Maximum Yield Cannabis Canada 2017 July/August | Page 8

fee from the editor W Hydroponics may be considered a small industry, but the technology and forward-thinking used in the industry today will likely solve a lot of food supply problems in the future.” 8 first feed hile hydroponics is unlikely to overtake traditional agriculture economically anytime soon—current US annual crop production is estimated at USD$143 billion while hydroponics is valued at a mere USD$600 million—it’s not so much as how much is being grown but where. From abandoned tube tunnels in London, England, to Canada’s Far North, to bone dry deserts and skyscraper rooftops, today’s hydroponics is providing us with a glimpse into the future of growing. In this issue of Maximum Yield, we feature a company that has developed technology that allows food to grow where it previously couldn’t. Why is this important? Because, if we carry on with our current population trend, there will be 11.2 billion human mouths to feed by 2100. There simply isn’t enough arable land or fresh water to supply that kind of demand. We already know this. This is why companies like Desert Greens H 2 O (page 58) is trailblazing new methods and locations to grow food. In the Nevada desert, Desert Greens H 2 O spent a decade perfecting a system that now allows their systems to produce four times the yield of the average greenhouse with 12 harvests per year. Sure, hydroponics may be considered a small industry, but the technology and forward-thinking used in the industry today will likely solve a lot of food supply problems in the future. Today, nobody knows what society will be like in 2100. We hope it will be a peaceful, healthy, and happy place. One thing we do know is that the people who are here will need to eat, and it’s likely hydroponics will have a large part in fulfilling that need. As always, thanks for reading Maximum Yield and if you have any questions feel free to contact us at [email protected].