On every continent , areas known for agricultural production are or soon will face water shortages .”
from the EDITOR
TG Toby Gorman few weeks ago , the United Nations
A announced that the global human population has reached 8 billion people . An astounding and challenging number considering there were just 3 billion people to start the 1950s . This , of course , presents increasing challenges on many fronts including food security and resource consumption . The same week the UN made its announcement , the journal Nature released a report (“ Hotspots for Social and Ecological Impacts from Freshwater Stress and Storage Loss ”) examining stresses on the world ’ s freshwater supply and its projected impacts on humans and the environment . There is a lot to be concerned about in that report . On every continent , areas known for agricultural production are or soon will face water shortages . In the world of hydroponics , we like to tout the fact that hydroponics uses 90 percent less water than traditional agriculture and has the potential to help offset future agricultural challenges . Over the past few years , a lot of money has poured into projects like vertical farming in an effort to provide fresh , local , and affordable produce . But urban and vertical farming have their limits . Ever tried to grow an orange tree indoors ?
The amount of energy needed to grow just a few oranges indoors doesn ’ t bode well for a business plan , so vertical farming is mostly reduced to growing boutique and leafy greens . For those of us used to enjoying mangoes in February , existing off leafy greens doesn ’ t measure up . Safe to say , hydroponics can be part of a larger solution to impending water and food challenges , but what is the larger picture ? Long time MY contributor Karen Lloyd wanted to find out , so over the past weeks and months she has been researching key topics on sustainability that include harvesting water , food surplus solutions , benefits of native planting , regenerative farming , and a number of other topics to provide some insight on things individuals can be doing to be more self-sufficient and resource conscious . Her first article on harvesting water can be found on page 38 in this issue , and we plan to run further sustainability articles from her throughout 2023 .
Media headlines these days can be daunting , even a little depressing . However , studies show that being self-sufficient and working in your own garden make us a lot happier . As a new , challenging year rolls onto the calendar , now is as good a time to start as any .
8 Maximum Yield