Every technology has its advantages and disadvantages. In a separate article on our website, we discussed the positive aspects of vertical farming. Now, we would like to share with our readers a list of the disadvantages of indoors cultivation. Most of the mentioned disadvantages will relate to the context of comparing the vertical method with the traditional one.
Disadvantage 1: An expert is needed to create a vertical farming project
While traditional farming can tolerate the mistakes of inexperienced farmers, establishing a profitable vertical farms require expertise in multiple fields simultaneously, such as zoology, electricity, finance, logistics, plumbing, and more.
A fully functional indoor farm is an environment where every component must be installed flawlessly, configured to maximize yield, and conducive to efficient observation and safe economic activities. It is crucial to rely only on professionals for the necessary work, procure vertical systems from reputable suppliers, and entrust settings and monitoring to specialists with professional education and relevant experience.
Disadvantage 2: High initial costs
Compared to traditional farming methods, even a basic vertical farm incurs significant costs. Modern vertical structures are scalable, allowing initial crops to be harvested from a small area. However, the initial investment for a small farm targeting plant sales and aiming to establish a business would be at least $10,000.
Disadvantage 3: High power consumption
Vertical farms are entirely dependent on electricity (with some exceptions for structures installed in open air). Therefore, it’s not surprising that electricity costs are high. Continuous energy supply is needed for lighting, powering the pumps that circulate the aqueous solution throughout the system, and ventilation.
A momentary interruption in electricity can have catastrophic consequences, leading to the loss of an entire crop or a significant portion of it.
Disadvantage 4: Dependence on the constant availability of water and electricity
The absence of two crucial resources halts the operation of modern vertical farming in closed, controlled environments: water and electricity.
Water is essential for any growing method — hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics. While these methods use significantly less water compared to traditional farming (up to 95% less), the absence of water results in the loss of the entire crop. Some systems utilize closed-loop water circulation for a limited time, but not all systems are suitable for such extreme conditions. Constant access to water resources is necessary to replenish the spent volume (for plant nutrition, waste disposal, and evaporation). Similarly, the absence of electricity means the cessation of the vertical farm, including lighting and all electrical devices. As a proactive measure, owners of indoor farms invest in generators, renewable energy sources, and batteries to ensure stable operation even during blackouts.
Imperfection 5: High labor costs
Operating a vertical farm requires extensive knowledge in various fields. Cultivating plants indoors effectively is a complex process that requires specialized setup and professional supervision. Implementation and transportation services also demand a high level of expertise.
Successful and profitable vertical farming is the domain of professionals and responsible individuals. Hence, owners of such farms allocate significant labor costs to ensure reliable and positive outcomes in the long run. Skilled workers may be costly, but they offer stability and dependability.
Disadvantage 6: Expensive maintenance
Regular maintenance is essential for any modern vertical farm, and the associated costs depend on the complexity of the equipment. The more advanced the system, the higher the expenses for preventive maintenance and repairs.
Imperfection 7: The need for permissions
The cultivation of plants intended for human consumption requires specific permits from local authorities. Depending on the location (country, state, region), the owner of a vertical farm must obtain a set of permits that ensure environmental friendliness, product safety, and the absence of harm to the environment.
Disadvantage 8: Relatively new technology
Vertical cultivation is a relatively new field with a short history. While much is already known about this technology, researchers, farmers, and scientists continue to make significant discoveries and invent innovative cultivation methods every year.
It is still too early to claim that indoor vertical growing has reached its full potential. You may wonder why this is considered a drawback.
Firstly, we still have much to learn about efficient indoor vertical plant cultivation. Current methods have their limitations and disadvantages, meaning they are not yet efficient enough to address global challenges.
Secondly, the constant changes and the invention of more productive systems require additional investments from farmers, including equipment upgrades and modernization.
Disadvantage 9: No recycling infrastructure
Like any form of production, vertical farming generate waste products. Since indoor vertical growing is a relatively new approach, each local enterprise must independently address the issue of waste management, including plant residues and possibly wastewater. Until a standardized approach is developed and implemented, vertical farm owners may face additional challenges in this area.
Imperfection 10: Only suitable for certain types of plants
Vertical farming excel at growing greens, certain berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and microgreens. However, the range of crops compared to traditional agriculture is relatively limited.
Cereal crops and most fruits cannot be effectively cultivated in vertical systems. This poses a significant challenge for indoors, as its proponents aim to solve the urgent problem of global hunger.
Can humanity survive on a diet consisting solely of lettuce, microgreens, and strawberries?
Disadvantage 11: Plants may contain fewer nutrients
This drawback only applies to vertical farms that are driven by enthusiasm and do not prioritize achieving the highest standards of crop quality.
Starting a vertical farm may be straightforward, but growing flavorful, ecologically sound, and nutritious produce requires a serious and responsible approach at every stage of cultivation.
While modern vertical farming methods create ideal growing conditions for plants, they do not always guarantee uniform nutritional and chemical composition in crops. Many factors influencing crop quality are beyond the control of all farmers.
Imperfection 12: Reduction of jobs in rural areas
The development of vertical farming can significantly impact the labor market and the supply of locally produced goods. Only a few large-scale indoor farms have the capacity to replace the cultivation of greens and tomatoes within a radius of several tens of kilometers.
This shift in demand can lead to a significant decrease in earnings for small-scale producers, affecting rural communities. As a result, individuals may need to seek alternative livelihoods, potentially abandoning traditional agriculture.
Conclusions
If you look at our two materials and compare the advantages and disadvantages of vertical farming, you can immediately notice that there are almost twice as many positive points.
Yes, each technology has its pros and cons, but this is not a reason to cry, it is not a reason to stop dreaming about a bright future in which people effectively use all resources and opportunities provided by nature and environment.
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