The world is facing a crisis in food production. It is estimated that the world’s current agricultural capacity can produce only about one-quarter of the food it needs to meet rising demand from a growing population. This shortage is large because of the increasing demand for ever-more-nutritious crops as well as an increase in the amount of land used for agriculture.
Micro farming, also known as mini farming or intensive farming, is a type of agricultural production that focuses on growing small amounts of crops in confined spaces. By doing this, micro farmers are able to grow enough food for their family, friends, or community with much less space and labor than usual.
For Farmers
Given that about 80% of the world’s agricultural land is already under cultivation, micro farming can help address the food shortages that will occur once we have exhausted the amount of land available for agriculture.
This can in turn be a solution to the current problem of food insecurity, which affects one in eight people around the world. Microgaming can also help farmers diversify their crop production to enhance their income.
While it is true that the most common crops nowadays are those of the so-called “super-foods” such as wheat, soybean, and corn, many food crops are still important for the economy. For example, more than 70% of the world’s domestic food supply is made up of just three crops: rice, wheat, and corn.
For Crops
Because of their smaller sizes, micro farming is an excellent way to grow nutritious, high-value crops. It can help farmers grow high-value crops such as vegetables, herbs, spices, flowers, and fruit for which there is high demand.
In particular, the booming cosmetics industry has a high demand for high-quality vegetables and herbs that have been cultivated under conditions that ensure quality and high yields. This is because micro-farming allows farmers to produce a high-quality product that is safer for consumers.
For example, high-quality produce is grown in controlled environments that are not subject to the sort of pests that make vegetables unsafe to eat. Additionally, micro-farming also allows growers to grow high-value crops that are low in growth-limiting pesticides and other chemicals that may be harmful to people or the environment.
And since micro-farming is a method of production that requires very little space, it is ideal for growing vegetables that need to be consumed quickly such as carrots, onions, and tomatoes.
For Jobs
Microgaming can create jobs for people who are often overlooked in today’s world of automation. For example, a company that makes hydroponic farming equipment usually employs people to assemble, install, and service the equipment, but not to grow the crops that are made with the equipment.
With micro farming, however, farmers no longer need to rely on the soil as a growing medium, and can instead use hydroponic growing systems, which involve growing crops in nutrient-rich solutions.
These systems do not require farmers to use the soil as a medium for growing their crops, so these farmers can instead be employed by companies that make hydroponic equipment or that provide hydroponic services.
Additionally, micro-farming can give people with special skills and abilities an opportunity to use their unique talents. For example, a beekeeper who can breed and rear healthy bees is an asset to any farm, but a beekeeper who can conduct research on bee behavior and health is especially valuable on a micro-farm.
For Environment
On the environmental front, micro farming is beneficial because it uses less land and produces fewer greenhouse gases than normal farming. This is because microforms reduce the need to till the soil, which causes massive runoff of soil carbon into the atmosphere.
Additionally, when crops are grown in hydroponic systems, there is little gas exchange between the atmosphere and the growing medium, so there is little pollution from these systems. In terms of water use, micro-farming is also more sustainable than normal farming.
First, when crops are grown in hydroponic systems, there is relatively little water use because the growing medium does not absorb the same volume of water from the air as the soil would. Second, because the water used to grow crops in hydroponic systems can be reused, there is very little water use in micro-farming.
Third, as mentioned above, when crops are grown in hydroponic systems, they produce very little greenhouse gas, so micro-farming is more sustainable environmentally than normal farming.
Other benefits of micro-farming
Micro farming has the potential to provide better nutrition to people. Because micro farms use so many fewer resources than normal farms, they can produce a greater number of nutritious servings of food using smaller amounts of resources.
Micro farming can be a more sustainable means of earning a living. While not all small farmers are willing to become micro farmers, the trend in recent years has been for many farmers to move from full-scale agricultural production to more sustainable practices, such as producing specialty crops or raising bees.
Micro farming can be more economically viable for women. Women make up about 80% of the agricultural workforce, but they hold only about 25% of the land in agriculture. With more women choosing to farm as micro farmers, the traditional gender roles in agriculture may become less pronounced.
Micro farming has the potential to provide more jobs for the unemployed. Micro-farming can create jobs for people who are often overlooked in today’s world of automation.
For example, a company that makes hydroponic farming equipment usually employs people to assemble, install, and service the equipment, but not to grow the crops that are made with the equipment.
Conclusion
Micro-farming is a viable method of food production that can help address the challenges of a growing population while also providing nutritious food, creating jobs, and benefiting the environment.
