How often have we heard of food crops being ruined locally and worldwide? Just recently in China a typhoon took the lives of two in Taiwan and ruined fruit crops for the season. It was touching to watch footage of the wife of a farmer break down into tears but beyond the emotions there lay a grim reality that will extend far beyond the day. The crops were destined for the market for consumption. Not only is the livelihood of this farmer ruined but the global food crisis was not helped any.

Upon the wings of disaster human innovation has a habit of riding, like a surfer riding a large incoming wave before it breaks. Without the disaster there is just too little interest in the improvement of any given situation. In this regard one may recall echoes of various improvements made following local disasters. Without doubt the unfortunate Simshar incident will also result in its own fair share of policy modification, such as the requirement of all vessels beyond a certain distance from shore to possess certain standards in safety and communications gear. However as with many disasters the potential victims try to push the worst case scenarios out of their heads. Such could ‘never’ happen to them. In saying this I wish those surviving the victims a steady recovery.

However, returning to agriculture one cannot but note that most farm lands are excessively exposed to the elements by the shear nature of the methods used. Common agricultural practice involves the clearance of ground for the sowing of seeds intensively. This leaves bald soil unprotected by foliage or other vegetation and so such is vulnerable to both the sun and the wind. At the peak of hills erosion is even worse due to the increased exposure of the layout, which is why it is good practice to preserve cover vegetation at the tips so as to help prevent slides and to retain the regenerative properties of the cover. This would set the would-be farmer at advantage compared to a more ignorant food-grower but even multiple crop rotation cycles would still leave the fields relatively exposed. It is an age old problem. The outdoor farmer will always be at the mercy of the elements that he or she depends upon.

An alternative is to construct shelters of plastic or glass. Such provides the farmer with more control over the environment to which the crops are accountable. Results are also more reliable though the structures themselves are usually not impervious to the effects of weather. However in recent years a new concept in agriculture has been doing the rounds in the agricultural world. What if we were to integrate the concept of indoor farming with an architectural structure? The result would one variant in a variety of vertical agriculture plans that already exist on the web or in real life. The concept is in its infancy but I am of the belief that the concept is sound in principle, the growth of food crops within the urban environment. That would make food production much more reliable, provided that the structure can withstand a few good earth tremors.