From traditional methods of farming, usually practised in large green fields in rural areas, people have now introduced the concept of urban farming, where crops are grown not on land but instead in empty spaces like terraces, balconies, indoors, vertical setups, and community gardens.
The main motive of urban farming is to grow food where there is a high demand, as urban areas are heavily populated, and organic food usually becomes expensive due to transportation costs.

The need for urban farming

Urban farming is popular nowadays as people have become more health-conscious and lifestyle changes are happening. People now prefer spending time in nature, eating organic vegetables, and adding more trees and plants to urban cities to tackle pollution and humidity, which are major causes of climate change.

Less land for farming

As technologies have advanced in agriculture, people are using these technologies to grow food in very small spaces. Methods such as vertical farming, hydroponics, aquaponics, etc., are now being used, and in urban areas, people grow their own food in balconies, terraces, and vacant spaces in their societies.

Food security

When food is grown in front of them, people know how safe or harmful it is. The amount of chemicals used is minimized, and people prefer organic food. After COVID-19, people have understood the importance of a good immune system and have become more health-conscious.

Environment protection

Urban areas are heavily populated and have bad air quality and high temperatures. These problems are serious and have been widely discussed at climate conferences. Climate change is such a big issue that if we don’t take action now, we may not get another chance. This is the only chance we have.

Reduces transportation

Crops are grown within urban areas where the demand exists. Transportation costs are minimized, and fresh food is readily available in the market. This also helps in reducing the carbon footprint.

Less wastage or recycling of waste

Urban farming leads to less food waste compared to traditional farming. Natural farming also minimizes waste, but urban farming is even more efficient, as farmers are closer to consumers. Food spoilage is reduced, harvesting is done when needed, cold storage units are used, and kitchen waste is utilised.

Water-efficient systems

Modern methods like hydroponics, aquaponics, and aquaculture use 80% less water compared to traditional farming methods, as the water is reused within the system.

Better quality as grown in controlled environments

Since most food is grown in controlled environments, it is organic, and very little pest control is needed. These methods are highly in demand as people seek out organic food.

Different methods of urban farming

In urban farming, since there is no large agricultural land available, people mainly use vertical farming, hydroponics, aquaponics, and terrace farming. These methods have become effective due to advancements in technology.

Vertical farming

One of the challenges in urban farming is the availability of land. Vertical farming is an effective method where food is grown vertically, stacked in layers like shelves or on walls. Water supply is managed with gravity and motor pumps. If grown indoors, artificial lighting is used to replace sunlight.

Hydroponics

In this type of farming, plants grow in water instead of soil. They are grown in pipes, bottles, trays, etc. Water provides all the necessary nutrients for plant growth. Mainly leafy vegetables are grown in hydroponic setups. These are done indoors in controlled environments, so there are no problems with pests or wind. Although this setup is expensive, it is highly efficient.

Aquaponics

Aquaponics is somewhat similar to hydroponics but combines plant farming with fish farming. Water that passes from the plants is directed to the fishes, whose waste becomes nutrients for the plants. The nutrient-rich water is then recirculated to the plants, cleaning the water for the fish again.
This cycle creates a balanced ecosystem where both plants and fish thrive.

Terrace farming

In urban areas, terraces are often empty spaces. They are ideal for growing gardens of vegetables. Terrace gardens can also become community gardens, supporting mental health and creating peaceful environments.
Terraces can easily be converted into gardens by using large grow bags and containers.

Conclusion

In today’s world, it is good to see that people have become health-conscious and are taking steps to protect the environment. The younger generation is also starting to understand the importance of agriculture, and people are using available resources more effectively.
However, there is still a lot to achieve to heal our planet.
Urban farming is one positive step toward a better future. Although there is much more to achieve, we have already come a long way — from farming only on farmlands to advanced indoor farming like hydroponics and aquaponics.

Nowadays, with the help of technology and modern ways of precise farming, many types of agriculture have become beneficial and accessible. One such is microgreen farming, which is a fast-growing segment of agriculture, especially popular for urban farming and small-scale setups or indoor farming.
In this article, you will get a brief idea of microgreen farming, its benefits, disadvantages, and basic setup plan.

