From container to crop: The evolution of modular farming

Sustainability and food production has been one of the focal areas for the United Nations for a long time.

In a world grappling with population growth, resource scarcity, and climate change, the question of sustainable food production looms large. Our traditional agricultural system, with its reliance on vast land, water, and chemical inputs, is struggling to keep up. 

This is where modular farming emerges as a potential game-changer, offering a glimpse into a future where fresh, local food can be grown efficiently and sustainably, even in the heart of urban landscapes. 

This blog delves deep into this new agricultural movement, exploring its potential and the exciting developments shaping its future.

The emerging challenges

• Feeding the world: According to the Princeton Student Climate Initiative, by 2050, we will need to increase food production by about 70% in order to meet the needs of a global population – 68% of whom are projected to live in urban areas.
• Resource depletion: The amount of resources used by traditional agriculture is astronomical. Globally, 70% of water usage goes towards agricultural production, largely due to unsustainable irrigation practices. 
• Vulnerability to disruptions: Climate change and pandemics like COVID-19 underscore the need for resilient local food systems.
• Climate changes: Only five Mediterranean climates including California, supply all of the world’s fresh fruit and vegetables, and these climates are dealing with changing weather patterns. This is forcing more scrutiny of alternative options for food production.

Modular farming: A revolutionary solution

If fruits, vegetables and herbs are grown in cities, they will not only make cities more self-sustaining but also reduce emissions, perishability and transport costs of production. The need to rely on food grown somewhere else will also dramatically reduce.

Greenhouses were the first part of the movement to provide year-round produce, but their flaw is that they require sun, which means they have to be laid out horizontally, taking up huge amounts of space. Such large spaces are prohibitively expensive in cities.

This is where modular farming comes into the picture.

What is modular farming?

Modular farming is an innovative approach to agriculture that involves cultivating crops in self-contained, movable units designed for efficient and controlled plant growth. 

These units, often repurposed shipping containers, can be stacked vertically, maximising space utilisation. Each container can thus be stacked over one another, creating towers of farms in tiny horizontal spaces. 

Equipped with hydroponics, controlled environments, and advanced technology, they minimise water usage, reduce waste, and offer year-round production. The modularity allows farmers to easily adjust which crops they want to grow by just adding a new shipping container.

These self-contained, movable units can thrive in difficult climates and don’t need soil or sunlight. Such farms enable the production of fresh, pesticide and herbicide-free crops, anywhere, anytime while significantly reducing waste and using less water.

The chief selling points of modular farms or indoor vertical farms apart from the ones listed above is that they have short grown cycles, offer year-round production, and have easy product traceability. Product traceability has been one of the significant factors contributing to this food production trend, given the fact that consumers now want to know where their food comes from.

Let us now discuss the advantages of modular farming. 

Advantages of modular farming

• Resource Efficiency:

Significantly lower water consumption compared to traditional agriculture.

• Reduced Environmental Impact:

Minimises greenhouse gas emissions and eliminates harmful pesticide and herbicide use.

• Increased Productivity:

Year-round production with shorter growing cycles and higher yields.

• Higher Resilience:

Adaptable to various climates and locations, increasing food security.

• Traceability and Transparency:

Consumers can track the journey of their food, building trust and confidence.

Modular farming: Scale up & collaborations

Joey Hundert, founder and CEO of Sustainitech, talks about how big the whole movement is and how there is an increasing number of venture capitalists wanting to invest in modular farming. Sustainitech builds indoor farms, typically inside of shipping containers that can be put anywhere to grow crops successfully where it can be hard to grow them.

It is also becoming a big business that is increasingly being backed by venture capitalists and private equity firms. Modular farms are a classic example of how businesses can make profits while contributing to the larger environmental cause.

The urban modular farm industry that employs the technique of hydroponics, is at an important juncture. Automation is taking prominence and vertical farms are preparing to scale up given the increasingly long-term contract by food distributors and different businesses. 

Square Roots and Gordon Food Service (GFS), North America’s largest privately-owned foodservice distributor, opened its first co-located farm at GFS’ headquarters in Michigan.

GFS has forged a strategic partnership with more than 100,000 restaurants, schools, hospitals/healthcare facilities, etc. in the United States and Canada to provide fresh produce. GFS also caters to several small businesses and walk-in customers as well.

Other indoor farming companies are also in an expansionary mode given the increasing demand for tasty, fresh and locally grown produce. Modular farms are the future of farming that will connect farmers and consumers who are passionate about food and the environment.

Conclusion

Modular farming is not just a niche trend; it’s a revolution in the making. It has the potential to transform how we produce and consume food, creating a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable food system for present and future generations.

References

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/sustainitech-ceo-joey-hundert/

https://www.greenbiz.com/article/vertical-farming-industry-growing-deeper-roots

https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/11/9/the-future-of-farming-hydroponics