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29/05/2013

BBC Radio 4 - Vertical Farming

Could high-rise farming be the solution to feeding our cities or is it a utopian fantasy?

Ella McSweeney investigates whether high-rise farming could be the solution to feeding cities or if it is just another example of head in the clouds utopian thinking.

By 2050 the population of the world is expected to grow to over 9 billion and proponents of "vertical farming" believe growing food in cities would use less land and resources than traditional outdoor methods, reduce transport costs and fossil-fuel emissions. 

As vertical farms start to spring up in Sweden, Vancouver and the Netherlands, Ella McSweeney investigates whether they could provide a cost-effective solution that will increase yields or if it is just another example of head in the clouds utopian thinking. 


Prod: Clare Walker.

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