These Dutch Engineers Could Help End World Hunger

By Trent Meyer
Read Time: 3 minutes
Any good Malthusian can tell you the global population benchmarks and the strain that an ever increasing population will place on the planet's resources, especially food. Humanity reached 7 billion sometime between 2011 and 2012, and the UN estimates the total at around 9 billion by 2050. In a sobering 2009 estimate, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization stated that food production will have to increase by 70% by 2050 to meet demand. Some say the situation is dire.


Enter PlantLab, a Dutch company that is hoping to lead the next agricultural revolution. The company purports that indoor farming can produce crop yields "30 to 40 times higher than an open crop field." So, in order to feed 100,000 people, a facility would only need to be the size of 2 soccer fields stacked 10 stories.

You might wonder how this is possible. According to PlantLab, research indicates that plants normally only utilize red and blue light from the sun, or about "1-5%" of the sun's total energy. So by controlling the light wavelengths using ever-improving (and cheapening) LED lighting, the crops can receive optimized light energy, improving yields. Plus, PlantLab facilities have the capability to control important factors like air and soil temperatures, carbon dioxide levels, watering, and fertilizing.


In an era so focused on sustainability, the PlantLab concept appears promising in this realm. Indoor crops are not subjected to bugs, fungi, or disease, meaning there's no need for pesticides or genetic modifications. And as increasing populations and climate change strain regional water supplies (see: California), PlantLab's controlled environment uses "90% less water than traditional agricultural practices."

The PlantLab concept also emphasizes "local growing." As a larger share of people continue to move into cities around the globe (85% by 2050), transportation of food will become increasingly important and expensive. But imagine the ramifications of having the farm a block from a downtown market. Shorter transport means less time between harvest and consumption, which means lower costs and fresher food.

The urban farming concept is not new- Japan has a facility the produces 100 times the lettuce of traditional farms using 40% less energy and 99% less water. In the face of immense problems such as increasing populations and resource scarcity, innovators like PlantLab shine rays hope on mankind's future.