Microgreens Farming

Microgreen farming is different from normal farming of plants. Here, young vegetables are harvested just after the cotyledon leaves develop; hence it doesn’t take much time for the plants to harvest. These leaves or greens at this stage are very nutritious and add a flavour to any dish. Hence, these are popular among chefs as they tend to add a depth of flavour to the dish, making it rich and tasty.

Microgreens

Microgreens are small plants from herbs and vegetables. They are harvested just after the cotyledons appear. They are smaller than baby plants but bigger than sprouts and very rich in nutrients—mainly 4 to 40 times higher than normal mature plants. They are mainly used in salads, smoothies, and garnishing. They tend to add an in-depth flavour to the dishes.
Example:
Normal plant – big spinach
Microgreen – tiny spinach seedling (7-10 days old)

Advantages of Microgreen Farming

Following are the advantages of microgreen farming:

• Short growing phase
  Microgreens are not fully grown plants. Instead, they are harvested when the first cotyledons appear. Hence, it takes around 7–12 days to harvest a microgreen. As harvesting is done so early, you can easily plant multiple crops per month for regular or constant income.
• Organic
  To grow these plants, no fertilizers or chemicals are needed; they are purely organic. Also, no need for fertilizers or chemicals cuts off some of the key costs for growing.
• Low investment, low maintenance, and high profit
  In order to grow microgreens, you need small space and capital, as they are harvested quickly, making microgreen farming a quick return on investment (ROI).
  Less water is used compared to other methods of farming, and no soil preparation or labour-intensive work is needed.
• Fast growing market
  Nowadays, people are more focused on a healthy lifestyle, clean, organic, and healthy food. With this mindset shift, the demand for microgreens is increasing in urban cities and luxury hotels.
• No expertise or professional certifications needed
  Growing microgreens is an easy farming technique. Anybody can learn and easily adapt to this farming method. A larger variety and quantity can be grown in a small setup.

Disadvantages of Microgreen Farming

Some of the disadvantages of growing microgreens are the following:

• Maintaining hygiene and disease-free environment
  As they are grown in small spaces indoors or even outdoors, they are difficult to keep disease-free. We need to create an artificial environment for microgreens to grow.
• Collecting the best quality seeds
  As there’s no other important element in this type of farming, seeds play a really important role here. Choosing high-quality seeds from trusted brands is really important.
• Creating a consistent market
  As a farmer of microgreens, you need to find a good market for them to sell. As they are harvested quickly, within just 7–10 days, you need to find a consistent market to sell.

Requirements of Microgreen Farming

Following are the necessities for microgreen farming:

• Location, space – it can be indoor, balconies, terraces, or greenhouses
• Equipment – growing trays, seeds (good quality), water sprays, growing medium (cocopeat, soil, or tissue papers)
• LED grow lights for indoor farming

Steps of Microgreen Farming

Following are the steps for microgreen farming:

• Step 1 – Selection of good quality seeds
• Step 2 – Preparation of trays – you need to prepare the trays with a growing medium (tissues, cocopeat, soil). Doing this step correctly is highly important as this will create the base for growing.
• Step 3 – Growing – in this step, you need to spread the seeds evenly, as this will ensure proper growth of the microgreens. Cover the trays for germination for 2–3 days. Once the seeds are germinated, you need to expose the seeds to sunlight after germination.
• Step 4 – Maintenance – you need to water them daily and watch out for any diseases, as prevention is better than cure.
• Step 5 – Harvesting – once the microgreens are fully developed, it will take around 7–21 days. You need to harvest them once grown.

Conclusion

Microgreen farming is really easy and convenient to grow, and they are highly profitable as compared to traditional methods of farming. Microgreens are healthy, nutrient-rich, easily digestible plants. Starting microgreen farming is a wise investment and business to do.

Indoor farming is known as vertical, horizontal, controlled environment, or urban farming. This is a new technique of farming in which maximum benefit is taken from the land. In this farming, success is achieved through a controlled environment inside the building structure, such as a greenhouse, warehouse, basement, or unused industrial building.

