THE FUTURE OF GROWING?

Could growing plants independent of the weather and soil, and using less space, turn us all into smallholders, asks Charlotte Cooper

- Charlotte Cooper

An apocalyptic start to 2020 has made farming challenging in many parts of the country this year. But whether you put this down to global warming or just bad luck, the trend towards more extreme weather seems to be a global phenomenon. And when you throw in increased soil degradation, urban expansion and increased populations, it seems apparent that smallholders and farmers need to look for smarter ways to keep us all fed.

In January journalist George Monbiot rocked the agricultural world by suggesting that farming would become unnecessary as we would be growing all our food in the lab within 50 years. In the Channel 4 documentary Apocalypse Cow, he argued that farming was ruining the planet and we needed to move to a diet of unfarmed food and rewild our farmland.

He wasn’t speaking specifically about the burgeoning hydroponics movements — where vegetables are grown without the need for soil — but it would fit well into his vision of a future where farm animals no longer graze nor corn fields grow.

WHAT IS HYDROPONICS?

Hydroponics isn’t a new idea. The first use of the term was apparent in the early 20th century when plant nutritionist William Gericke astounded his colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, by growing 25ft high tomato vines without soil, using only water and nutrients. It has gone on to be a major method of farming in Spain and particularly the Netherlands, but it hasn’t really taken off in the UK… yet.