Feeding The Hungry

Hydroponic farming is an excellent way to address all four of the problems discussed above. These farms use a great deal less water than traditional farming, and many recycle their water supply, meaning they can operate even in drought conditions.

Because more plants can be grown in a small space, hydroponic gardens can be planted and maintained in crowded cities, inside greenhouses and warehouses, and even on rooftops. They require no soil, so erosion and soil degradation aren’t a factor.

Hydroponic plants have direct access to water and the necessary nutrients instead of having to pull them from the surrounding soil. This means they grow larger and faster than those grown traditionally. Since they can be grown indoors, they are also not subject to the changing seasons. This means you can have summer fruits in the middle of winter or annual harvests that now ripen three times a year.

With such a large amount of food being grown, the cost of feeding a family can be driven down significantly. And since these farms can exist even in the heart of the densely populated cities of the world, transportation and shipping are virtually eliminated. We’re a long way from eliminating world hunger, and even with hydroponics, there are other factors that will contribute to the problem. But hydroponic farming can make a huge difference for many hungry populations around the world as well as the food desert problem right here at home.