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An increasingly viable solution for climate change is Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), implemented across the U.S., in states likes Illinois.
The water, energy, and food security nexus is a real and present problem.
Here are some highlights from the website of The Agrarian Group:
As a species, we face the most complex and deadly problems we have ever encountered. Erratic weather events caused by climate change destroy crop yields each year. Pesticides have ruined our soil and water scarcity has become a national security issue. 70% of food cost is linked to fossil fuels, and prices are only expected to rise. The average food item travels 1500 miles to reach it's destination. However, despite everything we do, 40% of all food in the United States is thrown away post-harvest.
Why
The Agrarian Group was started as an answer to a question - How will we feed the projected 9.1 Billion people that will reside on earth in 2050? To achieve this, we need to increase our already stressed agricultural production by 70%. How do we grow better?
To learn more about Vertical Farming for states like Illinois, visit The Agrarian Group
Agtech solutions can help solve the challenges we face.
Here is an example of Agtech Solutions in Illinois:
Is This Chicago Indoor Vertical Farm the Future of Agriculture?
"Growing produce in controlled environments, including greenhouses and indoor vertical farms, has gained steam as a sustainable solution to the food needs of a growing population because it uses less land and far less water than traditional farming and can be done year-round near cities, reducing the distance the food travels," writes Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz.
Chicago’s Backyard Fresh Farm is an indoor vertical farm that is trying to tackle the many challenges that have hindered similar agricultural operations in the past. Cameras, artificial intelligence software, and robots have significantly reduced labor and energy costs and resulted in competitively priced, high-quality produce outputs.
"[Jake] Counne is in discussions with landlords in Chicago and Calumet City, where he hopes to lease 35,000 square feet in which he says could yield 600,000 pounds of produce a year, in towers stacked 21 feet high, with only six laborers. His long-term vision is to open 100,000-square-foot facilities near major metropolitan areas around the country, each with capacity to grow 6 million pounds," reports Elejalde-Ruiz.
