Challenges in Vertical Farming and Controlled Environments Agriculture

Abstract

Michael Hoadley - Founder of Fewzion, a Chicago firm that helps develop sustainable agriculture projects.

Rising awareness of natural resource issues surrounding the Food/Energy/Water Nexus have intersected with a growing understanding of the relationship between agriculture and healthcare. Combined with the global macroeconomic trend toward urbanization, a great deal of interest has developed in controlled environment high density urban agriculture as a way to address a myriad of concerns. Given the historical predisposition to think of agriculture as purely a creature of rural culture, the over-zealous nature of policy makers to see urban agriculture as a panacea for a range of social ills, and the velocity and newness of the sector, it is important to choose language and frame the discussion in the context of economically self-sustainable models, free of dependence on policy subsidy & philanthropy. This talk discussed challenges in vertical farming, the state of play in the industry, and the speakers thoughts on trajectory of this emerging asset class of real estate and sub sector of agribusiness.