The opportunity
Ensure local food security, reduce transportation distances and associated emissions for produce, minimize water usage and pesticide application, and provide fresh crops year-round directly in densely populated areas.
From “The BIG Future: Vertical Farming at Scale” (February 2023)
it significantly reduces the cost of bringing food from farmlands into urban areas - in my own case, I’ve got a pretty significant vertical farm, from one of the leading companies in Canada, just about a mile from my back door. The average food item travels some 1,500 miles before it reaches our dinner table, resulting in food loss, and massive carbon use in transportation. Consider this: nearly all of the leafy greens in the US come from California, Arizona, and Mexico - and so by the time it gets to market, it is already a few days old! Here’s a fact to think about: 90% of leafy greens grown in the U.S. are transported more than 3,000 miles to consumers on the East Coast.
speed to market! It’s common for full-size basil plants to grow in but three weeks, and micro-herbs in just one week. A full wheat crop can take six to 10 months to grow outdoors but only 2 to 3 months on a vertical farm. In winter climates, the production increase is huge - in Michigan, we can harvest lettuce 17 times a year compared to once or twice per season in outdoor farms.
In Singapore, 90% of the food comes from outside the country - from up to 190 different countries! But they have established a goal to produce 30% of its nutritional needs by 2030, much of that from vertical farms.
From “Decoding Tomorrow: The Way Forward: #2 Agriculture- The farmer of the future is part biologist, part data scientist, and part roboticist—but is still 100% an optimist who plants a seed and believes in tomorrow.”” (September 2025)
Vertical Farming & Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). As the global population grows and arable land shrinks, farming is moving indoors. Vertical farms can reduce land use by up to 99% and water use by 95% while enabling year-round, 24-hour production in urban centers. This radically shortens supply chains, reduces transportation costs, and provides consumers with fresher produce.
Sustainability & Food Security. A core challenge is that global food production must double in the next 30 years with little new arable land available. This positions innovative and efficient growers for immense success. Furthermore, sustainability is becoming a key market differentiator, allowing producers to market products like” environmental beef ” based on independently audited environmental management systems.
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) : By moving production indoors into vertical farms, CEA uses technologies like hydroponics and LED lighting to grow crops year-round with up to 98% less water and 99% less land. Business models range from Infarm’s in-store modular units to PlantLab’s large, centralized food factories.
From “Daily Inspiration: The Reality of Trends - “One person’s skepticism is another person’s gold!”” (November 2023)
it significantly reduces the cost of bringing food from farmlands into urban areas - in my own case, I’ve got a pretty significant vertical farm, from one of the leading companies in Canada, just about a mile from my back door. The average food item travels some 1,500 miles before it reaches our dinner table, resulting in food loss, and massive carbon use in transportation. Consider this: nearly all of the leafy greens in the US come from California, Arizona, and Mexico - and so by the time it gets to market, it is already a few days old! Here’s a fact to think about: 90% of leafy greens grown in the U.S. are transported more than 3,000 miles to consumers on the East Coast.
70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050, up from 50% today - and so this transportation issue becomes a huge opportunity. Africa is urbanizing so fast that by 2030 it will cease to be a rural continent - and is already experienced with the idea. Already there are 800 million ‘city farmers’ according to UN statistics, including 25% of the population of Burkina Faso, 35% of Cameroon, 63% of Kenya, and 68% of Tanzania. 90% of the fresh vegetables in Accra, Ghana come from farming within the city - and so as the industry matures, the opportunities throughout the continent are massive!
speed to market! It’s common for full-size basil plants to grow in but three weeks, and micro-herbs in just one week. A full wheat crop can take six to 10 months to grow outdoors but only 2 to 3 months on a vertical farm. In winter climates, the production increase is huge - in Michigan, we can harvest lettuce 17 times a year compared to once or twice per season in outdoor farms.
Read the full pieces on jimcarroll.com:
The BIG Future: Vertical Farming at Scale
Decoding Tomorrow: The Way Forward: #2 Agriculture- The farmer of the future is part biologist, part data scientist, and part roboticist—but is still 100% an optimist who plants a seed and believes in tomorrow.”
Daily Inspiration: The Reality of Trends - “One person’s skepticism is another person’s gold!”