Maximum Yield Canada July/August 2017

first feed
from the editor
Hydroponics may
be considered a
small industry, but
the technology and
forward-thinking
used in the industry
today will likely
solve a lot of food
supply problems
in the future.”
While hydroponics is unlikely to overtake traditional agriculture
economically anytime soon—current US annual crop production
is estimated at USD$143 billion while hydroponics is valued at a mere
USD$600 million—it’s not so much as how much is being grown but where.
From abandoned tube tunnels in London, England, to Canada’s Far North, to
bone dry deserts and skyscraper rooftops, today’s hydroponics is providing us
with a glimpse into the future of growing.
In this issue of Maximum Yield, we feature a company that has developed
technology that allows food to grow where it previously couldn’t. Why is this
important? Because, if we carry on with our current population trend, there will
be 11.2 billion human mouths to feed by 2100. There simply isn’t enough arable
land or fresh water to supply that kind of demand. We already know this.
This is why companies like Desert Greens H 2O (page 58) is trailblazing new
methods and locations to grow food. In the Nevada desert, Desert Greens H 2O
spent a decade perfecting a system that now allows their systems to produce
four times the yield of the average greenhouse with 12 harvests per year.
Sure, hydroponics may be considered a small industry, but the technology
and forward-thinking used in the industry today will likely solve a lot of food
supply problems in the future.
Today, nobody knows what society will be like in 2100. We hope it will
be a peaceful, healthy, and happy place. One thing we do know is
that the people who are here will need to eat, and it’s likely
hydroponics will have a large part in fulfilling that need.
As always, thanks for reading Maximum Yield
and if you have any questions feel free to contact
us at editor@maximumyield.com.
8 first feed