Problems With Modern Farming
Modern farming is unsustainable. If we don’t adapt, we will eventually run out of resources to survive.
Why Is Modern Farming Unsustainable?
Over 50% of land is currently used to produce our food. As the population continues to grow and and climate-related events (droughts, floods, fires etc.) become more common, our source of food is more at risk than ever.
Modern outdoor farms accelerates climate change with unsustainable practices, negatively influencing the climate and weather. And as our water and nutrients become more scarce, modern farm runoff poisons the fresh water we have left, accelerating the downfall of the very system we currently rely on to survive.
What can be done?
Vertical farming can eliminate the need for pesticides and harmful fertilizers, effectively utilize battery technology and renewable energy sources that drastically cut carbon emissions, and can even operate in unstable climate zones.
What are Some of The Specific Issues That Plague Modern Outdoor Farming?
Pesticide & Fertilizer Pollution
Pesticide and fertilizer overuse leads to massive amounts of pollution runoff that can poison our water supply. Pesticides are also very difficult to regulate and long term impacts of such overuse are just now becoming apparent.
Uncertain Climate
Man-made climate change is pushing our world towards several tipping points, some of which we may have already crossed. Once the natural world loses its ability to balance itself while providing us with the environments we need to sustain food production and fresh water, it will be too late to reverse course.
Water Shortages
Drier weather, water pollution, and a continuously expanding population will lead to massive water shortages in our lifetime, and the effects are already being felt within the country and the world. Modern farming uses huge amounts of fresh water, and most of that water evaporates during plant production.
01. Pesticide & Fertilizer Pollution
- Aquifer poisoning & pollution
- Eutrophication (Water oxygen suffocation)
- Pesticides in our food
- Evolving weed and pest resistance
- Toxic dumping
Pesticide and fertilizer overuse causes a whole host of issues, including:
02. Uncertain Climate
One of the most existential crises our species has ever faced is a destabilized climate, which can lead to:
- Extreme heat
- Forest Fires
- Extreme flooding
- Mass extinctions
- Unpredictable weather
03. Water Shortages
While the consequences of water shortages are mostly obvious, they still deserve to be highlighted:
- Government-imposed water restrictions
- Uncontrollable dust clouds
- Massive population relocations
- Large-scale agricultural unemployment
- Desperation and war
“Environmental pollution is an incurable disease. It can only be prevented.”
Barry Commoner
HELP US HELP YOU
Let us know what challenges you’ve faced while farming indoors. Whether you’re just starting out or an indoor farming veteran, we’re here to help!