I know you probably don’t know me... but I know a lot about you. You're probably a teenager who is somewhat sleep deprived, goes to Memorial high school, enjoys having free time, and
get this,
~EATS FOOD~
Now you might be thinking, “yeah, way to go captain obvious, anyone could tell me that,” and you're right, but not everyone can tell you that the food that you're eating, whether it’s “healthy” or not, may not be what you think it is. One of our biggest problems in the 21st century deals with food: food supply, food quality, food sustainability, etc. Believe it or not, the agricultural industry is actually a monopoly. Just about 50% of the world’s seed supply is controlled by four companies: Bayer, Corteva, ChemChina and Limagrain. So, by default these companies also control food supply and quality. Since these businesses (keyword: businesses) are looking to make a profit, they care more about producing the maximum amount of food they can, instead of caring about food quality. This has led us to receiving crops that are low in nutrients and often genetically engineered to last throughout all planting seasons. This is harmful, not only for the people and animals eating the nutrient deficient GMO plants and having adverse reactions or long-term health problems, but also for the land that is being overused and degraded over time from the lack of seasonal crop rotations.
Fortunately, scientists have found a solution: Aeroponics. Aeroponics is a form of hydroponics, which is when vegetables are grown in a nutrient solution instead of soil. Aeroponics is much more efficient in comparison to traditional farming techniques, and it saves a lot of water (up to 90%!). Basically, aeroponics uses water and liquid nutrients to mist plants and grow better produce that is more nutritious and easier to produce. Facilities that use this technique are often on smaller areas of land, and plant crops indoors, scaling their farm upwards multiple stories instead of outwards like a field. This technique protects the surrounding environment from disruption and the land from soil degradation. It also more than triples the production of crops without compromising on the quality of the produce. In fact, produce grown through aeroponics actually has more nutrients than produce grown traditionally, because the roots of the plants are exposed to oxygen and the plants aren’t competing for nutrients.
Lastly, aeroponics eliminates a lot of food waste by keeping the crops away from pests, and from soil, preventing plants from getting dirty during the growing process. This is a big plus, as people tend to be biased when buying produce and stay away from “ugly” fruits and vegetables. In conclusion, aeroponics provides a good solution to the major issues caused by traditional mass production, including malnourished crops, inefficient production, visually unappealing produce, and deterioration of soil and the environment. If you’re thinking “Woah, that’s a lot of information! What do I do now?” I encourage you to check out some of the many videos detailing how to start your own hydroponics/ aeroponics garden for as low as $3. It’s a great investment to keep yourself healthy, and help save the environment!
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