8 October 2015, 08:53
As part of the membership, the GRODAN business will play a part in safeguarding the strategic future of vertical farming and developing this new and high-tech horticultural sector.
In recent years the environmental benefits of technologies made available in the horticultural sector have developed rapidly, offering up modern solutions to counter global challenges of the future.
The Association for Vertical Farming is an internationally active non-profit organisation which supports the practice of cultivating plant life in a skyscraper greenhouse or on a vertically inclined surface, thereby reducing the need for land and enabling a more efficient farming process in an artificially controlled environment.
The modern idea of vertical farming uses techniques similar to glass houses, where naturalsunlight can be augmented with artificial lighting and metal reflectors.
The association, which is comprised of individuals, companies, research institutions and universities, focusses on the further advancement of those technologies, designs and businesses specifically related to vertical farming; an important area for the GRODAN business.
Vertical farming
When taking into account the fact that by 2050 it is estimated that twice as much food as is generated today will be needed worldwide using only half of the resources, the benefits of horticultural efficiency and vertical farming can be considered to be a crucial component in solving future food crises.
GRODAN solutions are designed to offer similar horticultural efficiency, with GRODAN substrate generating a 1 kilogram yield of tomatoes using only 4 litres of water, compared to 300 litres of water when grown in soil.
“We believe that we can become a great partner for the Association for Vertical Farming”, says Stuart Lambie, Sustainability Manager for the GRODAN business. “By contributing to our joint global challenges we can help food producers save water and other resources while supplying increasing quantities of healthy, fresh produce to an increasingly urbanised population”.
The Association for Vertical Farming will work closely with the GRODAN business over the coming years to perfect efficient farming technologies for the future, in a sector with exponential potential.