How Greenhouses Are Changing the Way We Eat

Whether you believe it is just due to natural cycles or not, the ever-changing climate will continue to transform our world. In some locations, crops may become harder to grow. The good news is, there are many people hedging their bets by turning to greenhouses and indoor gardening to grow food for the world to eat. In fact, we may need to change to a more vegetable-based diet in the near future.

Change is Coming

Some experts are recommending cultures with high meat consumption diets change over to something called a “flexitarian” diet composed of more organic vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes, unsaturated fats, and meat, dairy, and sugar but in lower quantities. Many of the vegetable-based crops can be grown indoors or in greenhouses where the temperatures can be more easily controlled.

Not surprisingly, products such as cannabis can be grown indoors along with vegetables. The legalization of these crops is spreading and more people are able to get growing permits in more states. When an indoor growing environment is completed, a person can grow both cannabis products and vegetables and fruits for personal consumption or sale.

Why Vegetables and Fruits?

Why will people be growing and eating more fruits and vegetables? These edibles are easier to grow in greenhouses and indoor gardening set-ups than animals. Plants take up less space and don’t produce manure and urine to get rid of. Plants also have a shorter planting-to-harvest time than raising an animal like a cow or a pig. Plants cause less pollution and take up fewer resources to grow.

How Can The Switch From Outdoor Growing To Indoor Growing Happen?

But, how will crop growing and eating changes happen? This huge change must be subsidized by governments and financed by wealthy people who want to invest in the future of food production. The change is already beginning to happen. Universities are experimenting with greenhouse materials and with growing food indoors with hydroponics. Vegetables and fruits are being grown in abandoned warehouses and other buildings that would otherwise be abandoned.

There are already some ingenious indoor food production efforts in cities such as New York. Shipping containers are set up with climate control tech. This is now called urban farming. Many herbs that were shipped from overseas in the past are now grown in American cities in climate-controlled indoor environments. Though the costs are high right now, they will go down as the urban garden concept grows.

The start-up urban gardener must cover costs for lighting, ventilation, air conditioning, irrigation, and finally harvesting and transport to the retail outlet for consumers. Once there are more urban farms, vertical farming, and indoor gardening ventures succeeding, people will be able to purchase vegetables and fruits gown nearer to them and without the expenses or shipping from overseas. This type of gardening will take hold all over the world, making it possible for people to grow food in more places in spite of rising temperatures or lack of rain.

In addition to commercial indoor gardening ventures, homeowners and even renters can grow some of their own food in indoor garden projects. There could be more greens for healthy salads, lovely tomatoes, and additional vegetables and fruits that will be adapted for indoor growing. This could reduce food insecurity and improve the individual person’s diet in the future. Indoor herb gardens and small salad gardens are already becoming more common in American kitchens.

Photo Credit: A.S. Morton