Crisis, crisis, crisis... and guess what? More crises. Every time we hear that word, it all feels more daunting. But here's the thing: with every challenge comes an opportunity. From the affordable housing shortage to the economic downturn and the climate emergency, there's always a new challenge, opening the door to new possibilities. But the truth is, none of these are isolated events; they're all interconnected in some way, forming different facets of the same story. Perhaps one of the least mentioned, particularly when it comes to the built environment, is the global food crisis, which is growing (almost) silently, waiting to take center stage. It poses various challenges for future food production, especially in cities.
In the current global context, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, the rise of armed conflicts, and the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed the fragility of our food supply chain. Globally, we face devastating floods, droughts, and geopolitical tensions that hamper food production, drive up prices, and create supply chains bottlenecks, paradoxically, often thousands of miles away from our tables.
So, what are the alternatives?
While it is becoming increasingly common to use terraces, balconies, and vertical gardens for food production, these approaches face significant challenges in their relationship with the outdoors and the built environment. Air and water pollution in cities, often laden with heavy metals and chemicals, can make food gardens unsafe for consumption. In addition, environmental factors such as the heat island effect can compromise the scalability of these systems. The relevance of this issue becomes clearer when we consider that, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 79% of the food produced worldwide is consumed in urban areas. Such statistics suggest that these urban gardening strategies will only address a portion of self-consumption, given the limited ratio between inhabited space and the area needed to grow food.
This is where technology becomes crucial. As we develop new scenarios that integrate urban food production with resilience strategies for various crises, we are witnessing the emergence of innovative proposals. These take full advantage of technological potential and, when integrated with urban environments, open up interesting paths for addressing future challenges in food production coherently and effectively.
The Rise of Urban and Peri-Urban Farm Districts Within Cities
Not surprisingly, space and land are increasingly scarce resources, which is crucial for traditional architectural systems. Confronted with this reality, we may witness the emergence of entire districts primarily focused on aerofarms. With a strategic approach to land-use planning, these districts could be designated for agriculture, incorporating both ground-based and potentially floating structures.
Aerofarms are urban agriculture facilities that employ a soil-less cultivation system, known as aeroponic agriculture, where plants grow in a controlled environment, with their roots suspended in the air, receiving a fine mist of nutrients and water. In addition, they incorporate advanced technology, such as LED lighting, automated environmental monitoring systems, and water and nutrient recycling, optimizing plant growth to the maximum. Now imagine cities where these buildings, dedicated exclusively to agriculture, are spread out densely. Their magnitude and complexity could evoke Italo Calvino's invisible cities. Can you imagine walking through urban landscapes where all you see are agricultural structures?
Combining Refurbishment and Agrovoltaics for Eco-Friendly Building Solutions
Adaptive reuse is presented as one of the most effective solutions to reduce the environmental impact of architecture. Looking ahead, the possibility of using part of the available building stock to convert them into urban agriculture hubs is being explored. This approach brings several challenges, such as the compatibility of buildings with the technological systems needed for food production, but it also fosters innovation in architectural design.
Under an energy retrofitting scheme, these adaptations could be integrated with agrovoltaic systems, achieving dual use of space. Solar panels would generate energy while allowing food to be grown around them, maximizing space and creating a symbiosis between food and energy. The strategic location of these buildings in urban centers, where accessibility to basic services is guaranteed, could shorten the production and supply chain, thus contributing to a more sustainable, economic, and efficient model.
Innovative Architecture for Agriculture 4.0
Ultimately, architecture is not the only discipline benefiting from the advancement of technology. Agricultural practices are also experiencing impressive growth thanks to what many call the fourth industrial revolution, which encompasses a variety of technological innovations. For example, Big Data and analytics through artificial intelligence are making it possible to handle large volumes of information to analyze trends, predict yields, and optimize agricultural decisions. This could result in architectural programs incorporating spaces for growing food and server rooms within urban farms and indoor planting facilities.
Robotics and artificial intelligence will also play a crucial role in the design of our buildings. With the help of machines and robots, tasks like planting, harvesting, and crop maintenance can be carried out more efficiently, reducing our reliance on manual labor. This approach promotes precision agriculture, which leverages technology to optimize the application of inputs like water, fertilizers, and pesticides, thereby minimizing waste. In addition, that same waste could be used to develop biomaterials that help reduce environmental impact to zero.
Undoubtedly, as we move towards a future where the food crisis consolidates as a reality, it will be essential to approach it with caution and self-criticism. This is necessary, as many current crises stem from our production, management, and consumption habits, along with public policies that have favored excess over more responsible approaches. To face these challenges, it will be key to review these patterns and adopt more sustainable practices hand in hand with technology, which will mitigate the effects of the crisis and build more resilient systems for the future.
The social, geographic, and economic context will determine how we face these contemporary challenges. In this regard, the global south could play a crucial role thanks to the ancestral knowledge it has developed around agriculture. At the same time, parallel debates are likely to arise that will lead us to question the future of the urban environment or even whether the suburbs could become the new cities. There are many possible directions, and it may still be too early to predict what the future holds. However, we must rethink our relationship with production systems, the outdoors, and the built environment to create a more just and sustainable future.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Outdoors and the Built Environment. Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.
