You may already be eating leafy greens that grow without soil, sunlight or ever being touched by human hands. Vertical farming has gained interest from growers and major investors around the world as a way to provide nourishing food, especially in urban areas. Gail Taylor, a vertical agriculture researcher and chair of the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, offered this perspective in an article recently published in The Guardian:
Urban heat islands are areas with few trees, little shade and an environment that releases heat into the air. Trees make cities more livable as temperatures rise with climate change. Heat islands can coincide with impoverished areas and human health problems. Mary Cadenasso, Plant Sciences professor, researches heat islands.
Nearly one-third of all the global food production is never eaten. We waste 30 million tons of food in the U.S. and 1.3 billion tons worldwide every year. This has huge economic, environmental and social costs. UC Davis faculty Ned Spang (Food Science and Technology) and Beth Mitcham (Plant Sciences) address the many issues that lead to food waste.
Small-scale farmers in Cambodia work with UC Davis’ Horticulture Innovation Lab and Royal University of Agriculture researchers to test methods for growing and selling produce. Farmers recognize that fruits and vegetables meet nutrition needs, and help lift themselves out of poverty. (Includes video)
The African Orphan Crops Consortium partnered with the Seed Biotechnology Center at UC Davis to optimize traditional African crops to improve nutrition, health, and local economies.