Large equipment like tractors or combines is not used in indoor farming. The need for water, fertilizers, and other inputs is also less as compared to traditional farming. Doing this farming on a large scale is more profitable. New equipment like cameras and software is used in this farming. In this farming, we grow onions, green leafy vegetables, microgreens, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.

Types of indoor farming businesses

1. Hydroponic Farming: The word hydroponic is derived from the Greek language. It is made up of two words: “hydro,” which means “water,” and “ponein,” which means “to labor, work, or toil.” In this technique of agriculture, soil is not required for the cultivation of plants. The nutrients required for the growth of plants are mixed in water to make a solution and supplied through rockwool. Through this farming, farmers are able to provide fresh food 365 days a year.
2. Aeroponic farming: This is a technique of growing plants without soil. The roots of the plant are hung in the air and irrigated with a solution of nutrient-rich water through mist. In hydroponics, the roots remain immersed in water; hence, it is completely different from it.
3. Aquaponics Farming: Aquaponics is a method in which fish as well as plants are grown without soil. Fish waste contains beneficial bacteria, which convert it into essential nutrients for the plants, and the plants filter and purify the wastewater to create a proper environment for the fish to live. This method consumes less water and fertilizers than traditional farming.
4. Vertical Farming: It is a type of farming technique in which farmers grow plants in vertical, stacked layers indoors without soil. Green leafy vegetables are usually grown in this farming. Plants are grown through a controlled environment such as light, temperature, humidity, and nutrients. You will be surprised to know that this farming uses 98% less water, 90% less light energy, and up to 85% less nutrients than traditional farming.
5. Controlled environment farming: In this technique, crops are grown by creating optimal conditions by carefully controlling the proper environment, such as temperature, humidity, light, and CO2 levels. Farmers grow crops in protected structures such as greenhouses.
6. Container farming: It is a method of growing crops in shipping containers using climate control and artificial light. It is a form of vertical farming.

Advantages of Indoor Farming

• Land is used efficiently.
• It provides the ability to produce seasonal food grains throughout the year.
• Production is not affected due to the absence of adverse conditions.
• Input costs are lower than traditional farming.
• It helps in making agriculture a sustainable practice.

Challenges in indoor farming

• Initial cost: Marketing, lighting, electricity, and growing equipment cost a lot to start indoor farming. Loan repayment and land rent are also very high.
• Lighting Complexity: Indoor farming has been expanding rapidly over the past several years due to the falling prices of light-emitting diodes (LED). Both LED lights and fluorescent lights give the same amount of light energy. But LED lights require half the amount of energy compared to fluorescent lights. Research was conducted by the Philips company in the year 2015, which found that plants respond differently to different spectrums of light and color at different points of their growth cycle. LED lights are unable to mimic sunlight.
• Skilled workers: Indoor farming requires skilled and experienced workers to monitor the crops. Farmers face difficulties in finding skilled workers.
• Limited crop variety: The crop range of indoor farming is limited as compared to traditional farming. In the field, we can grow many types of crops like rice, soybean, wheat, corn, etc., but in indoor farming we can only grow green leafy vegetables, herbs, and small fruits. While chilies, tomatoes, and cucumbers are grown in greenhouses.
• Consumer acceptance and market awareness: Vegetables grown in indoor farming are less preferred by consumers. They still prefer vegetables grown using traditional methods. Certification and branding are necessary to attract their attention so that they can trust the products of indoor farming.

Market potential and growth opportunities in India

Market potential

• Global: The global indoor farming market size was US$40.51 billion in 2023. It is projected to reach US$118.17 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 11.3%.
• In India: The market size was US$0.823 billion in 2022; it is projected to reach US$1.740 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 11.29%.

Growth opportunities

Indoor farming is a sustainable practice that is being molded as advanced agriculture through AI. Its growth can be seen day by day in urban areas. People are becoming conscious about their health. Indoor farming gives many times more production in less space than flat land. This farming requires less water and fertilizer.

Conclusion

Indoor farming is a sustainable farming method. Indoor farming is the solution to challenges like land scarcity, food security, and climate change, which is revolutionizing the fields of agriculture. Farmers can earn good money by starting their own startup with high investment and government support.