Daniel Duprez

Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Dean, Erin

Area of Concentration

Environmental Studies

Abstract

With the global population predicted to be 10 billion by 2050, and 70 percent of these people within cities by 2050, industrial agriculture must change to accommodate our growing population while avoiding global ecosystem collapse. Indoor vertical farming is one of the solutions to this problem because of its ability to build small footprint, high yield, farms with sustainable resource use at scale. Vertical Farming is the practice of utilizing the 3D space above the ground for additional area for plant growth. Using a range of technologies including hydro and aeroponics, full spectrum LEDs, and artificial intelligence, indoor vertical farming takes a high degree of control over the abiotic factors that determine plant growth with little effect to the exterior environment. In doing so, these indoor farms are able to grow their crops day and night without seasonal variation, in extreme environments such as deserts and freezing tundra. In this thesis, two indoor vertical farms are analyzed on the effectiveness of each farming system in sustaining resources as well as combating food deserts within cities.

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