Multiple Level Urban Farming in Newcastle

1. Traditional Agriculture and the Associated Problems

The Earths population is increasing. At the start of 2012 there were over 7 billion people living on
this planet. Not only is the number of people increasing, but where people are living has also
changed. In 2012 53% of the global population lived in urbanised areas but, by 2050, it is estimated
this figure will grow to 69%. (Hui, S. C. M. 2011.; World Bank) We are currently using an area the
equivalent to the size of South America to feed the global population. (Despommier, D.) If current
estimates are correct, the global population in 2050 will be 9.5 billion. This is an increase of 2.5
billion and if food production methods do not an additional area the size of Brazil will be required to
meet the increased demand. (Tilman, D. Fargione, J. et al. 2001.) It is unlikely that the planet will
be able to accommodate an urbanised humanity that continues to draw upon resources from more
distant hinterlands(Deelstra, T. And Girardet, H.)
1.1 Alternatives to traditional Agriculture
Despite 3.5 billion people already living in urban environments, and by 2050, an estimated 6.6 billion
people doing so (Despommier, D.), a shockingly small amount of food is produced in urban
environments, where the vast majority of it is consumed (Hui, S. C. M. 2011). This alone causes an
immediate issue as food has to be transported many miles to get from where it is produced to
where it is consumed. This increases the cost for the consumer and creates environmental pollution
and as fossil fuels are currently running out; the situation is only likely to worsen. In the UK a
shocking 25% of all journeys are related to the transportation of food, which represents 12% of the
United Kingdoms fuel consumption. (Barrs, R.). In addition, traditional agriculture methods use an
estimated 70% of the worlds available fresh water for irrigation, which, once used for irrigation, it is
generally unusable for drinking water. (Despommier, D) If the way we produce food does not
change, a combination of these factors will contribute to making food scarcity and fresh drinking
water serious issues for far more of the global population. Urban agriculture can be a viable solution
to these issues, Despite their inherent density, cities do have enormous potential for food
growing.( Smit et al. 1995; Deelstra, T. and Girardet, H) . What is needed is commercial food
production on a large scale, food produced in glass high-rises in major cities and urban areas, the
Vertical Farm.
2. Indoor farming
All crops can be grown indoors, but some are far better suited to it and give much better yields for
smaller amount of inputs. Many common fruits and vegetables are very perishable and as much as
30% of a crop can be lost through the storage or transportation stages (Despommier, D). Crops such
as these are ideally suited for indoor urban farming as they are produce near to the consumer,
reducing and often removing the need to store crops once theyve been harvested. (Deelstra, T. and
Girardet, H.) Small fruit bearing crops are ideally suited for indoor hydroponic growing as they grow
quickly and many plants can fit into a small area (figure 1).

Figure 1 - Indoor Hydroponic Farm, Oman.

2.1 The Benefits of Urban Farming
The advantages of urban agriculture and vertical farming are numerous when compared with
traditional farming methods. The first advantage is that climate can be controlled. Not only does
indoor urban farming remove the impact of environmental extremes such as droughts, floods and
extreme temperature fluctuations, it also allows the growing environment to be tailored to the
needs of the plants. (Barrs, R.). This allows crops that may only be harvested once a year through
traditional farming to be harvested three to four times a year. Fast growing crops such as lettuce
may be harvested up to 8 times in a single year given the correct growing conditions.
(Despommier,D). Moreover, feeding and watering of the plants can be made far more precise,
reducing wastes and saving on production costs, as well as reducing the ecological footprint of the
food(Lufa Farms).
2.2 Methods of Indoor Agriculture
There are many different methods of indoor farming that can be incorporated into a vertical urban
farm. (Aquaponics) These include hydroponics (figure 4), Aeroponics (figure 3), drip irrigation (figure
2) and aquaponics (figure 5). Hydroponics is where the plant is held in a growing medium with the
roots submerged in a nutrient rich solution. Aeroponics is where plants are held in a growing
medium in an area filled with a nutrient rich mist or vapour. Drip Irrigation is where a concentrated
solution of water and nutrients is dripped directly onto the stem or root ball of each individual plant.
(Deelstra, T. and Girardet, H.) The most efficient method of indoor farming is aquaponics. Plants are
grown in a very similar way to hydroponics but the water also contains fish which live in a symbiotic
relationship with the plants and provides conditions that the other needs to survive. (Aquaponics)
These methods all have individual advantages and disadvantages. One advantage they all share is
that they are highly controlled and allow for water recirculation and nutrient retention.
Conventional agriculture creates a large amount of runoff which causes various environmental issues
including the inefficient use of water. Controlled indoor farming has the potential to change this.
(Deelstra, T. and Girardet, H.)

