Modern vertical farming concept
Concepto moderno de granja vertical
- Date
- 1999 · confidence medium
- Place
- Columbia University, New York City, United States
- Credited to
- Dickson Despommier
- Field
- Life & health
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
After his students calculated that rooftop gardens could feed only 2% of Manhattan, ecologist Despommier proposed growing crops in skyscrapers, stacking plants indoors; the specific design was never built, but it popularized the idea of vertical farming worldwide.
This is a concept and design proposal, not an actual building: the agricultural skyscraper Despommier envisioned was never built; the vertical farms that exist today were built by others, well into the 21st century.
What it led to
- Commercial vertical-farming companies using LED lighting and hydroponics
- Debate on urban agriculture and reducing food-transport footprint