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Reading Passage

The Silent Revolution of Vertical Farming

Over the last century, global agriculture has relied on a simple expansion strategy: to feed more people, we used more land. Vast forests were cleared, wetlands were drained, and grasslands were converted into fields of maize, rice and wheat. Today, however, this strategy has reached its limits. The world’s population continues to grow, but the amount of fertile land is shrinking due to urbanisation, soil degradation and climate change. In response, researchers and entrepreneurs have turned their attention to an approach that, at first glance, seems to defy common sense: growing food upwards rather than outwards.

Vertical farming refers to the practice of cultivating crops in stacked layers, often in repurposed warehouses or specially constructed towers. Instead of relying on sunlight and rainfall, these farms typically use artificial lighting and carefully controlled irrigation systems. Plants are grown in nutrient-rich solutions or in substrates such as coconut fibre, rather than in traditional soil. Supporters argue that this method can produce far more food per square metre than conventional agriculture, while at the same time drastically reducing the need for pesticides, fertilisers and long-distance transport.

One of the main advantages of vertical farms is their location. Because they can operate inside buildings, they can be placed near or even inside large cities. This eliminates the need to ship vegetables hundreds or thousands of kilometres from rural fields to urban supermarkets. A head of lettuce grown in a skyscraper on the edge of town might travel only a few kilometres before reaching a customer’s plate. As a result, produce can be harvested at peak freshness, and food waste associated with transport and storage can be significantly reduced.

Another benefit lies in resource efficiency. Vertical farms recycle water in a closed-loop system, losing only a small fraction through evaporation. Some facilities report using up to 95% less water than open-field farming. In regions where water scarcity is already a serious problem, this saving is not merely convenient; it may be essential for long-term food security. Moreover, since conditions such as temperature, humidity and light can be controlled precisely, plants are less vulnerable to extreme weather events, which are becoming more common as the climate changes.

Despite these advantages, vertical farming faces several obstacles. The most frequently cited is energy consumption. Keeping thousands of LED lights running for many hours a day requires a substantial and continuous supply of electricity. If this power comes from fossil fuels, the environmental gains from saving water and land might be partly or even completely cancelled out. Critics argue that vertical farms can only be truly sustainable if they are combined with low-carbon energy sources such as solar or wind power.

Economic viability is another challenge. The construction and maintenance of high-tech growing facilities is costly, and profit margins in the food industry are typically very small. At present, vertical farms tend to focus on high-value crops such as salad leaves and herbs, which can justify a higher retail price. Staple crops like wheat, rice and maize are bulk commodities with far lower profit margins, making them less suitable for intensive, energy-hungry systems. Some analysts therefore see vertical farming as a specialised solution, rather than a replacement for open-field agriculture.

Proponents of the technology, however, respond that these criticisms overlook the speed at which related technologies are improving. LED lights are becoming more efficient every year, while advances in automation and robotics are reducing labour costs. At the same time, urban planners are beginning to view food production as a key part of resilient city design. Unused industrial buildings, underground car parks and even the empty floors of shopping centres are being considered as potential sites for indoor farms.

In the end, vertical farming is unlikely to eliminate the need for traditional agriculture, but it may play a crucial supporting role. It offers a way to grow fresh produce close to consumers, to protect crops from increasingly unpredictable weather, and to use water with remarkable efficiency. Far from being a futuristic curiosity, it may become one of several complementary strategies that together help to feed a crowded and warming planet.

Questions 1–13

Based on the passage “The Silent Revolution of Vertical Farming”.