Figure 2 (Left) Drip Irrigation System
Figure 3 (Right) - Aeroponics System

Figure 4 (Left) - Water Culture Hydroponic System
Figure 5 (Right) - Aquaponics Combined System

2.3 Issues relating to Vertical farms
Vertical farms are still a relatively new concept. Due to the infrastructure required, they require a
large upfront cost when compared with traditional farming. There must be strong government
supported economic incentives to the private sector, as well as universities and local government to
develop the concept (Despommier, D.) Vertical farms may well be the future for mass food
production, but as there are currently none in existence many people believe that they are just a
good idea, rather than a feasible solution (Cox, S. And Van Tassel, D. 2010). There are numerous
examples of urban agriculture that are successfully producing food in an urban environment at a
competitive price. Sky Greens (figure 6), Omega garden and Lufa farms (figure 7) are just a few
examples of this. However, urban agriculture still lacks any large scale production. Can the
technology and methods being utilised by the companies mentioned be scaled up and applied to
multiple growing floors? In order to answer this question, a multiple level urban farm needs to be
built and studied.

Figure 6 (Left) - Sky Greens Rotational Hydroponics
Figure 7 (Right) Lufa Farms rooftop greenhouse

3. Why Newcastle
In 2011 Newcastle was named the UKs most sustainable city and is currently implementing a large
regeneration project. This project, Science Central is located just outside Newcastles central
business district, see figure 8. (Newcastle Science City). The aim of the project is to ensure
Newcastle remains an exemplar in sustainability and research. In addition to the investment being
made in Science Central, Newcastle hosts the Centre for Life and the Campus for Aging and Vitality.
(Newcastle Science City.) Urban food production is rarely considered in conventional city planning. In
order to feed the increasing urban populations this approach needs to change. (Deelstra, T. and
Girardet, H.) Why not further Newcastles sustainability research and expand into urban agriculture
by developing, a small scale vertical farm which can be used by the University for research and
education purposes. This would provide vital information into the feasibility of Vertical farming in
urban environments and highlight some of the issues that may still need to be tackled. In most
existing cities there is often not enough space to create an entirely new structure solely for the
production of food. However, as Science Central is the redevelopment of an entire area, the space
required is available and needs to be utilised.

Figure 8 - Science Central site

3.1 The Ecological Footprint of Indoor Agriculture
Indoor farming has the potential to be up to nine times more productive than traditional field
farming. (Wada, Y. 1993). However, this is largely due to the low financial cost of electrical energy,
this can result in the ecological footprint of indoor farms being as much as 21 times that of
traditional field farming, despite the vast amount of space saved (Wada, Y. 1993). Therefore, the
success of an indoor farm relies on the idea of using a closed loop system. In nature nothing is
wasted and the waste of one organism becomes the food for another (Aquaponics). Conventional
farms however are not closed loop; they are linear. There are many inputs and for the vast majority
of farms, only one output, the food produced. Urban farming has the capability to change this as it is
a controlled environment, waste products can be collected and recycled, reducing the amount of
inputs required and therefore reducing the ecological cost of the food produced.
3.1 Concepts for Improving Sustainability
Wastewater contains the vast majority of nutrients and minerals that plants need to grow. (Deelstra,
T. and Girardet, H.) Once treated to remove harmful pathogens it can be re-used for irrigation,
reducing both water demand and nutritional input (Barrs, R.). There is the potential for Science
Central to have an integrated wastewater network so that instead of increasing demand on the
existing systems in Newcastle, the wastewater produced on site can be treated and re-used. Waste
water industry. Eco-Tek have developed a natural system for treating household wastewater, using a
mixture of plants and micro-organisms (figure 9). Using just a 100m2 greenhouse, 7000 litres of
wastewater a day could be treated to usable standards in a sustainable manner. (Hartil, L. 2000);
Affinity Water;Eco-tek) As well as remediating water, this process provides inedible plant material
which can be composted to produce methane (figure 10) (Salvato J, A. et al.). Methane can be used
for electricity production which would reduce the electrical demand of farm. A by-product of
methane electricity generation is carbon dioxide which can be used to aid the growth of edible
plants. (Combustion of Fossil Fuels) Science Central has the potential to be in integrated food
production system, collecting and using the wastes produce on site to produce the food that feeds
its population.

