by REERA YOO | @reeraboo
editor@charactermedia.com
Seoul is about to see its first-ever “vertical farm,” an eco-friendly agricultural production system inside a skyscraper.
Ecologist Dickson Despommier first introduced the concept of vertical farming at Columbia University in 1999, claiming that a 30-story vertical farm could grow enough food to feed 50,000 people, according to the Hankyoreh.
This form of urban agriculture allows crops to cultivate in controlled environmental conditions, including light, temperature, humidity and CO2 density. In 2012, Sky Greens developed the world’s first commercial vertical farm in Singapore, which now grows Chinese cabbage, spinach, lettuce and several Asian leafy greens.
The Seoul government announced on Monday that a redeveloped apartment complex in Yangcheon district will be the city’s first vertical farm building.
The farm will be built three stories high, with the second and third stories designated for cultivating leafy vegetables and other plants, said Jung Gwang-hyeon, manager of Seoul’s public livelihood and economy department.
Since vertical farms still lag behind in terms of productivity and require a large amount of seed money, the Seoul government emphasized that purpose of Yangcheon’s farm is to promote the development of new technology and expertise in the area instead of achieving commercial success.
In 2009, South Korea attempted to build its first vertical farm in the city of Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province. However, plans fell through when the city failed to secure the necessary funds.
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Featured image via Arch Paper
