Ep 3. Future Urban Farming

Xploration Earth 2050 season 2 episode 3, titled Future Urban Farming, explores the innovative ways in which we are adapting our cities to meet the food demands of the future. With a projected global population of 9.7 billion by 2050, urban farming is becoming a necessary solution to ensure that we have enough food to feed everyone.

The episode begins by exploring the rise of rooftop farming in cities across the world. Viewers are taken to New York City where Eagle Street Rooftop Farm has been growing organic vegetables on a Brooklyn rooftop since 2009. The farm’s co-founders explain how they have been able to grow fresh produce using only rainwater and harvested compost, thus reducing the carbon footprint of traditional farming methods. The episode then moves across the pond to London where Farm:Shop, a former empty shop, is now home to an aquaponic farm. The farm cultivates tilapia fish and a wide variety of vegetables in a closed-loop system where the fish waste provides the nutrients that the plants need to grow. The produce harvested is then sold in the shop below, providing fresh food to the local community.

The episode also looks at vertical farming, where crops are grown in layers stacked on top of each other. Viewers are introduced to AeroFarms in Newark, New Jersey, which grows leafy greens in a large indoor warehouse. By using LED lights and aeroponics, which uses a mist instead of soil to deliver nutrients to the plants, AeroFarms is able to grow crops all year round and with 95% less water than traditional farming methods. The episode also explores Sky Greens, a vertical farm in Singapore that uses a rotating vertical conveyor system to grow leafy greens. This system maximizes space and utilizes sunlight to help the plants grow.

The episode then focuses on the use of technology in urban farming. Viewers are introduced to a startup called Square Roots in Brooklyn, which is using shipping containers as mini-farms. The inside of each container is lined with vertical shelves where herbs and greens are grown hydroponically. The episode also looks at Freight Farms, which has converted shipping containers into “Leafy Green Machines”. Each container is equipped with LED lights, irrigation, and nutrient dosing systems that help grow lettuce, kale, and other greens. The containers can be placed anywhere, from urban rooftops to rural farmland, to provide fresh food to local communities.

Finally, the episode looks at the potential for technology to help us create sustained ecosystems. Viewers are taken into the world of biodesign where designers are creating structures made of living materials. Examples include a pavilion made from fungus and a tower built from genetically modified bacteria. These “living” structures could be used as part of future urban farms to provide the ecosystem needed to grow crops.

In conclusion, Xploration Earth 2050 season 2 episode 3 showcases the exciting world of future urban farming. As the global population continues to grow, we must look for innovative ways to produce fresh food sustainably. From rooftop farms to high-tech solutions, urban farming is paving the way for a healthier and more sustainable future.