The current world population of over 7 billion people is estimated to increase to 9.8 billion by 2050. How would we solve this looming problem of food insecurity if sustainable and innovative approaches such as greenhouse farming are not employed?
Everything has evolved, including farming and agribusiness. The basic tenets have remained unchanged, but the way it has been done has through iGrow News. The change is necessary to meet the increasing food demand and to curb the effect of climate change on food security. Managing fresh food supply chains presents major challenges owing to specific characteristics, such the perishability of food items. Some of these chains are marked by increasing concerns about food quality and safety, alarming levels of food waste and food loss, and lack of economic sustainability.
The rate of product deterioration can be faster depending on the condition of the product and its environment and can also be largely affected by supply chain’s design and planning, since it affects the duration that products spend in each facility and vehicle. That means perishable products should be harvested, procured, processed, and marketed in a timely manner to avoid a set of negative consequences to these supply chain players, society and environment, such as catastrophic waste volumes, financial crises for farmers, societal distress, and economic losses across the marketplace.
Technology has, however, offered a solution to this through greenhouse market farming. The effects of climate change on agriculture will depend on the rate and severity of the change, as well as the degree to which farmers and ranchers can adapt. U.S. agriculture already has many practices in place to adapt to a changing climate, including crop rotation and integrated pest management.
Faced with increasing weather unpredictably, many growers are erecting greenhouse structures to grow their crops and even raise animals. When combined with farm management software for highly efficient operations, new technology in greenhouse structures and controlled environment growing techniques represent a scalable solution to sustainable food production.
Climate Change, Sustainability and Greenhouse Farming
While extreme weather conditions have always been part of farming, global warming caused by increasing greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is contributing to more frequent and extremely unfavorable weather events and threatening global food security. According to the United Nations, the planet is averaging 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures. While that may not seem like a lot, increased air temperatures change traditional weather patterns, causing more catastrophic heat waves, extreme precipitation events and other weather-induced events, like rising sea levels from melting glaciers.
Greenhouse farming is seen as one solution to combat all these changes. Greenhouse structures can mitigate high and low temperatures while growing food in regions where food production wasn’t previously possible, thereby reducing carbon emissions due to transportation, lessening the impact of supply chain shocks, and conserving water and nutrient use as compared to traditional agricultural production.
Types of Greenhouse Farming
Greenhouse farming can be accomplished using multiple types of structures, depending on the goal and needs of the farming operations. They vary depending on the system, the material used to cover them and the construction technique.
1. Hoop Houses and Poly Tunnels
Hoop houses, also known as polytunnels, are greenhouses built on a hoop. The hoop frame can be made of any appropriate materials. Bamboo is traditionally used in hoop houses built in regions of the world where bamboo grows abundant. Hoop houses are relatively inexpensive to build and can be erected as temporary, seasonal structures or even designed to be portable. Many hoop houses are built so side walls can be lowered and raised, which allows natural airflow to lower temperatures and reduce humidity. Because of their low cost, flexibility and ease of construction, hoop houses are popular structures for lower budgets and simpler management goals.
2. Polycarbonate and Glass Houses
Because of the solid nature of polycarbonate and glass, greenhouses built with these materials are built on structures with flat or angular roofs, not hoop frames. Polycarbonate and glass are more expensive to install but longer-lasting than plastic-covered hoop houses. They are more commonly seen in commercial greenhouse house enterprises. The frame configurations for a polycarbonate or glass house come in many forms, including gable, flat arch and gothic styles. Sometimes, a greenhouse might be installed with polycarbonate side walls but a polyethylene roof.
3. Shade Structures and Screen Houses
Shade structures are used to cool temperatures and limit the sunlight a crop receives. Shade structures are beneficial for fast-growing greens, such as lettuce or baby salad greens, susceptible to sweltering weather. Shade structures are covered with a woven material that blocks sunlight. Because the material doesn’t tear as plastic does, it can be built over hoop frames or frames with more angular edges. Screen houses are helpful in areas with serious pest problems or with high-value crops susceptible to pest pressure.
Greenhouse technology helps farmers maximize land space for food production, especially in vertical farming systems. Having learned the benefits of greenhouse farming, these concepts are important to know if you intend to adopt greenhouse technology.
