and visit: www.economist.com/news/christmas/ Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports in 21568592-day-economic-life-africas-biggest- shanty-town-boomtown-slum. “Growing Greener Cities in Africa” (www.fao.org/ag/agp/greenercities/). Photo supplied by the author. in Kisumu, Rose Maina tends kale and saves Border photo © Ockra | Dreamstime.com. Since 1970, Kenya’s population has $1.50 a day with her kitchen garden, feeding almost quadrupled, from 11.3 million to her family of four.

18 March/April 2013 RESOURCE Designing and Building a Sustainable Urban Community Devon Patterson

research and teaching labs, a clean energy lab, and the urban greenhouse. The institute will also be a part of the residential life of Loyola’s new South Campus. The focal point of the CSUL will be the greenhouse, a con- trolled agriculture environment. As a primary element of the institute’s program and a central part of the building’s year round, high-output food production sys- tem, the greenhouse is emblem- atic of the CSUL’s innovative approach to sustainable urban living. For example, food waste Nighttime illustration of the greenhouse at Loyola University Chicago’s Center for Sustainable generated in the on-site cafeteria will be Urban Living nearing completion. broken down in a biogas digester, produc- ow do we meet the food needs of a grown food. In addition, controlleding nutrients envi- that, when mixed with soil, human population that’s steadily ronments play a critical rolewill in growgrowing fresh vegetables for the resi- Hmigrating from rural areas to live food in northern cities, likedents. ToChicago, further reinforce the closed-loop in urban areas? This is an increasing con- Illinois, that are otherwise not suitedsystem, for rainwater from the roofs will be cern, as the land available for food produc- year round plant production. captured and used for crop irrigation. tion is shrinking and current agricultureUsing this idea of integration, The overall design integrates the nec- methods require that food be transportedSolomon Cordwell Buenz, an architectural essary mechanical systems with high-out- thousands of miles from fertiledesign growing and planning firm, putdesigned plant the production, resulting in a regions to dense urban areas. OneCenter solution for Sustainable Urbanbio-regenerative Living building with low- that’s being explored is to supplement(CSUL) for Loyola the University in Chicago. resource consumption. By integrating food current supply chain with localThis urban building agri- embodies theproduction vision of intoa a living, working urban culture and grow food in closed-loop,the locations urban agriculture communitycommunity, the CSUL is the next step in where it is consumed.This creates in whichan people live, work, and grow their the evolution of urban housing. The result ultra-short supply chain forown providing food. peo- will be a healthier community that con- ple with their daily supply of vegetablesThe CSUL’s high-performance build- sumes less energy and produces fewer and nutrients. ing design consists of three facilities, greenhouse gas emissions while producing Urban dwellers consume tremendous including an urban greenhouse, that create nutritious, locally sourced food. A network amounts of resources, including energy, a net-zero sustainable living and workingof such urban agriculture communities is water, and food. The product of this con- environment. First, an existing eleven- the next step in creating sustainable cities centrated consumption is waste, much of it story residential tower was renovated to to meet the future food needs of people dispersed in water that has to be transport- create the academic portion of the CSUL.who live in dense urban areas. ed away from buildings and Next,processed, a greenhouse addition was built to Devon Patterson, Company-wide Design Chair, using more energy, into safe water. Urban link the tower to a new 600-bed residenceSolomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), Chicago, agriculture can disrupt this energy-inten- hall to the south. The first three floorsIllinois, of USA; [email protected]. sive process by repurposing the waste the renovated tower and the additionFor willmore information on Loyola University’s streams produced in dense urban environ- house the new Institute of EnvironmentalCenter for Sustainable Urban Living (CSUL), visit: www.scb.com/work/institutional/health- ments into nutrients for producing plants.Sustainability (IES). The IES issciences/institute-urban-environmental- a multi- By designing integrated communities thatdisciplinary, research-based institutesustainability-loyola-university. that replicate natural bio-regenerative cycles,will provide a premier education inIllustration envi- courtesy of Solomon Cordwell we can replace the current ronmentalenergy-inten- sustainability. The IESBuenz, facility Chicago, Ill., USA. sive process and provide healthy,will include locally classrooms, faculty offices,

RESOURCE March/April 2013 19 Feeding Nine Billion by Cultivating Innovation Haley Paul

he Hanging Gardens of Babylon Aquaponics: Vegetarian tilapia fish because a market exists for their differen- were surrounded by desert. Human- require less energy than their carnivore tiated, non-commodity products. Tengineered waterwayscounterparts, allowed providing developing nations Large-scale precision agriculture ancient civilizations to flourish in arid with an affordable protein source. In addi-systems: Sophisticated technology can regions by diverting rivers into the rich, tion, these closed-loop systems recycle their reduce chemical inputs and save water, dry soil. With domesticated crops came inputs, for high resource use efficiency. conserving resources while feeding large agricultural surpluses. With surpluses Urban agriculture: Growing crops populations of humans and animals with came more people. on brown fields, vacant lots, and rooftops commodity crops. Today, according to the United can provide access to fresh produceGlobal tradefor systems:Economies of Nations Development Program, 2.3 billion residents of urban food deserts, where con- scale will continue to allow for the move- people live in arid and semi-arid regions,venience stores currently outnumber gro- ment of large quantities of food and fiber which cover a little over 40 percent ceryof the stores. from where it is produced to where it is Earth’s surface. Drylands grow 44 percent demanded. of the world’s food and fiber, and these Genetically modified organisms regions support 50 percent of the world’s and plant breeding: As more marginal livestock. With limited arable land and lands are converted to production agricul- freshwater resources, innovative agricul- ture in order to meet increasing demands, tural practices as well as proper institution- drought tolerance and salt tolerance are al arrangements are vital for meeting the becoming highly sought-after traits. needs of a burgeoning global population in In addition to supporting diversified, a sustainable manner. sustainable global food production, institu- The United Nations estimates that tional support of agriculture would also there will be nine billion people to feed by support the non-food benefits that agricul- 2050. When that happens, will business- ture provides, such as carbon sequestration as-usual still be an Tackoption? on and wildlife habitat. Farm systems that increased desertification“Growing and high-quality, shifting pesticide-free produce in reduce tillage, diversify crops, and precise- agricultural growing regions due to a vulnerable regions with marginal soils and limit- ly apply pesticides, fertilizers, and water ed water resources presents an opportunity ...” changing climate, and food production could help reduce topsoil erosion, main- becomes a matter of national security. In Controlled environment agricul- tain biodiversity, improve water quality, the United States, farmland is often sold,ture: Growing high-quality, pesticide-free and save growers money in a business platted, and paved to grow houses. produce in vulnerable regions with mar- where profit margins are tight. Meanwhile, other countries are looking to ginal soils and limited waterTo meet resources the growing global demand arid regions, with water presentsresources, an opportunity as for foreconomic food, every aspect of agriculture must arable land reserves for growing food to development and increased food security. be considered. Additionally, the science- meet a higher future demand. Smallholder systems: According to based information behind the develop- Additionally, more consumers want to the FAO, “those parts of the world where ments in modern agriculture needs to know where their food comes from and public investments in agriculture have reach consumers and growers alike, lest that it is safe, fresh, and affordable.stagnated are the epicentersTo of poverty and one side be demonized over the other. meet the demands of global hungerconsumers, today.” Therefore, a reinvigorationWhether local or global, organic or con- and remain in business, growers to of havesmallholder and indigenous agricultureventional, in the field or under glass, GMO mitigate risk and promote systemic could empower self-sufficiency andor heirloom, food we are all in this together. resiliency in a world of high climate vari- sovereignty, especially in remoteH aorley Pcon-aul, Smartscape Program ability, high land prices, and low farm flict-ridden areas. Coordinator, School of Sustainability, profits. Developing a diversified portfolio Regional food systems:Networks of Arizona State University, Phoenix, USA; [email protected]. of agricultural systems couldsmall-scale help growers us pooling their achieve such an outcome. Over the next resources to form cooperatives and diver-For more information on sustainability at Arizona State, visit: http://schoolofsustainabili- 20 years, this global agricultural portfolio sify their distribution outlets—throughty.asu.edu/about/school-of-sustainability.php. could include: farm markets, food trucks, community- Photo courtesy of the author. supported agriculture, and farm-to-school Border photo © Ani_snimki | Dreamstime.com. programs—can create more farmers

