fee
from the editor
W
Today’s hydroponics
is providing us with
a glimpse into the
future of growing.”
16
first feed
hile hydroponics is unlikely to overtake traditional agriculture economically
anytime soon—current US annual crop production is estimated at $143 billion
while hydroponics is valued at a mere $600 million—it’s not so much as how much
is being grown but where.
From abandoned tube tunnels in London, England, to above the Arctic Circle, 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 two companies that have 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 0 (page 142) and Sundrop Farms
(page 140) are 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. In Australia’s sun-parched desert, Sundrop Farms employs 23,000 mirrors
to harness solar power to operate a desalination plant. Annually, the farm produces
15,000 metric tonnes of truss tomatoes.
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].