Traditional farming is threatened by resulting climate change, soil degradation and the loss of natural ecosystems. Another way of farming is needed not to replace it but supplement it to enforce sustainability. The answer is Vertical Farming which is consistently growing across geographies.

2. • COVID-19 pandemic, the fresh food supply chain is
in jeopardy more than ever before
• The need to bring fresh food easier & faster
directly to consumers is more important than ever.
Covid-19 Scenario : Lockdown - 4

3. GLOBAL to
LOCAL and VOCAL - Slogan by Hon’ble PM of India
during Lockdown - 3 (May, 2020)
Let us be FOCAL on it by localization of farming of
fresh food
Changes Due to Covid-19

4. The Statistics
Earth surface is covered by water 73% and land 27%
Earth’s productive land area is 57% agriculture and 43% forest and grass land
80% of the earth’s available land is already farmed
More than 60% of the world population will settle down in urban areas by 2030 (Post Covid)?
It is estimated that current world population of 7.6 billion likely to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8
billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100, according to a UN report

5. There is a continuous decline in cultivated areas world over due to rapid urbanization
Population of cities will lead to increase in food requirements posing a big problem
particularly for perishable / highly perishable food commodities
Higher transportation time and managing the highly perishable produce at a temperature
uncongenial for the spoilage agents, has become an issue which can be managed by having
production of food items with in or nearby to the cities/residential habitation
Needless to emphasize that present day modern agriculture practices require large land,
water and energy resources from the planet earth which unfortunately being finite are
diminishing and would not freely be available for farming in near future
Current Food Production Scenario

6. The Global Vertical Farming Market
Expected to reach USD 9.96 billion in value by 2025
Growing at a rate of 21.3% each year
Doubling roughly every 3.5 years (at the current rate)
In 2019 alone, hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in new vertical farming
companies & technologies

7. Why Vertical Farming?
Traditional farming is
threatened by resulting
climate change, soil
degradation and the loss of
natural ecosystems.
Another way of farming is
needed not to replace it but
supplement it to enforce
sustainability

8. Vertical Farming
RolePrincipleGoal
LOCAL fresh
food production
and combating
climate change
To have more
with less
To upgrade (3rd
level agriculture)
and supplement
traditional farming

9. “Farm up” rather than “out”
Revolutionary approach to produce high quantities of nutritious & quality fresh food/ fodder /
other crops from a small area/ space all year round, without relying on huge labour, favourable
climate, good soil or water
Potential to ensure the sustainability of our bulging cities/ urban areas by addressing food
security
Limits use of pesticides and environmental externalities
Minimize land use and can be located in high density area
(RCI- Missile lab Hyderabad - Vision of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam)
About Vertical Farming

10. About Vertical Farming
Least affected by climate change
Avoids sun and soil and encompasses technologies like hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics,
LEDs, sensors and others automation, mechanization tools and techniques
In ornamental horticulture, vertical gardens are also referred as green wall, living wall, bio wall or
smart wall, besides vertical beds for foliage and flower plants
It is called hydroponic fodder production for green fodder production
It has potential for growing many crops and their nurseries (Paddy)
It is ideal for molecular farming- monoclonal antibody multiplication

11. Advantages of Vertical Farming
Reliable Harvests
Minimum Overheads
• Low energy usage
• Low labour costs
• Low water usage
• Reduced washing & processing
• Reduced transport costs
Healthy Produce
Wider range of crops
Fully integrated technology
Optimum air, nutrients, water,
light quality and other inputs
Increased Available Area
Advantages of Vertical Farming. Vertical Farming Systems. 2017.
Available online: http://www.verticalfarms.com.au/advantages-vertical-farming (accessed on 15 July 2017)

