The document discusses issues with current linear agricultural practices and land consumption, and proposes vertical farming as an alternative. Specifically: 1) Current agriculture is unsustainable due to finite land and increasing population pressures, leading to widespread deforestation and environmental degradation. 2) Vertical farming in "Sky Farm" skyscrapers is proposed as an alternative, which could grow enough food for 40,000 people using only 1.34 hectares of land instead of hundreds through highly efficient water and space use. 3) "Sky Farm" would be fossil-fuel free and could improve food security while reducing agriculture's environmental impact through waste recycling and renewable energy.

1. THE VERTICAL SHIFT: AVOIDING THE MALTHUSIAN CATASTROPHE BY GORDON GRAFF

2. “ The power of population is so superior to the power of the earth to produce subsistence for man, that premature death must in some shape or other visit the human race.” _____________________________ Thomas Malthus, 1789 THE VERTICAL SHIFT: AVOIDING THE MALTHUSIAN CATASTROPHE BY GORDON GRAFF

5. Linear Consumption of Land Dust Bowl – 1930s USA William B. Greeley, The Relation of Geography to Timber Supply, Economic Geo. 1925 DUST BOWL – 1930s US MID-WEST

6. Linear Consumption of land About ½ of the mature tropical forest cover of the earth has been destroyed, somewhere between 750-800 million hectares

7. Linear Consumption of land AFGHANISTAN 70% loss Between 1990 and 2005 Afghanistan lost 33.8% of its woodland habitat. In total, 70% of its forests have been destroyed.

8. Nigeria presently has the highest rate of deforestation of primary forests, according to the UN. Between 1990 and 2005 the country lost 35.7% of its forest cover. All together, 79% of Nigeria’s primary forests have been destroyed. Reasons: Logging, Subsistence Agriculture, Collection of Firewood Linear Consumption of land NIGERIA 79% loss

9. Linear Consumption of land MADAGASCAR 94% loss Madagascar’s rampant deforestation has resulted in extensive desertification, water resource degradation, and soil loss. Approximately 94% of its biologically diverse lands have been destroyed, nearly all of which has occurred since claiming independence from France in 1958. This is disheartening when considering 5% of the earths plant and animal species are located in Madagascar, most of which are endemic.

10. Linear consumption of land PHILIPPINES +90% loss At one time 95% of the land area of the Philippine archipelago was covered by tropical rainforest Today, over 90% of this diverse ecosystem has been destroyed The Philippines is ranked as having the most severely endangered mammal and bird faunas in the world

14. Food Security $145 barrel July 2008 $70 barrel July 2006 Environmental Variability Food – Oil Connection Haiti April 2008 Climate Change Pest Damage Drought Food Security

20. Sky Farm Sky Farm

22. Sky Farm PHOTOVOLTAICS GREEN WALL (SILAGE)

24. x2.8 SURFACE AREA Space Efficiency – Surface Area 63 metres (surface area) 182 metres (growing area) = EXAMPLE : Strawberry Production

26. Space Efficiency – Vertical Stacking James Wines – HIGHRISE OF HOMES

27. Sky Farm Sky Farm PRODUCE EQUAL TO… 1369.62 acre or 547.85 hectares … of conventional farming 18.18 acres of Lettuce 12.45 acres of Cucumber 48.93 acres of Eggplant 332.11 acres of Strawberries 22,20 acres of Peppers 18.70 acres of Carrots 389.64 acres of Spinach 340.02 acres of Soybeans 49.10 acres of Green Beans 14.43 acres of Tomatoes n/a acres of Poultry meat n/a acres Eggs 55.10 acres of Wheat 67.95 acres of Potatoes n/a acres of Tilapia (fish) meat

28. Sky Farm 1.34 hectares

29. Sky Farm 1.34 hectares 230 hectares

30. Sky Farm 230 hectares + 230 hectares = only 460 hectares!

31. Sky Farm Sky Farm CALCULATIONS

32. Sky Farm Sky Farm CALCULATIONS 40,000

33. ANAEROBIC DIGESTER LIVING MACHINE TM Sky Farm WASTE H 2 0 CLEAN H 2 0 POWER Sky Farm BUILDING SYSTEM DIAGRAM SILAGE AGRI-WASTE

34. Sky Farm Sky Farm CALCULATIONS Data courtesy of Dr. Dickson Despommier Columbia University

35. Sky Farm POWER Sky Farm URBAN SYSTEM DIAGRAM PRE-FILTER SEWAGE BIO-WASTE / COMPOSTABLES ORGANIC WASTE WASTE WATER POWER TO GRID WATER TO CITY WATER

36. GROW Housing Moss Park (Toronto)

38. Program GROW Housing

41. GROW Housing Cyclical Resource Flows

42. GROW Housing

43. Dongtan – China ARUP

44. Masdar – United Arab Emirates Sir NORMAN FOSTER

45. RAK Gateway – United Arab Emirates OMA – REM KOOLHAAS