Figure 9 (left) - Solar Aquatic Wastewater Treatment
Figure 10 (right) Compost Cycle


4. Conclusion
It is clear that the ways we produce our food has to change. Science Central has the potential to lead
the way in urban food production both nationally and globally, supplying vital information into the
feasibility, operational costs and potential outputs of vertical farming. It is unlikely that urban food
production will be able to meet the needs of the population if there is only a single level of growth.
Without research institutes providing actual evidence on the potentials of multi-level urban farming,
it is very unlikely that companies will make the huge financial commitment required to construct a
full scale vertical farm. Urban farming is becoming more common, but, with an ever increasing
urbanised population, a larger scale of production is needed in order to meet the growing demand
without causing further damage to the environment.
A vision for what a multi level urban farm could look like for science central can be found at:
http://urban-farming.weebly.com
















5.0 References.
5.1 Written References
Affinity Water: How much water do you use? [Online] Available at:
https://www.affinitywater.co.uk/water-efficiency-water-usage.aspx (Last Accessed 08/05/14)
Aquaponics: Integrated solutions to food, energy and waste. [Online] Available at:
http://www.aquaponics.org.uk/ (Last Accessed 11/05/14)
Barrs, R. Sustainable Urban Food Production in the City of Vancouver: An Analiytical and Strategy
Framework for Planners and Decision-Makers. [Online] Available at:
http://www.cityfarmer.org/barrsUAvanc.html Omega essay
Combustion of Fossil Fuels. [Online] Available at:
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/511natgascombust.html (Last Accessed 08/05/14)
Composting at Paygrow facility. [Online] Available at:
http://garick.com/Blog/tabid/105/EntryId/24/Composting-at-Paygro-facility.aspx (Last accessed
11/05/14)
Cox, S. And Van Tassel, D (2010). Why Planting Farms in Skyscrapers Won't Solve Our Food Problems.
[Online] Available at:
http://www.alternet.org/story/146686/why_planting_farms_in_skyscrapers_won't_solve_our_food
_problems (Last Accessed 11/05/14)
Deelstra, T. and Girardet, H. Urban agriculture and Sustainable Cities. [PDF] Available at:
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.168.4991&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Despommier, D. The Rise of Vertical Farms: Reducing the impact of agriculture on ecosystem
functions and services. [online] Available at: http://www.verticalfarm.com/more?essay1
Eco-Tek: Solar Aquatic Water Systems. [Online] Available at:http://www.ecotek.ca/ECO-
TEK_Ecological_Technologies/Solar_Aquatics.html (Last Accessed 11/05/14)
Hartil, L. (2000) The squeaky-clean details of solar aquatics. [Online] Available at:
http://www.waterindustry.org/Water-Facts/aqua-clean.htm
Hui, S. C. M. (2011) Green roof urban farming for buildings in high-density urban cities. [PDF]
Available at:
http://www.mech.hku.hk/bse/greenroof/110318_WGRC2011_Hainan_SamHui_fullpaper.pdf
Newcastle Science City. [Online] Available at: http://www.newcastlesciencecity.com/about-nsc/our-
strengths/sustainability/ (Last Accessed 08/05/14)
Parke, G.A.R. Disney, P. (2002). Space structures 5; Volume 1. Thomas Telford. [Book]
Pegasus Agriculture: Hydroponics Projects. [Online] Available at: http://pegasusagritech.com/ (Last
Accessed 10/05/14)
Salvato, J.A. et al. (2003) Environmental Engineering. John Wiley & Sons; 5
th
Edition. [Book]
The world bank. Urban Development. [Online] Available at http://data.worldbank.org/topic/urban-
development (Last accessed 08/05/14)
Tilman, D. Fargione, J. et al. 2001. Forecasting agriculturally driven global environmental change.
[Online] Available at: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/292/5515/281.full (Last Accessed
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Wada, Y. (1993) The Appropriated Carrying Capacity of Tomato Production: Comparing the
Ecological Footprints of Hydroponic Greenhouse and Mechanized Field Operations [PDF] Available
at:
https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/handle/2429/1526/ubc_1993_fall_wada_yoshihiko.pdf?sequence=1

5.2 Written References
Figure 1 - http://pegasusagritech.com/
Figure 2 - http://www.simplyhydro.com/system.htm
Figure 3 - http://www.simplyhydro.com/system.htm
Figure 4 - http://www.simplyhydro.com/system.htm
Figure 5 - http://www2.hawaii.edu/~khanal/aquaponics/
Figure 6 - http://www.skygreens.appsfly.com/
Figure 7 - http://lufa.com/en/corporate.html
Figure 8 - http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/coal-dug-science-central-site-
4421032
Figure 9 - http://www.ecotek.ca/ECO-TEK_Ecological_Technologies/Solar_Aquatics.html
Figure 10 - http://garick.com/Blog/tabid/105/EntryId/24/Composting-at-Paygro-facility.aspx