12. Limitations of Vertical Farming
Social resistance as people may not accept the alteration of traditional farming
Growing food indoors requires more energy, effort, & resources
Comparatively more expensive (Vertical greenhouse is costlier than a normal greenhouse)
• Unaffordable in dense and expensive urban localities
• Break-even point may well be an estimated 6–7 years
Inability to produce all types of crops
Final produce is costlier for the end consumer
Recycling and utilization of city waste technology yet to take off
Organic certification: organic with inorganic inputs?
Pollination Need — Crops requiring insect pollination to be pollinated by hand

13. Features of Vertical Farming
Fresh food availability - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Protection from unpredictable & harmful weather
Re-use of water collected from the indoor environment
Minimizes use of pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides
Drastically reduces dependence on fossil fuels
Prevents crop loss due to shipping or storage or long transportation
And ultimately a proud feeling among farmers for utilization of latest technology

14. Types of Vertical Farming
Indoor Outdoor
Climate and other parameters
for plant growth are fully
controlled and automated
Seasonal crops are grown in an
open environment in a medium
other than soil in layers
DICKSON DESPOMMIER, EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND MICROBIOLOGY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, IS KNOWN AS
FATHER OF VERTICAL FARMING

15. Indoor Vertical Farming

16. Indoor Vertical Farming
Rely on artificially controlled temperature, light, humidity, and nutrients
to promote the growth of food, and uses much less space
Production methods include hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics
in vegetable towers, modular container systems, and cubic production
systems

17. Vertical Farm in Israel
from wall to fork
Roof Garden

18. Chicago’s “The Plant” Vertical Farm
Interior View

19. Photo courtesy of Japan Plant
Factory Association
An increasing number of Japanese
companies in the indoor agriculture
industry are realizing they need to
work together as an industry while
at the same time running their own
businesses.
Could open source agriculture
revolutionize the industry?.
Urban Ag News 15 Nov, 2019

20. Five storey 2 acre Vertical
Aquaponics
(Fish, Vegetables and Others)

21. Hi –Tec Vertical Farming
Major Systems Key Characteristics Major Benefits
Hydroponics Soil-less based, uses water
as the growing medium
Fosters rapid plant growth,
Reduces/ eliminates
soil-related cultivation
Problems, Decreases the use of
fertilizers / pesticides.
Aeroponics A variant of hydroponics
- It involves spraying
the roots of plants with
mist or nutrient solutions
In addition to benefits
mentioned above, Aeroponics
requires less water.
Aquaponics It integrates aquaculture
(fish farming) with
hydroponics.
Creates symbiotic
relationships between the
plants and the fish, it uses the
nutrient-rich waste from fish
tanks to “fertigate”
hydroponics production beds;
and hydroponic bed cleans
water for fish habitat.

22. Technologies
Computerized and monitoring systems; Cell phones, laptops and tablets
Food growing apps
Remote control systems and software (farming-from-afar systems)
Automated racking, stacking systems, moving belts, and tall towers
Programmable LED lighting systems
Renewable energy applications (solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal, etc)
Closed-loop systems, anaerobic digesters
Programmable nutrient systems
Climate control, HVAC systems
Water recirculating and recycling systems
Rainwater collectors; Insect-killing systems AND Robots and many more…

23. Cabinet
Innovation

24. Innovation

25. Multi-Floor Farming – ONE Floor, ONE Crop

26. Chennai - Hydroponics NFT
Seedlings

27. Gurugram

28. Tissue Culture Lab, Pune Indoor Farm, Bhopal

29. Surat Mumbai

30. Leafy Greens Production

31. Tomatoes Production

32. Mushroom Production

33. Turmeric Production
Multi-fold Produce / Returns

34. Micro-Greens Production
Micro greens contained
considerably higher levels
of vitamins (C, A ,K &E) –
Five times greater than
their mature edible parts

