Vertical Farming and Air Pollution

Introduction

In recent times, countries such as the United Arab Emirates have embarked on vertical farming. However, vertical farming is known to have increased air pollution levels. Air pollution refers to the releasing of harmful substances such as gases or dust in the air. Vertical agriculture affects the environment negatively through releasing of gases such as carbon dioxide which is highly used in vertical farms. Also, vertical farming involves using a high amount of energy, usually from fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuel to produce energy produces gases that are closely associated with the destruction of the ozone layer and global warming. While traditional means of farming may have been discouraged due to soil degradation, vertical farming has even more negative effects. A lot of energy is used in lighting in vertical farms. Transporting the produce to the market is also a problematic issue since vehicles produce harmful gases (Thomaier et al., 2016).

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Characteristics of Vertical Farming

There has been increased demand for food with the growing population. Vertical farming is thought to be the solution to feed the millions of people. The conventional farming method gave human hope that the ever-increasing community could be fed, but new diseases and pests make producing food for the whole population difficult. The problem will be made worse when the world population goes up. Vertical farming involves the production of food in a vertical layer in an enclosed space. Temperatures, humidity, and light are controlled for the benefit of the crops. Crops in this farming system grow faster than those in plantations. Important plants grown include vegetables, and unlike in plantation farming, less water is used (Tong et al., 2016). For a vertical farm to work, energy must be used hence leading to high levels of air pollution in the production of the power. Another characteristic of vertical farms is the high installation cost. A single vertical farm would cost over a hundred million dollars. In rare occasions, the poultry and pigs can also be kept as a form of vertical farming.

Characteristics of Vertical Farming

To know more about vertical farming and its harmful effects on the environment, we used the internet. Different websites contain different information about vertical farming, site problems associated with it and how it would help in ensuring food security all over the world. Such websites include the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The website contains a lot of information regarding vertical farming. Vertical farming is relatively a new concept, and thus it would be difficult to find books addressing it. However, there exists a lot of information in journals and other online sources. The group also interviewed some agricultural officers about vertical farming. The agrarian officers explained to the students how vertical agriculture works. An energy production site was visited to ensure that students confirmed if energy production polluted the environment. A visit to New York City was planned to learn from an actual vertical farming system. The students could, therefore, compare what they learned from the internet with what they observed.

The Value Proposition for the Problem

The problem of air pollution in be overcome so that people enjoy the benefits of vertical farming without having to worry about destroying the environment. Since vertical farming causes pollution mostly through the burning of fossil fuels, finding renewable sources of energy would solve this problem. Vertical farms could identify renewable sources of energy such as geothermal and hydro-electric power. Solar energy could also be used. By dealing with air pollution, the vertical farm would produce more food for sale without undergoing costs to dispose of waste. Also, harmful gases produced in the farm could be treated to ensure they do not escape to the environment and contribute to the depletion of the Ozone layer (Maio, 2016). Most firms that run vertical farms use fossil energy, and a firm that uses renewable sources would have a competitive advantage over its competitors. The firm would also have a better public image.

Proposed Circular Model

A good business model would involve a vertical farm having both plants and animals. Plant and animal waste could be used to generate fuel to support lighting and other fuel demands; supplementing renewable sources of energy. Once customers purchased the crops, they would be encouraged to keep the waste, and the company would save them. The company could then use the waste to produce more energy and nutrients to support the growth of the firm. By doing this, the company would reduce the amount of waste while at the same time conserving the environment by avoiding fossil fuels. The company could sell to the customers who return the garbage at a lower price, encouraging them to return (Eijpe et al., 2018). The company could sell its products cheaply to have more customers, retaining a small profit after considering the costs.

Research Evidence Base

By interviewing the firms involved in the development of vertical farms, a few things were known. It is tough to completely eradicate the use of fossil fuel since renewable sources may not be readily available. Companies involved in vertical farms have also partnered with electric companies to produce efficient light sources. By doing so, the amount of energy required could go down. Also, vertical farms would account for a large portion of food production in the near years. The cost-benefit analysis of the farming method has not been conclusively studied, and no one ones how benefits fare while compared with costs such as lighting costs. Producing crops such as wheat, rice, and maize would be difficult in vertical farms. These types of plants require large chunks of land to cultivate (Eijpe et al., 2018).

Detailed Business Model

A business model consists of nine blocks that are very critical for it to excel. For value proposition, the firm would sell its products at low prices and deliver fresh vegetables and animal products since customers want this. The company can also segment the market by targeting different regions and specific customers. The company will target women because they are the one who buys them mostly. Vehicles could be used to deliver vegetables to customers and collect waste products. By advertising the products through social media, the company could ensure most people are aware of the products. In terms of the customer relationship, the company could develop a mobile phone application that helps them order products. An online helpdesk would be established to assist customers. The company will generate revenue through the sales of vegetables or animal products. The principal activities involved in the company will include growing crops indoor, keeping animals and reusing waste to produced nutrients and generate power to supplement renewable sources. A lot of financial resources will be needed and knowledge of vertical farming. A room will also be required. For essential partnership, the company will partner with different investors and suppliers of particular farm produce. Different types of costs will be undergone such as transport cost and acquiring the necessary resources (Joyce & Pacquin, 2016)

Action Plan

1. Stiff competition Identify a competitive advantage and use allocate more resources The company will be able to perform better than its competitors Reusing waste products would give the firm an advantage over other firms

2. Lack of enough resources Find investors who are interested in vertical farming The company will have enough resources to run Interested investors could acquire shares in the company.

3. High operating costs Avoid unnecessary costs and minimize costs through cheaper transport models Low cost will increase the chances of the company succeeding Reduce transportation cost by hiring a company to distribute products.

References

Maio, N. (2016, November 22). Why Verticle farming is more than just growing indoors. Retrieved from Ellen Macarther Foudation: circulatenews.org/2016/11/why-vertical-farming-is-more-than-just-growing-indoors

Eijpe, S., Hoogendijk, I., Jense, E., Wang, X., & Zijun, T. (2018). Urban sky farm.

Joyce, A., & Paquin, R. L. (2016). The triple layered business model canvas: A tool to design more sustainable business models. Journal of Cleaner Production, 135, 1474-1486, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652616307442

Thomaier, S., Specht, K., Henckel, D., Dierich, A., Siebert, R., Freisinger, U. B., & Sawicka, M. (2015). Farming in and on urban buildings: Present practice and specific novelties of Zero-Acreage Farming (Farming). Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 30(1), 43-54.

Tong, Z., Whitlow, T. H., Landers, A., & Flanner, B. (2016). A case study of air quality above an urban roof top vegetable farm. Environmental pollution, 208, 256-260.