20 March/April 2013 RESOURCE Urban Agriculture: A New Paradigm of Planning and Policy Emmanuel Pratt

n light of worsening economic and eco- For over a century, logical crises, there has been a steady important aspects of the Iglobal growth over the past decadefood in system—including the number of cities that are actively production, processing, dis- embracing urban agriculture tribution,(UA) consumption, as a and viable and sustainable methodwaste management—were of local food production. Nonetheless, most cities in the not viewed as directly United States remain anchored in the 20thaffecting the built environ- century industrial paradigm in which agri-ment of the city. Because cultural production is confined, restric- by food production was con- tive land use and zoning regulations,fined to to areas outside the areas well outside of cities.city, Recently,urban planners though, there has been a dramatic increaseassumed that the food sys- No longer a wave of the future: a local food system of Sweet Water in the number of urban planners, architects, tem didn’t requireFoundation, public Milwaukee, Wis., USA. engineers, and other practitionersassets, inlike water,the or servic- built environment who are advocatinges infor which the private sector was unwill-startup enterprises are pursuing UA as a policies that support sustainableing farmingto invest. However, with natural disas-means of bringing new life to vast, blighted methods within city limits. ters affecting regional food supplies,areas ofand vacant lots and empty warehouses. Increasingly, urban planners are rec- environmental devastation affectingWithin soil these areas, UA pioneers are creat- ognizing that UA is a multi-faceted solu- and water quality, the old rules of food sys- ing a new, food-based, community-scale tion that can address two importanttem chal- planning have changed. economy through small farms and farmers’ lenges: (1) sustainable production methods Unlike traditional 20th century indus- markets, educational opportunities through that meet market-level needs for local andtrial farming, which approached natural school gardens and university research organic food production, and (2) food capital (i.e., water, soil, and fossil fuels) as projects, and social networks anchored by security and neighborhood stabilization inan endless resource, UA offers ecologically community gardening.This increased distressed urban areas. To realize UA’s full sensitive food production through a combi- awareness of UA is starting a useful discus- potential to transform ournation cities, of ancient andurban recent technologies sion about the production needs, potential planners must integrate UA intothat the focus city on the preservation capacity,of natural and processing and distribution structure and recognize that UA a cancapital have and the transformationmethods of necessary waste to create and sustain a positive effect on the spatial, economic,streams into productive resources.local food system. For and ecological order of the city. example, hydroponics, aquaponics, and The UA movement is the beginning of hoophouses/greenhouses use up to 90 per- a new industry. Given the complexity of ent less water and soil than tra- UA as an emerging system, the ultimate ditional farming practices while success of UA will require a new paradigm extending the standard growing of interdisciplinary planning and support- season. Innovations in alterna-ive policies. It will require a new approach tive energy technologies and to city planning that is flexible, responsive, advances in internet bandwidth and rooted in an expanded view of the and social mediaurban are economy also that celebrates a social pur- improving the production, pro- pose while contributing to a smarter, safer, cessing, and distribution meth-sustainable, and more ecological city. ods for local and organicE mpro-manuel Pratt, Executive Director, Sweet duce. Water Foundation, Milwaukee, Wis., USA; [email protected]. Throughout Rust Belt cities like Milwaukee, Chicago, For more information on the Sweet Water Foundation, visit: Detroit, and Cleveland, whosehttp://sweetwaterfoundation.com. economies were once rooted in Photos courtesy of the author. Emmanuel Pratt checks lettuce growth on a circular drum. large-scale manufacturing,

RESOURCE March/April 2013 21 Lufa Farms: A Model of Responsible Urban Agriculture Lauren Rathmell

