<
https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250127-why-veg-is-growing-in-empty-office-spaces>
'Since its 1967 construction, Canada's "Calgary Tower", a 190m (623ft)
concrete-and-steel observation tower in Calgary, Alberta, has been home to an
observation deck, panoramic restaurants and souvenir shops. Last year, it
welcomed a different kind of business: a fully functioning indoor farm.
Sprawling across 6,000sq m (65,000 sq ft), the farm, which produces dozens of
crops including strawberries, kale and cucumber, is a striking example of the
search for city-grown food. But it's hardly alone. From Japan to Singapore to
Dubai, vertical indoor farms – where crops can be grown in climate-controlled
environments with hydroponics, aquaponics or aeroponics techniques – have been
popping up around the world.
While indoor farming had been on the rise for years, a watershed moment came
during the Covid-19 pandemic, when disruptions to the food supply chain
underscored the need for local solutions. In 2021, $6bn (£4.8bn) in vertical
farming deals were registered globally – the peak year for vertical farming
investment. As the global economy entered its post-pandemic phase, some
high-profile startups like Fifth Season went out of business, and others
including Planted Detroit and AeroFarms running into a period of financial
difficulty. Some commentators questioned whether a "vertical farming bubble"
had popped.
But a new, post-pandemic trend may give the sector a boost. In countries
including Canada and Australia, landlords are struggling to fill vacant office
spaces as companies embrace remote and hybrid work. In the US, the office
vacancy rate is more than 20%.
"Vertical farms may prove to be a cost-effective way to fill in vacant office
buildings," says Warren Seay, Jr, a real estate finance partner in the
Washington DC offices of US law firm ArentFox Schiff, who authored an article
on urban farm reconversions.
There are other reasons for the interest in urban farms, too. Though supply
chains have largely recovered post-Covid-19, other global shocks, including
climate change, geopolitical turmoil and farmers' strikes, mean that they
continue to be vulnerable – driving more cities to look for local food
production options.'
Via
Positive.News
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
