Can Cities Feed Their Inhabitants? David Thorpe looks at the options A greenhouse developed by Priva, an international company that provides innovative solutions for the more efficient control of energy and water within indoor environments. There are three dominant trends to which cities and national governments must respond in order to secure food supplies for their people. First, between 1980 and 2011 the global population not dependent on agriculture doubled to 4.4 billion, and, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization this population is growing at a rate about five times that of the agriculturally dependent population. Second, the amount of agricultural land available for growing food is declining and will soon start to be adversely affected by climate change. Third, in 2011 agricultural subsidies in the world’s top 21 food-producing countries totalled an estimated US$486bn. The growing of food in cities won’t mean that conventional agriculture will disappear. His personal website is: www.davidthorpe.info
EarthBox Crowdfunding Getting started Meet Sponsume :) Sponsume offers a new way of exploring innovative ideas and helping turn them into reality. We are a crowdfunding platform where creative people sell perks and rewards to fans in order to fund their project. Fans make their favourite project happen by buying its rewards. Sponsume is open to all creative and innovative ventures, big or small, in a wide variety of areas: film, theatre, photography, dance, social enterprise, new technologies, gaming, transmedia, fashion, sport, festivals, music, journalism, gastronomy, animation, publishing… Raise funds & build a community With Sponsume, creators can retain the funds they raise during their campaign. Our "KEEP IT ALL" funding model offers a welcome alternative to "All or Nothing" funding sites. Thanks to Sponsume's peer-to-peer payment system, funds are sent instantly to your account everytime someone backs you. OK, but does it cost anything? It's free to apply and publish a project on Sponsume! It's easy to back a project.
Vertical farming: Does it really stack up? WHEN you run out of land in a crowded city, the solution is obvious: build upwards. This simple trick makes it possible to pack huge numbers of homes and offices into a limited space such as Hong Kong, Manhattan or the City of London. Mankind now faces a similar problem on a global scale. The world's population is expected to increase to 9.1 billion by 2050, according to the UN. Such is the thinking behind vertical farming. Better still, says Dr Despommier, the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides can be kept to a bare minimum by growing plants indoors in a controlled environment. A wide variety of designs for vertical farms have been created by architectural firms. “Without artificial lighting the result will be an uneven crop, as plants closest to the windows are exposed to more sunlight and grow more quickly.” The necessary technology already exists. He and his colleagues have created the South Pole Food Growth Chamber, which has been in operation since 2004.
Homegrown Revolution (Award winning short-film 2009)- The Urban Homestead Check us out at: Dervaes Family on Facebook: Urban Homestead on Facebook: more on the film: purchase a copy for public screening: film features: Jules Dervaes, Justin Dervaes, Anais Dervaes and Jordanne Dervaes Homegrown Revolution is a short introduction to the homegrown project that has been called a new revolution in urban sustainability. In the midst of a dense city setting in downtown Pasadena, radical change is taking root. For over twenty years, the Dervaes family have transformed their home into an urban homestead and model for sustainable agriculture and city living. Through the creation of the "Urban Homestead" the Dervaes family shows that change is possible -- one step at a time. Made in-house on computers powered by solar/green sources. Robert T. 1 ratings
Crowdsourcing and Crowdfunding - The Industry Website WHAT IS VERTICAL FARMING?WHAT IS HYDROPONICS?WHAT ARE MICRO NUTRIENTS?ADVANTAGES OF VERTICAL FARMING? FOR PRELIMS AND MAINS GS PAP III | THE FORTUNE STROKE Ø Yes it's vertical because you are trying to grow more crops on a smaller land area and this usually means going upwards into buildings Ø It normally means that, instead of having a single layer of crops over a large land area, you have stacks of crops going upwards Ø It's also associated with city farming and urban farming Ø Who is "Dickson Despommier"? Ø Who is William Frederick Gericke? Ø Dickson Despommier, Columbia Microbiology Professor, is the Godfather of Vertical Farming Ø William Frederick Gericke, in the early 1930’s, pioneered hydroponics at the University of California at Berkley NB: Will read more about it WHY IS IT HAPPENING? Ø By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth’s population will reside in urban centers Ø Applying the most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by about 3 billion people during the interim Ø At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use No not at all..!!
Growing Industrial Hemp in Ontario Table of Contents Introduction Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. For centuries, its fibres have been used to make ropes, sails and clothing. The species was banned in North America in the 1930s because its leaves and flowers contain a hallucinogenic drug known as delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It was banned internationally in 1961 under the United Nations' Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. In 1998, Canada created Industrial Hemp Regulations under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Under the Regulations, industrial hemp seeds must be of a variety listed in Health Canada's List of Approved Cultivars. Anyone found in possession of hemp plant parts - other than the stalk and non-viable grain, without the appropriate licence - is in possession of a controlled substance and may be charged under the Act. Industrial hemp may only be grown under licence from Health Canada. Development of the Industry Description Varieties Fertility
Innovative Farming Community Short Summary My name is Chad Shugart, founder of Innovative Farming Community. I am a textile guy by heritage, education and career and have 14 years of production management and process improvement experience. Through the decline of the hosiery industry in Fort Payne, Alabama, and manufacturing around the world, I worked to identify industries capable of filling existing building spaces. Through supporting my campaign, you will help me establish initial Indoor Farming facilities and create a repeatable blue print, that can be used to assist Indoor Farming Start-Up efforts in any city capable of providing adequate utility supply and human resources. The current scope of my Innovative Farming Community project will scale-up my current indoor farming trial process into my first building-size installation, represented in my Campaign Financial Goals (1.1 - 1.6). Reaching my Campaign Minimum Financial Goal (1.1) of 3.45 million USD enables me to: The Impact Why filter when you can oxidize?
This Week in Virology - The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century Product Description "The vertical farm is a world-changing innovation whose time has come. Dickson Despommier's visionary book provides a blueprint for securing the world's food supply and at the same time solving one of the gravest environmental crises facing us today."--Sting Imagine a world where every town has their own local food source, grown in the safest way possible, where no drop of water or particle of light is wasted, and where a simple elevator ride can transport you to nature's grocery store - imagine the world of the vertical farm. When Columbia professor Dickson Despommier set out to solve America's food, water, and energy crises, he didn't just think big - he thought up. Despommier takes readers on an incredible journey inside the vertical farm, buildings filled with fruits and vegetables that will provide local food sources for entire cities. A Look Inside Vertical Farm (Click on Images to Enlarge) Review “A book you will read, and then you will read it again. And so on.