he world’s food system is facing an repurpose unused spaces. This helps to custom software management tools astounding number of pressing significantly reduce energy consumption (including iPad applications) for activities Tissues. The global population(approximately is half that of a typical green- such as crop planning and record-keeping. expected to reach nine billion by 2030, and house built on the ground Thesein thetools enablesame us to scale our produc- the needs of this population must be met region) due to the warmth of the roof sur- tion and grow our plants more efficiently. with limited arable land and resources.face In and surrounding area. The greenhous- We hope to offer these methods through a addition, the scaling of industrial agricul-es also improve the environmentalshared agriculturalfoot- learning platform and, ture over the last century has created enor- print of the building below replacing by a via licensing to partner farms, enable oth- mous ecological problems former(such heat islandas withthe a cool surface of ers to successfully adopt responsible grow- widespread use of pesticidestranspiring and plants other and insulating the build- ing practices. pollutants, and excessiveing fromresource heat loss. con- Lufa is in the process of expanding its sumption) that must be addressed in order To minimize resource use and further business to other cities, including Boston, to sustainably feed a growing population. reduce the ecological impact, Lufa cap- Toronto, Chicago, and Singapore. By doing A number of approaches have been tures rainwater and recirculates all irriga-so, we’ll be able to reach a larger market, taken to confront these issues, including tion water, a challenging enhancebut theessential viability of our model, and alternative agriculture and production aspect of our growing methods. haveWe also a greater impact. The methods that methods, technologies for resolving watercompost green waste on-site and we’veoperate developed can revitalize cities by scarcity to grow crops in providing good food direct- arid regions, and research ly to local residents, and into crop breeding and alter the course of commer- genetics for optimal pro- cial agricultural production duction. However, one of to align with more respon- the most important devel- sible approaches to feeding opments to emerge from the world. this crisis is the evolution People should know of urban agriculture. This their farmers, know how industry is rapidly rising their food is grown, and to the forefront as a means they should have direct to provide food for the access to fresh, nutritious world’s population, which produce. The current state is increasingly concentrat- of industrial agriculture ed in urban areas, without has eliminated these ele- contributing to the deple- ments, with great distances tion of land and resources. The rooftop production greenhouse of Lufa Farms, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. and great unknowns My partners and I between producers and conceived Lufa Farms as a sustainable, with a zero-waste policy, harvesting consumers. Lufa Farms is bringing agri- technological way to grow produce locally accordingly (right down to the individual culture back into popular awareness by with minimal energy and resource inputs.cherry tomato) and donating any excess to growing and distributing through efficient, From the world’s first commercial rooftoplocal charities. By distributing directlysustainable, to and scalable means. Through greenhouse, our 2,8802 pilotm site in our customers via drop-off locations,these wemeans, will we build greenhouses Montreal, we’re distributing fresh vegeta- can deliver vegetables that are worldwideharvested and reintroduce the most vital bles directly to 2,000 people year-round, the same day and eliminate the 2,400aspects km of agricultural production to help using only biological pest control methods transport chain that store-bought producefeed our growing global population. and harvesting everything the same day as typically travels through. The drop-off Lauren Rathmell, Greenhouse Director and delivery. Lufa is resolving many issues locations also serve as meeting places for Founding Member, Lufa Farms, Montreal, related to the current foodcustomers system and and help create personalQuebec, Canada;con- [email protected]. identifying avenues for efficientnections produc- within the community. For more information on Lufa Farms, tion with minimal environmental impact. Finally, we believe strongly in using visit: https://lufa.com/en. By using rooftops, Lufa’s greenhouses technology to grow the business and Photo courtesy of the author. do not consume any new land but instead ensure sustainability, so we’ve developed

22 March/April 2013 RESOURCE Bringing Slow Food to the City—and to the Stars Silvio Rossignoli

was very young when I insisted to my with remarkable regional differences.ing on Mars, Each and such a long mission will mother that I wanted to become a farmer. cultivar has had time to evolveneed its good own food,par- clean water, and sustain- IShe persuaded me not toticular follow taste and quality.my able systems. To this purpose, I strongly inspiration, and I became an engineer advocate the development of technolo- instead. Now that I am an aged man, I gies that will make this possible, am trying to engineer the optimal farm- including more efficient air filtration, ing system to produce the best, cleanest improved water filtration and condi- food in an environmentally controlled tioning, low-energy lighting, new greenhouse, making use of advanced growing techniques, new sensors for space technologies. plant monitoring, new cover materials Why do this? Because I learned with high strength and transparency, with time how important it is to have new flexible and selectively transpar- good food and drink and, as a conse- ent solar cells, and new plant waste quence, I gradually realized that the digesters and power generators. best solution was to return to the foods All these technologies must be and tastes of my childhood. Some of tested on the ground and properly ver- you will know these ideas from the “SlowRealizing the importance of these ified and optimized for use in space and on Food” movement, to which I subscribe.regional differences, I am convinced that it other planets. The whole system, the per- Indeed, when I was growing upis fundamentalin to keep these differencesfect greenhouse, with no waste of water, Italy, tomatoes were available onlyalive. three With no intent to accuseno the need food of an external power source, no months a year, strawberries one monthindustry a (which in the past centuryneed of has pesticides, and perfectly isolated year, and wine in an open bottle turnedmade togood food widely availablefrom at thelow external world, is the objective. vinegar in less than a week. But things prices), I feel that should we now try Andto we can reach it, in the long term, by have changed. We now have tomatoes and move toward a farmer-centered industry,working tovery hard for the next 15 years. strawberries all the year round, and a bot- make fresh food available to the marketGrowing at the best, tastiest, healthiest tle of wine can stand open on thereasonable table, prices, but with a much food for astronauts on their interplanetary with the contents just turning into a passi-reduced use of chemicals in the field,journeys as is a challenge we want to face to-colored liquid. pesticides, and for food processingbecause we can thenand reuse these technolo- The cities of Italy were carved by preservation. gies here at home, to keep planet Earth ancient men, as everybody knows, but I would like to live in a country where clean and beautiful for the next genera- more important the landscapethe use ofwas land isalso limited, so that we can tions. My secret wish is that we will all be carved over the centuries. enjoyIf you it more consider openly, because we have the able to enjoy the tastes of long-forgotten the centuriazione romana (i.e., how land technologies to grow food intensively in varieties, grown in a sustainable, chemi- was divided and given to old Roman greenhouses and in the cities. And the cal-free environment, both on Earth and legionaries as a reward for service) or the greenhouses and the cities need not be pol- on Mars. way our people terraced the steep hills to luted by the agriculture that happens there. My mentor, Carlo Petrini, the founder create more arable land (e.g., the RegardingCinque urban farming, unfortunately and leader of the Slow Food movement, Terre region), then you realize that weI live do not in yet have the technology to grow says that “eating is an agricultural act.” a country where a long history of cultiva-food vertically at all latitudes using renew- Being always well pleased good byfood tion has left deep marks on the ableenviron- energy. However, in the future, this and drink, I am glad to have rediscovered ment. Indeed, in many areas of Italy, therewill be possible, and people in urban areas my childish aspiration. is very little wilderness. will rediscover the pleasure of freshS ifoodlvio Rossignoli, President, Aero-Sekur, Milan, Another important consideration con- taken directly from the plant. Italy, and one of the principals of the Lunar cerns food species and their domestica- Finally, I do not forget that I amGreenhouse an program sponsored by NASA and the University of Arizona; [email protected]. tion. We inherited most of our domesticat- aeronautical engineer, well experienced in ed species in the last 20,000 years from the space-based activities, both Formanned more information and on the Lunar Greenhouse program, visit: Fertile Crescent, through the ancient unmanned, and I am convinced that www.cals.arizona.edu/lunargreenhouse. Greeks and Romans. Many varietieshumanity that will go farther and, sooner or Photo © Clearviewstock | Dreamstime.com. were selected and grown in my countrylater, colonize other planets. In the next long ago are still available20 as years, cultivars, we will certainly achieve a land-

