Preserving our natural resources is a pressing social issue; certain modern agricultural practices harm this end. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, it is one of the most common human-caused soil contaminants. Soil conservation for agriculture causes deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions, making the current model unsustainable. Hydroponics, a more sustainable production technique, can be used to bring produce closer to consumers.
Instead of using soil, hydroponics employ nutrient-rich water to grow plants. This practice requires fewer resources than conventional agriculture. Hydroponics farms, like Claros Farm, are gaining increasing significance today, mainly because of their sustainability and eco-friendliness.
How is hydroponics beneficial to our environment?
Helps conserve water
Despite its “hydroponic” designation, the system uses minimal water. Hydroponic systems require much less water than soil-based agriculture since they reuse and recycle water. These greenhouses also feature irrigation systems that transport water directly to plant roots, avoiding runoff and evaporation and guaranteeing each plant gets enough water.
When added together, these measures can reduce water consumption by conventional farming practices by a factor of ten.
Helps in power conservation
By their very nature, hydroponic systems use very little energy. The controlled environment’s temperature, humidity, and lighting conditions are fine-tuned to minimize energy wastage and promote optimal growth. The light spectrum plants may require precision adjustments using LED grow lights, making them more energy efficient.
It takes far less energy to pump and distribute water using the above technology, which recirculates water and nutrients. Finally, compared to conventional greenhouses, hydroponic ones consume far less power due to their energy-efficient heating and cooling systems.
Limits the use of pesticides
Because hydroponics systems are naturally resistant to many illnesses and pests, less pesticide is needed, which means fewer environmental chemicals and safer farming for farmers. According to research, pesticides can disperse through the air, seep into underground water sources, and devastatingly impact avian and aquatic life. Because no weeds are appearing, no herbicides are required.
Minimizes land usage
Because of their vertical design, hydroponic systems are compact and need little area. In reality, 2.7 million servings of leafy greens may be produced annually by a 1.5-acre hydroponic greenhouse.
As an example, consider Gotham Greens. Established in 2009, the company now manages seven states’ worth of hydroponic greenhouses, totaling over 1.2 million square feet. One leading North American greenhouse lettuce grower is their Brooklyn greenhouse, above a Whole Foods store.
Easier access and fresher produce means a lower carbon footprint
To reduce the amount of land needed and to make fresh produce more accessible to areas that may not otherwise have it, many hydroponic farms are situated near or even in cities.
Half of the fruits and 20% of the vegetables sold in supermarkets are imported, meaning their journey from farm to shelf could take a week or more. The time it takes for food to go from the greenhouse to the store shelf is reduced to half with urban hydroponic gardening. Emissions are significantly lower than other options because products don’t have to travel as far.
Sustainable crops
Hydroponic systems provide year-round food production. Crop yields can be increased compared to traditional farming practices combined with improved control over nutrient delivery. According to specific companies, hydroponic farming has the potential to increase agricultural yields by 240 times compared to conventional agriculture.
Additionally, greenhouses may grow faster and produce healthier produce using technology that helps monitor crop health and progress.
Final thoughts
The vision – if we care about our environment, we must change our methods, has led to the innovation of soilless gardening, i.e., hydroponics, which is nothing short of revolutionary. Aside from its environmental benefits, hydroponics can improve resource efficiency and lower production costs in farming.