Plantagon: The Future of Urban Food

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Growing food vertically in the city? The Swedish company Plantagon will show how to grow more food in less space when it opens its first urban greenhouse in 2013 in Linkoping, a city some 180 miles from Stockholm. The plan is to grow vegetables in a turning helix with minimal water, energy and the need for fertilizer. With the world's population to top 9 billion by 2050 -- and with 80% of those people projected to live in cities -- finding innovative, cost effective, and environmentally friendly ways to supply food to cities is a major challenge. Earth Focus visits Plantagon for a look at what might well be the future of urban food.

[@marcopolo3001]

This is already a reality in China, South Korea, Japan and even Italy. They are all trialling this technology. And the results are promising.

[@sheepshagger]

Query: 1. what's the carbon footprint like for a structure that size with an almost fully automated infrastructure as mentioned? 2. what's the energy source to power such an operation? 3. can you grow crops that are more soil demanding like pumpkin, cucumber, sugar cane?

[@sheepshagger]

jeremy tan Also, Peat gives off MORE CO2 than coal and natural gas.... Will the vertical farm be planting peatland plants to offset the large amounts of CO2 emissions?

[@kevinlane1219]

To some people, it's about running out of room. But to others, like me, it's about leaving the forests alone.

[@katiekutcel3777]

Future urban city food around the world

[@claudioazeredocoutinho2067]

Bravo and smart ...very positive

[@NisarKhan-un3te]

Good❤

[@damodarboruah9298]

Very good concept ...It must be implemented in future even in the country like India where labour is less, though it seems more, but it's much essential in coming years....- Damodar Boruah, Author Born To Do Big, India

[@Gwaarn]

Great idea but if they are going to export all the crops to Asia this whole thing loses its ecological point because of the environmental impact caused by transport. The crops must be sold locally!

[@nobodyinpa9]

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. ~ Albert Einstein

[@TheBowersj]

Does anyone know if they started building yet? And when will it be done?

[@LeftyPlaat]

I'm positive, but would point out transportation is the smallest energy cost of our current food chain, 10% of the footprint is transport. So the question remains, does this system, with the glass dome and machinery need less energy? and have a smaller footprint; Likely yes, but that needs to be discussed.

[@paullim6425]

I think the building is built by the company (at significant initial investment costs by the hosting city), which would then be placed into or close to a highly urbanized part of said city. The food would then be grown there, and I would assume the city and its people would profit. Less distance the food needs to travel to the mouth it's gonna feed, the less incurred costs in the consumer's purchase of that food, such as to pay for the gas to get it there. So over time, a urban green house dome built specifically for the city it is meant to feed would probably pay for itself many times over. So when he says Chinese markets, perhaps the Chinese are thinking of building one for one of their (many) overpopulated cities? The first Plantagon is being built in Linköping, Sweden, and this company has partnered with a university in Shanghai to develop this design. So... I'm fairly certain they are not going to ship food grown in Sweden all the way to China.

[@katiekutcel3777]

Urban future city

[@slamdunk103]

It's a good investment. But it would have to be economically profitable by mass producing whatever is needed in that city. (I'm for vertical gardening.)

[@generalmello6703]

hey , whats thee big idea is this a non-profit organization?

[@RJE95]

Peat is nonrenewable and bad for the environment to keep using though? Thought this seemed good until he said that

[@modgarden]

Completely agree with you. I thought they were onto something and was going to suggest a collaboration, but alas.

[@shanszu7082]

i dont believe those little diode lights grew the spot plant.

[@dorsguy]

This guy states that they eliminate the middleman therefore reducing the cost of the food. He also stated that China was there main consumer. How does the food get to China with no middleman?

[@paullim6425]

I think the building is built by the company (at significant initial investment costs by the hosting city), which would then be placed into or close to a highly urbanized part of said city. The food would then be grown there, and I would assume the city and its people would profit. Less distance the food needs to travel to the mouth it's gonna feed, the less incurred costs in the consumer's purchase of that food, such as to pay for the gas to get it there. So over time, a urban green house dome built specifically for the city it is meant to feed would probably pay for itself many times over. So when he says Chinese markets, perhaps the Chinese are thinking of building one for one of their (many) overpopulated cities? The first Plantagon is being built in Linköping, Sweden, and this company has partnered with a university in Shanghai to develop this design. So... I'm fairly certain they are not going to ship food grown in Sweden all the way to China.

[@dorsguy]

I see The building is the product not the food

[@bamatecangel7]

maybe.. food grown on farms close to urban centers is proven, this may work, may not.. would not bet on it yet.

[@JAEZAI1]

It better be organic!

[@mcusa77]

Now just make a hemp building and get rid of the banking system.

[@mnm121314]

hydroponics is actually really wasteful. you have to add chemicals into the water and you have to dump all the water out every cycle. the produce would also not be considered organic for this reason

[@marsultor3044]

+MrOodlesnNoodle 'JL' Why does it matter whether it's organic, they still use pesticides you do realize. Also everything is made out of chemicals.

[@brooksanderson2599]

¨Greenhouse, aquaponic¨systems have very few pest problems

[@mnm121314]

why it matters? have you taken a class on nutrition? do you workout? If everybody had your mentality, we might as well feed everyone GMO and not complain because our foods actually have no nutrition. Also water is scarce so we should preserve it and recycle it in a system like Aquaponics, not hydroponic. You're lacking a lot of knowledge on these issues I brought up

[@mnm121314]

the system he's using is hydroponic. I know about aquaponics cause I was going to start a business using this system

[@mnm121314]

I didn't say Aquaponics is bad. it's really good. I said hydroponics is bad. you didn't read what I wrote correctly

[@michelt5122]

What a silly concept to grow food.. Look at that building... I bet the food that comes out of there will be 5x as expensive just to cover the building and other expenses.. There are allot of better choices to go than this one. Than they show off some poor country.. Really? OMG

[@evoluxar]

Fortynately, extinction will show its teeth to them and we will all seat back and enjoy our beautifull gaia. Life isn't about numbers and statostics man...Just quit your useless "jobb", stop talking words that were told to you and travel... Let your mind drop its rythm and join us...You might even learn something by watching "The Green Beautiful (La Belle Verte) - BANNED French Film (English Subtitles)" here in KZbin

[@bravescd14]

Terrible solution and idea. Your rationality fails you.