RESOURCE March/April 2013 23 Urban Land Problems Yield to Soil-less Solutions Giacomo Scarascia-Mugnozza and Pietro Santamaria

ver the past 50 years, 39 percent The decline in traditional rural agricul- ground. A project is now underway for the of the agriculturally viable land in ture and the increasing demand for “green” construction of greenhouses for soil-less OItaly has been lost, from 21 mil- production is driving a variety of agricul-horticultural production on the roof of a lion ha in 1960 to 12.9 million ha in 2010, tural activities and green initiatives publicin the housing complex in Corviale according to Italy’s Sixth General Censuscities, including urban vegetable(Rome). gardens This aging complex, typical of in Agriculture. This loss andof greenagricultural roofs on buildings. According to 1970s architecture, provides high-density land is the result of two phenomena: grow- a 2012 study, about 7.4 millionhousing Italians for 7,000 residents in two huge ing urbanization, which includes increasing (14.6 percent of the population) now con-buildings, with a combined 17,0002 of m industrialization in rural areas, andsider landthemselves hobby farmers. roof area. abandonment, which is especially Soil-less greenhouse agri- true in mountainous and less pro- culture, using closed production ductive areas. systems with nutrient solution Currently, land abandonment recycling, can be the best choice is the leading cause of the decrease for vegetable and fruit produc- in agriculture land in Italy. tion in urban Theselocations. However, soil sealing also provokes systems have many advantages, worry. This process, which is irre- including fresh vegetable pro- versible, influences the manage- duction for local consumption in ment of land outside of the most poorly served areas, a reduced productive and best located areas, carbon footprint due to energy- i.e., level, fertile areas, such as the efficient production methods and urban fringes and coastal plains. It limited transport distances, very also has a high environmental high yields (10 to 20 times high- impact on the carbon and water er per unit area than open-field cycles, on climate change, and on production), uniform and con- biodiversity. “Soil-less” vegetables for sale in an Italian food market. trolled plant growth, high prod- The growth of the Italian pop- uct quality, a clean working envi- ulation and the per capita increaseUrban farming in con-in Italy usually ronment, and optimal control (using com- sumption have contributed to involvesresource small plots, between 40 and puterized systems) of the microclimate, 2 consumption that outstrips resource 100 m in size, which are owned by the including CO2 enrichment, artificial light- replacement. According to thelocal Italian municipality and assigned to interest- ing, irrigation and nutrients, and plant pro- Statistics Bureau (ISTAT), over the past ed citizens. These small urban plots, trans- tection. Rooftop greenhouses, like green ten years, Italy’s urbanized land formedarea has into lush amateur gardens, are an roofs, can also reduce the energy needed to increased by 8.8 percent,increasingly with common a daily sight. In addition to cool urban buildings. increase of 45 ha. By contrast, the popula- food production, such as family gardensAs a result of innovations in agricul- tion has increased by 6.4 percent, grownconse- for personal consumption, urban tural engineering, soil-less greenhouse quently increasing the urbanized landfarming area has other goals, including educa- agriculture combines energy efficiency per capita from 328 to 335 m2. tion (such as school and prison gardens),with best practices and sustainability. Just In order to supply the nation with aesthetics and recreation (such as gardensas important, it provides healthful food, food, fiber, and biofuels, Italy needs for the elderly and for farming usefultherapy), work, and social activities for a 61 million ha of agricultural land. biodiversity recovery, social activity,growing or urban population. Therefore, to satisfy its needs,simply to expandItaly the city’s greenG space.iacomo Scarascia-Mugnozza, Professor, increasingly relies on the production of In Italy, as elsewhere, the threatsDepartment of of Agricultural and Environmental undeveloped and developing countries, climate change and overpopulationScience, are and of Pietro Santamaria, Researcher and Senior Lecturer, Department of Plant placing itself in a position of deep depend- growing concern, and they are leadingScience, toUniversity a of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, ence on the socioeconomic, demographic,new vision of farming: recover theItaly; produc- [email protected] and and geopolitical dynamics of these tivitycoun- lost due to bad [email protected]. man- tries. This dependence influences productagement and, using new Phototechnology, © Raluca Tudor | Dreamstime.com. prices in the short term, and it increasesrebuild it up in the air, in greenhouse sky- the risk of scarcity in the long term. scrapers, to escape the problems on the

24 March/April 2013 RESOURCE The Future for Urban Greenhouses is Well-Grounded Paul Selina

limate-controlled greenhouses, tions caused by crop management mis-to localized greenhouse production. Most like Village Farms International, takes. While we can gather and analyze of the energy consumed a greenhouse by is CInc., GATES™ greenhouse, are more information about the climate and used to maintain optimum growing tem- already producing more than 850,000 lbs plant performance, using that informationperatures, so low-cost glazing materials of vegetables per acre per year, and supple- will require more management, especiallythat reduce heat transfer without reducing mentary lighting will increase that to one to operate multiple locations. transmission of solar radiation are needed, million lbs per acre per year. Climate-con- • Electric lighting is expensive to as well as research to create varieties that trolled greenhouses are probably the mostinstall and operate.These costs can be grow well at varying temperatures. If sup- productive agricultural systems anywhere.justified when providing lighting to sup- plementary lighting is used, it will require Using hydroponics with full recir- even more energy. LED lights culation, they are very resource continue to improve in efficiency, efficient, requiring a small frac- but they will not be widely used tion of the water and fertilizer, per until the installation costs are sub- pound of product, needed for stantially reduced. field growing. Complex air circu- Cogeneration of electrical lation and cooling equipment, power provides an opportunity to coupled with computerized cli- integrate the energy needs of the mate control, is required to greenhouse with the surrounding achieve the high production lev- community. The electricity can be els. With the appropriate combi- used by the greenhouse or sold, nation of technologies, fresh veg- and the heat produced can warm etables can be locally supplied, the greenhouse directly or provide year-round, to urban consumers cooling with the use of absorption almost anywhere in the world. chillers. The generator exhaust Even at the highest produc- can be cleaned by catalysts to pro- tion levels, many acres of green- Paul Selina in Village Farms GATESTM greenhouse. vide a source of2 COto enhance houses are required to provide for crop growth. Such integration is the needs of a growing city. While the con- plement low winter solar radiation and widespread in Europe, but it has only been cept of multiple rooftop greenhouses,maintain production or levels in a one-level applied in a few situations in North multilevel greenhouses, is routinelygreenhouse. report- However, in multilevel sys- America. When energy is used efficiently, ed by the media, this may not be the mosttems, the lights must operate 365consumers days a will accept the extra cost to practical or cost-effective solution to meetyear and at higher intensities, so enjoytheir theuse convenience and benefits of the food demands of a growing population: would necessarily be limited to a fewfresh low-local produce every day. • Replication of the climate system, input crops. As we look to the future, a combina- support infrastructure, management, Efficiencies of scale are better tion of produce suppliers is the most likely packaging, and distribution all add achieved by creating larger greenhouse development, with the middle of the mar- costs, and each greenhouse needs con- production units located on old industrialket supplied by large local greenhouses, nections to utilities, and separate liquid sites or on the outskirts of the city.the Such most affluent consumers paying a pre- and solid waste management.The logis- locations will require slightly more energy mium for ultra-local rooftop production, tics of lifting and lowering tons of pro-for transportation than rooftopand the value-conscious green- customers contin- duce, materials, and people canhouses, also but transportation be energy is only a uing to purchase vegetables grown season- costly and inefficient. small fraction of the energy footprintally and shipped of in from other regions. • Crops are living biologicalgreenhouse systems production. Field cropsPaul S egrownlina, Vice-President for Applied that require highly skilled ingrowers rural tolocations and truckedResearch, Village into Farms International,the Inc., achieve their production potential, urban area will always haveHeathrow, Fla.,a USA;[email protected]. maintain plant health,and minimizeenergy footprint. For more information on Village Farms pesticide usage. The retail outlets and Currently, energy costs in North GATES™ greenhouse, visit: www.villagefarms.com/AppliedResearchDivision restaurants supplied by the greenhouse America are low, by global standards, and /Default.aspx. need a reliable supply of quality producemust be expected to rise in the future. This Photo courtesy of the author. for their customers, without any interrup-prospect represents the biggest challenge

