Comments on: Dickson Despommier: we can end hunger in Middle East with vertical farming

By: Karin Kloosterman

Karin Kloosterman — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 16:17:35 +0000

In reply to Lucy Mauterer. This is one of the challenges in growing food hydroponically: understanding the chemistry of it all. Once you get it down pat the rest is much easier than soil farming.

By: Lucy Mauterer

Lucy Mauterer — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 10:05:10 +0000

One thing to remember when growing food using hydroponics is that pure water will not have the minerals that soil has, which plants convert to a bioavailable form. Food grown this way will be depleted of trace minerals needed in your diet unless the minerals are added to your water supply.

By: Chris Perry

Chris Perry — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 09:51:16 +0000

The idea that crops can be grown with “70% less water” is based on a confusion between water APPLIED and water CONSUMED by the crop. Evaporation is a genuine non-productive loss, but leaks and seepage do not disappear, they return to the local hydrological system. Science tells us that crop biomass is a near linear function of water transpired by the crop; the law of conservation of mass tells us that water does not disappear, and we need to trace exactly where it goes before making these sorts of misleading and dangerous claims.

By: Oliver

Oliver — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:59:11 +0000

Hi, we just installed a solar powered pump for a water & energy kiosk in really rural Ethiopia. We like to extent this project with highly productive garden for local food production now that we have sufficient decentralised and renewable powered water supply. I would be interested in the technology for vertical farming for self supply and extra sales on local markets and specific next steps, budget requirement, local training etc. Thanks Oliver