35. Herbs Production

36. Strawberry Production

37. Rainfall damaged 90% strawberry
plantations in Mahabaleshwar
Unseasonal rainfall in India’s Mahabaleshwar region
impacted the strawberry crops.
Caused significant damage to close to 90% strawberry
plantations in their most important growth stage of fruiting.
Both harvested strawberries and crops in the fields were
falling prey to fungal infections, reducing the shelf life of
the berry.
Times of India 6 December 2017 Pune edition

38. Japan’s Largest Vertical Farm
Techno Farm Keihanna, World’s First and Largest Automated Vertical Farm.
Innovation at Techno Farm centers around three themes: reduced cost, limited
environmental impact, and global adaptability

39. Chicago’s Freight Farm
Freight Farms Technology makes it easy to bring people closer to their food source. The
result is local, year-round production featuring fresh, sustainably-grown, and flavorful greens.

40. Vertical Farms of the Future
The $2.7 million facility includes a groundbreaking indoor vertical farm, allowing farmers of the future to get
their hands on new technology and help shape the future of Australia’s food supply chain.

41. Despommier, Dickson. Despommier's Vertical Farm

42. Future Research Areas
• Vertical Walls/ Green Walls
• Hydroponics
• Aeroponics
• Aquaponics
• Floating gardens
• Poly sheet/net structures
• Climate controlled greenhouses

43. Human Resource Requirements
• Horticulture/ Breeding/Plant physiology/Animal Science/Plant Protection
• Climate Control
• Engineering (Major Role)
• Systems Design
• Urban Planning
• Economics
• Consumer Demand
• Business Development

44. Outdoor Vertical Farming

45. Outdoor Vertical Seasonal Vegetable Production

46. Fruit wall, UKPear Wall

47. Grape Wall Apple Wall

48. Leafy Green Wall – Lettuce, Kale & Chard

49. Aquaponics – Lake Farming
Cucumber Bottlegourd Pumpkin

50. In a Nutshell

51. Key Components
Structure
Temporary, mobile or permanent, Climate control, Light, Irrigation, automation,
mechanization, tools and accessories
Production Systems
Medium other than Soil, No medium but water Hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics
Research, Education and Training
Plant Selection • Nutrient Management • Pest Management • Harvesting • Market
Opportunity • Food Safety • Water Use • Education

52. Commonly Grown Crops
It is theoretically possible to grow any plant completely indoors. Economic factors limit the
realistic set of crops having dwarf canopy, prolific producers with high market value such as:
• Microgreens and sprouts and plant nurseries
• Leafy Vegetables - lettuce, broccoli, spinach, chard, chive, palak, mustard greens,
amaranths, parsley, chard, coriander, mint, chive, kale
• Herbs - rosemary, fennel, thyme, oregano, basil, Oregano, Sage, Savory, Stevia, Thyme,
Wheat Grass, Beebalm (Bergamot), Borage, Chervil, Cilantro, Cumin
• Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Calendula, Catmint, Chamomile, Echinacea, Goldenseal,
Hyssop, Lavender, Patchouli, Scented Geranium, Sweet Woodruff, Yarrow.

53. • Fruit - Strawberries
• Fodder ( oat, maize, barley and others)
• Mushrooms
• Other Vegetables - summer squash, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers,
onion, garlic, muskmelon, algae
• Ornamental foliage and flower plants
• Tobacco – monoclonal antibody farming

54. Vertical Farming offers sustainability benefit for diminishing resources and climate
scenario. Success story on lettuce farming
Offers a solution to food production where conventional methods would not work
More basic research is needed for a successful VF
Policy on VF?
VERTICAL FARMING POLICY PAPER NO. 89 OF NATIONAL
ACADEMY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (NAAS)– MAY 2019

55. Take - Aways
Vertical Farming (Hydroponics, Aeroponics and Aquaponics) is a potential if not an
essential technology for food security for the global budging urban population and India
is certainly not an exception
Economic Feasibility, lack of expertise and regulations remain major limitations currently
Whether vertical farms will become a widespread phenomenon in India is uncertain.
However, development has started and with support from various stakeholders can
scale new heights