RESOURCE March/April 2013 25 A Systems Concept for Controlled Environment Plant Production K. C. Ting

gricultural and food systems are Automation deals with information the environment needs to be expanded to positioned to continue to play an processing and task execution related to a include interaction with the automation Aimportant role in solving today’s system’s operation. The purpose of and culture components of the CEPPS. problems in food security, human health, automation is to equip engineered systems Systems analysis and integrationis energy supply, environmental stewardship, with the capabilities of perception, reason- a methodology that starts with the defini- and community development. One ing/learning, communication, and task tion of a system and its goals, and leads to approach is the protected planning/execution.cultivation ofCommonly seen conclusions regarding the system’s worka- plants within highly integrated controlledautomation topics are instrumentation,bility, productivity, reliability, and other environments. A controlled environmentcontrols, computerization, mechanization,performance indicators. In developing and plant production system (CEPPS)decision support, is machine an vision, robotics, implementing a CEPPS, proper and effec- economic engine that is locallyartificial operated intelligence, etc. tive functioning of the entire system is the and globally connected. It encompasses aCulture includes the factors and prac- ultimate goal. The importance of systems- broad range of activities that requiretices that describethe or modify the biological level analysis is therefore obvious. The integration of physical, chemical,growth, biologi- development, and nutritional qual- success of systems analysis relies on the cal, and social sciences, asity wellof plants. as theCultural factors such effectiveas the use of information. Two key application of engineering and technologymorphological, physiological, and resourcesnutri- in systems analysis are: (1) in the cultivation and handling oftional living, conditions of the plants are impor-information about individual system com- perishable objects. tant in monitoring plant growth and devel- ponents as well as their interrelationships, The factors that influence a CEPPS, opment. Cultural practicesand (2) may methods also of information gathering such as management practices, environmen- include operations that directly alter plantand processing for creating value-added tal impact, social acceptance, and morphological policy, and/or physiological condi-information. regulation, are mostly time-varying,tions, such site-as multiplication,A rooting,Concurrent Science, Engineering specific, and interdependent.transplanting, Therefore, pruning, a water and nutrientand Technology (ConSEnT) systems infor- CEPPS must address unique challenges that delivery, pesticide application, harvesting,matics and analysis computational plat- will require thoughtful integration of multi-and post-harvest processing. form based on the ACESys concept will be disciplinary expertise. Specific considera- Environment encompasses the sur- effective for providing solutions and deci- tions include how to manage the resourcesroundings of the plants, which consist of sion support for the planning, design, man- used to produce crops while ensuring a sus-climatic and nutritional conditions as wellagement, and operation of CEPPS. The tainable environment and an economicallyas structural and mechanicalunderlying conditions. concept of ConSEnT is to inte- viable business, how to make food produc- Environmental control has beengrate a majorinformation and knowledge related tion tasks comfortable for the workersengineering and challenge in controlledto envi-CEPPS from various sources in real- make the jobs attractive, how to satisfyronment the plant production researchtime, perform for systems analysis, evaluate increasing market demand for high-qualitymany years. In addition, the climatic con- systems-level performance, and deliver the products, and how to provide leadershipditions in that plants experienceresults have ofbeen the analysis based on the most addressing food security and safety issues. major topics of research. Thecurrent degree information, of also in real-time. A modern CEPPS needs to be an complexity in controlling theOpportunities climate andis actions that may gener- intelligence-empowered system that heavily dependent on the physicalate highly struc- valuable results by taking a sys- includes capability for information collec- ture that separates the controlled environ-tems approach to advance intelligence- tion/processing and decisionment making, from the surroundingempowered “external” CEPPS can be explored using mechatronics devices for sensing and con- environment. The interaction of the envi- this large-scale computational and deci- trol, and the ability to synergistically inte-ronments on both sides of the structure and sion support platform. grate these components into functional the desired level of maintainability dictateASABE Fellow K. C. Ting, Professor and Head, systems. The interconnected componentsthe extensiveness of the controlDepartment ofsystem Agricultural and Biological needed for a successful CEPPShardware, can besoftware, and actuators.Engineering, University Since of Illinois, Urbana, USA; [email protected]. organized into four technical domains: the objective of a plant production system Automation, Culture, Environment,is to facilitate andplant growth/developmentBorder photo © Igor Dolgov | Dreamstime.com. Systems (ACESys). and materials handling, consideration of

