Food insecurity is daunting, particularly in cities. And while industrial vertical farming offers a solution, the absence of chickens and may and other signs of farm life casts suspicion on this method of tech-based food production. Plantagon aims to bridge that divide with a solution that can be implemented on just about any building, anywhere. Founded by Swecorp Citizenship Stockholm AB and the Onondaga Nation in New York, Plantagon International has nurtured an extensive network of researchers, governments, non-government organizations and other interested parties across the globe to develop a food-growing system that packs more quality food into a smaller urban footprint. The basic premise is this: just about any building can be transformed into a productive greenhouse using various kinds of systems — either a facade that is clipped on to an existing building, a multifunctional greenhouse that allows the building to continue functioning as it with the addition of a food-growing system, or an entire building devoted to growing food. 
The machinery to drive the operation is located in the basement, and a helix or ramp climbs up the building, circulating vegetable pots on trays throughout the building. A service corner allows access to each level from the basement to the crown of the building Related: End hunger – food and vertical farming in the Middle East The helix maximizes light exposure and the footprint ratio (more plants when compared to a flat, horizontal plot), while minimizing water use and artificial lighting. Different systems would be implemented in different climate zones, depending on the light availability and the circumstances. One might choose to install a PlantaWall facade, which is 3-6 meters deep and offers shade for the offices while still providing sufficient daylighting. 
Carbon dioxide, in this system, would be directed from areas populated by people to the plants, while oxygen produced by plants would be lead to the offices to improve air quality. Plantagon also offers multifunctional greenhouses or a standalone building. In each case, they have a thorough method of establishing the right conditions for each scenario. The core of the company’s mission is to scale up urban farming across the globe with a focus on symbiosis; in so doing, they hope to alleviate food insecurity in the coming years of population expansion and climate change by providing locally-grown produce that would be delivered directly to people (which helps to bring down transportation costs and reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions.) Most essentially, Plantagon embraces urban industrial agriculture as a necessary solution to feed the millions who are moving into cities – by 2050, 80 percent of the Earth’s inhabitants will live in cities. 
“As modern people we must strive to find good solutions in food production that use synergies in the hinterland between technology and everyday life,” the company notes. Or we could continue with business as usual, in which case we will need arable land the size of Brazil in order to produce sufficient food. :: Plantagon
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