26 March/April 2013 RESOURCE The Potential—and Limitations—of Urban Farming Marc van Iersel

griculture faces a large challenge in requirements for lighting vertical farms from development, and an increased the 21st century: how to feed a and concluded that USD $23 worth of emphasis on efficient use of natural Agrowing, urbanizing population electricity (at USD $0.10 resources,per KWh) especially is water and fertilizer. with as little negative environmental required to produce enough wheat for oneThis is important not only to reduce the impact as possible. Can loaf of bread. And that environmental impact of agriculture but urban farming, which has does not include the energy also because water and fertilizer (espe- been heralded as a poten- required for heating, cool-cially phosphorus) are limited resources. tial solution to perceived ing, and running the build- And although we can in principle produce problems with convention- ing. Does that meanalmost that unlimited amounts of nitrogen fer- al agricultural production, vertical farming can’t tilizer from atmospheric nitrogen gas, this be the solution? work? Not necessarily, but process requires large amounts of energy Answering that ques- the production of relatively and greenhouse gas emissions. tion requires a critical low-value, staple crops Finally, feeding the world’s growing assessment of the potential will not be economicalpopulation is not simply an agricultural prob- of urban agriculture. Let’s unless we find a source of lem. Social, economic, and political factors take the United States’ cheap, and preferably are at least as important. With increasing largest city as an example. clean, energy. Untilglobal then, trade, how can we ensure that the New York City has vertical farming will be wealthiest nations won’t simply buy most of Hand, full of new, green potential. 8.2 million people in an limited to very high-valuethe world’s food supply? The challenge of area of 120,000 ha. A study bycrops. Cornell Perhaps it is not a coincidencefeeding that growing populations is probably University found that, in the Statethe crop of most New commonly grown indoors is largest in Africa. Population growth is rapid York, approximately 0.45 ha ofalso agricul-one of the most valuable. in Africa, but the continent has benefited lit- tural land is needed to produceIt doesenough not seem tle from the Green food for one person on a typicalfeasible Northfor urban Revolution. As a American diet. This means that 3.7 million farming to provide a result, Africa has ha of land are needed to feed Newlarge York fraction of the become a net agricul- City. That is equivalent to 10,800urban Central food supply. tural importer. An FAO Parks, orx 30the area of the city itself. The But that does not report concluded that situation improves somewhat if we con- mean that urban “population growth, vince New Yorkers to eat a low-fat,farming low- has no posi- low and stagnating meat diet; now we need just 1.5 million ha, tive impacts. Urban agricultural productiv- but still 12x the area of New York City. So farming connects ity, policy distortions, urban agriculture, by itself, is not going to urban populations to weak institutions, and feed New York City, or any other denselytheir food supply poor infrastructure are populated city. and can give them a the main reasons” for Vertical farming, using multi-story better appreciation this change.Without Marc van Iersel increases plant potential with buildings designed for food production, of farming and foodsensors and technology. social, economic, and has received much attentionproduction. in recent In addi- political changes, it years. Can vertical farms provide food for tion, urban farms provide economicwill be difficult, and if not impossible, to feed the our cities? That’s unlikely. Even if we can employment opportunities. And world’scommuni- population. produce 20x more food per unit land area ty gardens can bring people together, thusMarc van Iersel, Professor, Department of in vertical farms as compared to conven- strengthening the community.Horticulture, Numerous University of Georgia, Athens, tional agriculture, we would still studiesneed tohave shown that urbanUSA; [email protected]. green convert half of New York City to spacesvertical have many benefits,The includingCornell University study on urban food farms to feed the city. And it getsimproving worse. people’s well-being and reduc- needs and agricultural productivity is available at: www.farmlandinfo.org/documents/37837/ Because vertical farmsing crime.grow crops Wilkins_Peters_AgricFootprint_Cornell.pdf. indoors, electric lighting is required. Louis So how can we feed the world’s grow- “Hand, full” photo by Scott Bauer, courtesy of Albright, Director of theing population?Controlled There is no simple answer, USDA-ARS. Other photo courtesy of the author. Environment ProgramAgricultureat but the solution needs to include protect- Cornell University, calculated the energy ing our most productive agricultural land

RESOURCE March/April 2013 27 Food Production as Part of a Biobased Economy Peter van Weel

he challenge for future food pro- small CO2 footprint and a zero pesticide ing, since a city provides opportunities for duction systems is that they must footprint. Within these limitations, there exchanging energy, nutrients, and water. Tdeliver more, better, and more are new opportunities forFor producersexample, the growing of worldwide attractive food within the limits of our fresh, sustainable, and high-quality foods,shortage of phosphates can be solved by responsibility to conserveproduced in an opennatural and controllable wayrecycling municipal waste. Another inter- resources. Hydroponic productionand offering just-in-time in delivery. esting solution involves using manure, greenhouses has interesting water, heat, and CO2 from potential to meet this chal- animal production, as sug- lenge. Water can be recycled gested and developed by endlessly, and all the ingredi- WES EngineeringThe in ents needed for plant growth Netherlands. A recent study can be obtained through recy- has shown that pig production cling processes and supplied can produce all the resources and controlled in simple and required for greenhouse pro- direct ways. In addition, other duction in a commercially than organic plant residues, viable way. Algae can be pro- this production method does duced on organic waste and not produce waste materials. sewage water, and a fermen- Understanding and con- tation step can be used to trolling the biological balance deliver plant nutrients without in the nutrient solution may the risk of transferring bacte- be the biggest challenge. We ria or fungi. Another method know a lot about plant Automatednutri- production of lettuce in floating tray hydroponic system combines to produce fresh water and ents, but weneed to croplearn culture and automation for efficient production. nutrients from wastewater is more about the interactions the use of a membrane biore- between organic life and the nutrients in The high cost of urban land also actor in combination with a reverse osmo- the water, as well as the organic life itself.requires a production method that has a sis filter. For example, it is known that bacteria cansmall land footprint. Small-scaleMunicipal opera- waste can also produce the either stimulate or reduce thetions uptake on rooftops of or on small plots are notheat, electricity, and CO2 required for plant nitrogen by the roots. It is alsolikely clear to play thatan important the role, so a new growth. In return, in addition to food, a secretion of root border cells,type oforganic greenhouse, suited for integrationgreenhouse can produce a huge amount of acids, sugars, and organic materialsinto densely can populated areas,low-temperature must heat bewhen the sun is shin- influence bacterial and fungal growth with- developed. Plants require a lot of light for ing. This heat can be stored in a large vol- in the root zone. Understanding andgrowth. con- The cheapest light source is sun- ume of water or transported directly to trolling the complexity and interactions light.of Replacing sunlightprocesses with artificial that require low heat, such as this underwater world, especiallylight is considered in the by some to be the onlydrying processes or biochemical produc- narrow zone of water surroundingroute to plant productionthe root in an urban envi- tion based on living cells and their system, called the rhizosphere, will ronment.allow However, the huge energyenzymes, con- to create industrial products us to increase growth and preventsumption prob- of artificial lighting systems is a from renewable feedstocks. This diversi- lems. The idea that nutrient solutions needstrong argument in favor of sunlight. Newfied, biobased economy will play an to be sterilized to maintain a risk-free plant approaches to capture, guide, or even store important role in the next generation, as production system must be replaced with a sunlight need to be developed.we depend A less good and less on fossil fuels. system based on natural balance. Only then example is the vertical greenhousePeter van Wee l, devel-Researcher, Glasshouse can water replace substrates. oped by the DutchAmber architectProduction Systems, Wageningen UR Integration of such a production facil- Beernink, a long and narrow ten-story Greenhouse Horticulture, Wageningen, The Netherlands; [email protected] ity into the urban environment is an impor- building made of double-walled plastic tant condition for the facility and its prod-film panels and transparent floors. For more information on Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture, visit: ucts to be accepted by the Theconsumers. urban environment can play an www.glastuinbouw.wur.nl/uk. Concern about Earth’s resourcesimportant role inrequires meeting the sustainabil- Photo courtesy of the author. us to develop production methodsity with challenges a that food production is fac-

28 March/April 2013 RESOURCE Spain and la Huerta Urbana Jeremy Werner

iet and food have changed dramat- As we all know, Spain’s shift to an ically in Spain with the moderniza- economy driven by housing development Dtion of the country in the past and massive debt led to a financial crisis. 15 years. Traditional elements of Spanish More than 25 percent of the workforce is food culture, such huertaas theand the unemployed, with countless more not Mediterranean diet, have given way to reflected in the official figures or severely mass-market processed foods, with notice- underemployed. There are frequent reports able consequences for the society. of hunger, a problem unknown in Spain La huertais effectively the home gar- since the 1930s, and the number of those den or orchard. Going to grandma’s for falling into poverty is swelling. Sunday lunch was all the better knowing The challenge is how to feed an eco- that much of it came from herhuerta . She nomically insecure, high-density urban served it with well deserved pride. population that is now completely detached Spain still has a great system of from growing and preparing food. One denominación de origen, which identifies possible solutionla huerta urbanais or, where agricultural products come from, effectively, urban agriculture. Spaniards especially wine, but also vegetables. For could revitalize the traditionalhuerta with example, tomatoes may come from a modern urban twist. There is ample roof Andalucía, melons from Murcia, calzotes area in the cities, and Spain is famous for (a type of onion) from Cataluña, and citrus its sunshine. Following the crash in the from Valencia. Also still prevalent are the construction-driven economy, there are local mercados, where urban residents go more than enough buildings standing idle, to buy nearly everything related to food, empty, or unused. Hydroponic systems can including fresh produce, meat,Fresh pickings fromfish, la huerta urbana. be very productive in small spaces, and cheese, and many other products. many buildings have sunny terraces for The Mediterranean diet is one of the weight gain has come a sharp increase in small hydro-gardening projects. healthiest diets in the world. The corner- diet-related illnesses, such as diabetes, This vision of la huerta urbana is a stone of this diet is the variety of locallyheart disease, and cholesterol problems. real possibility. Fresh, locally grown, even grown vegetables, grains, legumes, and The fresh produce that is now pro- organically grown food can be produced fruit. Products such as virgin olive oil,duced saf- in Spain is grown in vast green- individually or collectively, improving diets fron, locally raised livestock, and locallyhouses in the arid south, with intenseand use mitigating rising food costs. In addi- caught fish are also importantof fertilizers compo- and pesticides. Meat produc-tion to local consumption by the growers, nents in Spain. In fact, after Japan, Spaintion is now fully industrialized.the surplus Fish could beis sold in the still-func- is the world’s second largestfarmed per capita or brought in from seastioning traditionalfar away, urban markets. The cash consumer of fish. since local fisheries are collapsing. Upproceeds to could be used to pay for the nec- Once, huertas and small local farms 75 percent of the grains grown in the fer-essary equipment, water, and electricity. formed the backbone of Spain’s food sys- tile Meseta region of the interior are Most important, grandma could be tem, and of Spain’s MediterraneanGMOs. diet. invited over for dinner and served real Not so now. In short, the Spanish diet has become food from la huerta urbana of her children In only one generation, Spanish urban dependent on industrial-scale processing and grandchildren. society has completely dropped the con- and importing of food. A generationJerem yago, Werner, international business cept of home cooking and now seeks nour- Spaniards had a real connection anddeveloper rela- and sustainable systems entrepre- ishment from quick, preparedtionship with foods, their food. Now, theyneur, spent have 17 years in Spain and Portugal; [email protected]. especially fast food. This shift from fresh, only fond memories and misplaced beliefs. locally grown foods to processed foods has The society shifted from a locallyBorder grown, photo by John Stommel, courtesy of USDA-ARS. Spanish still life © Dimitry also changed Spain’s people. In less than a traditional Mediterranean diet to anRomanchuck over- | Dreamstime.com. decade, Spain has become the fourthreliance fat- on financially focused corporations test country in Europe. With that collective as the basis of the national food supply.

RESOURCE March/April 2013 29 professional opportunities

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR – IRRIGATION SPECIALIST ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, Description: The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at The QUANTITATIVE GENETICIST University of Georgia and the Alabama Cooperative Extension WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY, PULLMAN, WA System at Auburn University, invite applications for an Irrigation The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (CSS) at Washington Specialist. The position is a tenure track position (80% Extension and State University (WSU) is seeking to fill a 9- or 12-month (nego- 20% Research) and will be shared between the University of Georgia tiable), tenure-track position as assistant or associate professor in (40% Cooperative Extension, 20% Georgia Agricultural Experiment Quantitative Genetics. The incumbent will develop and lead an inter- Station) and Auburn University (40% Alabama Cooperative nationally recognized, extramurally funded, interdisciplinary and col- Extension System). The successful candidate is expected to devel- laborative research program in quantitative genetics with a focus on op an Extension program that focuses on irrigation methodologies, the development of novel approaches to trait improvement and technologies, and strategies for southern agronomic and horticultur- plant breeding, with application to improving biotic and abiotic al crops. Specific areas of Extension program development and stress tolerance, enhanced nutrient use efficiencies, nutrition, end- applied research would focus on water resource management and product quality, or biomass/bio-energy. The position will build on conservation, equipment design and use, irrigation scheduling, crop our internationally recognized, active, productive, and expanding water demand, and implementation of irrigation strategies into crop- molecular genetics and cereal breeding programs at Washington ping systems. The candidate must work cooperatively with UGA and State University. Leadership in the quantitative genetics program Auburn faculty, USDA-ARS, industry, and commodity groups. The will facilitate integration of statistical genetics and bioinformatics successful candidate will be expected to attract extramural funding, with rapidly improving genotyping and phenotyping technologies to develop Extension publications, and publish research results in peer improve crop farm profitability. The incumbent will also develop and reviewed journals. Program emphasis could change depending on teach a graduate course related to application of quantitative genet- the needs of the state. The position will be headquartered at the ics to crop improvement. Applicants must have Ph.D. in plant or ani- University of Georgia’s Tifton Campus in Tifton, GA and will also mal science, biology, genetics, statistical genetics/genomics, or a cover the State of Alabama as part of the responsibilities. related field at the time of hire; outstanding record of publishing in Salary:Commensurate with qualifications and experience. peer reviewed journals commensurate with career level and suffi- Basic Qualifications:Ph.D. in agronomy, agricultural engineering, cient to achieve tenure, if applying for associate professor rank; and crop physiology, crop management, or closely related field. demonstrated expertise in the application of quantitative genetics to Experience in irrigation and agricultural productionstudy practices traits ofare economic interest. Preferred qualifications include desirable. The ability to attract extramural funding from grant agen- outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal; demon- cies and industry is expected. strated working-knowledge in data-mining; demonstrated research excellence in the application of high-density marker information Application: Electronically send application package to: John including next generation sequencing data to breeding programs; Beasley at [email protected]. Applicants must submit the following demonstrated record of competitive grant success commensurate documentation: a letter of application, curriculum vita, official tran- with career level; demonstrated ability to collaborate with other sci- scripts, four professional reference letters, and any other informa-entists, including cereal breeders; demonstrated desire, ability and tion that reflects on professional qualifications. To assure full successcon- in classroom teaching; and demonstrated knowledge and sideration, applications must be received by March 31, 2013. abilityThe to work effectively with individuals and groups of diverse cul- University of Georgia is an Affirmative Action/ Equal tures,Opportunity backgrounds, and ideologies. Application screening will begin Employer and encourages applicants regardless of gender or ethnic on Mar 25, 2013 and continue until a suitable candidate is identified. background. Effective January 1, 2008, the Board of Regents has Please apply online via https://www.wsujobs.com. The online appli- enacted a “background check” policy for new hires in the system as cation must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, copies of official a condition of employment. This policy can be found at: http://asku- graduate transcripts, and the names and contact information of four ga.edu/default.asp?id-1637&Lang=1&SID. Upon peopleoffer of willingemploy- to serve as references. The cover letter should ment, candidate must complete the “Consent for aaddress, Background in distinct sections, all of the required and preferred quali- Investigation” form. fications for the position (emphasizing your areas of expertise), plus a statement of your research interests, and a statement of your teaching philosophy. For questions about the position, contact Beverly Brantner, [email protected], (509) 335-3943. EEO/AA/ADA. ASSOCIATE/FULL PROFESSOR OF APPLIED ENGINEERING Biofuel & Feed Processing Engineer (position number 73415), University of Hawaii at Hilo, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Resource is published six times per year: January/ February, Natural Resource Management, general funds,March/April/, full-time, May/June, July/August,tenure September/October, and track, 9-month appointment, to begin August 1, 2013 pending posi- November/December. The deadline for ad copy to be received tion clearance and availability of funds. Dutiesat ASABEinclude is four teaching weeks before the issue’s publishing date. undergraduate courses in biofuels, feed processing, and alternative energy; advising students; participate in universityFor more committees; details on this service, contact Melissa Miller, conduct research; work with local businesses, entrepreneursASABE Professionaland Opportunities, 2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, public agencies in area of expertise. The incumbent is also expect- MI 49085-9659, USA; 269-932-7017, fax 269-429-3852, ed to take the lead in developing a General Engineering undergrad- [email protected], or visit www.asabe.org/resource/persads.html. uate degree at the university. Detailed duties, qualifications and application instructions are available online at http://workatuh.hawaii.edu. UH Hilo is an EEO/AA Employer D/M/V/W.

30 March/April 2013 RESOURCE professional listings

Irrigation and Wastewater Systems, Sales and Engineering/Design DIEDRICHS & ASSOCIATES, Inc. www.IRRIGATION-MART.com 300 S. Service Road, E. Integrated Product Development Services Ruston, LA 71270-3440 Ph: 800-SAY RAIN (729-7246) Vehicles, Implements and Tools 318-255-1832 Engineering, Design and Analysis Fax: 318-255-7572 Prototype Build, Test and Evaluation, [email protected] we SAVVY Irrigation 40,000 sq. ft. Experimental Shop. Robin Robbins, Agronomist; Michael Pippen, Mechanical Engineer, P.E., CID, CAIS R. O. Diedrichs, P.E. Cedar Falls, IA Jay Robbins, Agricultural Engineer, P.E., CID, CAIS, TSP; 319-266-0549 www.iowaengineer.com Jackie Robbins, CEO, CID, Ph.D., Agricultural Engineer, P.E.

INDUCTIVE ENGINEERING DALE GUMZ, P.E., C.S.P. 10805 230th Street Cadott, WI 54727-5406 • Accident Reconstruction • Mechanical & Electrical • Safety Responsibilities • Product & Machine Design 715-289-4721 [email protected] www.inductiveengineering.net

[email protected]

154 Hughes Lane St. Charles, MO 63301 AG ENGINEERING SERVICES STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING SERVICE • AGRICULTURAL BUILDING DESIGN • STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF WOOD, STEEL AND • MANURE STORAGE SYSTEM DESIGN CONCRETE STRUCTURES T 636.896.9995 • CAFO AND NPDES PERMITS • ENGINEER CERTIFICATIONS Fred B. Semke, P.E. F 636.896.9695 • FARMSTEAD EXPANSION PLANNING • STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS Principal Engineer C 314.603.6382 Visit our web site: www.timbertecheng.com or E-mail us [email protected] www.semke.com

J.M. Miller Engineering, Inc. James M. Miller, PE, PhD, President

Idaho: Boise – Twin Falls Michigan: Ann Arbor CURRY-WILLE & ASSOCIATES 888-206-4394 734-662-6822 CONSULTING ENGINEERS P.C. www.millerengineering.com Animal and Livestock Facility Design e-mail: [email protected] Feed and Grain Processing and Storage Fertilizer/Pesticide Containment Design Agricultural, Chemical, Mechanical, & Forensic Engineers; Dairy & Food Processing Safety – Tractor & Harvester Safety – Equine & Bovine TSP/Manure Handling Design Accidents; Guarding & Entanglement Accidents – Silage & Grain Storage Accidents – Agricultural Research Facilities Warnings, Labeling, & Instruction Manuals – Worker Safety & Health (OSHA) – AMES, IA Chemical Application & Exposures – EPA RCRA, Clean Water, Compliance – Irrigation, 515-232-9078 Riparian, & Hydroelectric WWW.CURRYWILLE.COM

Your personal or company consultant business card could appear here.

For information on rates, contact Melissa Miller Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World 2950 Niles Rd. St. Joseph, MI 49085 tel: 269-932-7017; fax: 269-429-3852; [email protected] http://www.asabe.org/resource/index.html

RESOURCE March/April 2013 31