Around the world, concerns about food security are becoming more urgent. Climate change, population growth, disrupted supply chains, and resource depletion have pushed governments, communities, and individuals to rethink how we grow and access our food. In the search for a solution, vertical farming has emerged as a promising but often misunderstood option.
At Green Square Farming we view vertical farming as a meaningful part of a broader solution to issues surrounding food security and sustainable agriculture. In the context of education, awareness, and community involvement, vertical farming offers powerful tools that can help future generations both understand and actively address food security challenges.
Food security is about access to nutritious, affordable, and sustainably produced food for everyone, regardless of geography or income. Unfortunately, traditional farming continues to face growing limitations that limit the food supply. Unpredictable weather, shrinking arable land, pesticide use, and supply chain vulnerabilities increasingly threaten our ability to feed communities consistently and responsibly.
In contrast, vertical farming uses controlled environments to grow food indoors, using far less water and space than traditional farms. It eliminates variables in weather and dramatically shortens the distance between farm and plate. Crops can be grown in urban centres, northern communities, or anywhere with electricity and water access, regardless of the local climate.
Skeptics often question whether vertical farms can scale effectively or replace traditional agriculture altogether. That’s a fair concern. Growing staple crops like wheat or potatoes may not yet be economically viable in vertical systems. But this doesn’t mean vertical farming lacks value. In fact, it may be most impactful not by replacing existing systems, but by complementing them, particularly in areas where traditional farming is unfeasible or insufficient.
Where vertical farming shines is in its ability to diversify food sources, especially for perishable greens, herbs, and nutrient-rich vegetables. These are the foods that often suffer most from long supply chains. They wilt in transit, lose nutritional value, or go to waste. Producing them locally, indoors, and year-round reduces dependency on imports and lessens the environmental toll of long-distance transportation.
This is the principle that guides Green Square Farming’s mobile vertical farm education program. By bringing vertical farms into elementary schools, we are helping students understand where food comes from, what conditions it requires, and why sustainable production methods are critical to long-term food access.
Children participating in our program learn to care for seedlings, monitor nutrient levels, and observe plant growth in a controlled setting. As they explore the science behind hydroponics and vertical systems, they begin to grasp complex issues like resource scarcity, climate resilience, and food distribution inequity.
And perhaps more importantly, they also start asking the right questions. How can we grow more with less? Why do some communities have abundant food while others don’t? What role can technology play in ensuring that everyone has access to healthy meals?
These questions don’t have one-size-fits-all answers, but that’s the point. Solving food insecurity requires innovation, education, and local engagement. Vertical farms are one piece of this puzzle. They offer a way to produce food closer to where it’s consumed, using fewer resources, and with minimal environmental impact.
Imagine a generation of young Canadians who not only understand agriculture but also view it through the lens of sustainability, equity, and innovation. This is the long-term promise of vertical farming, and it’s the promise we’re investing in at Green Square Farming.
So, is vertical farming truly the answer to food security concerns? Not entirely. But it is certainly an integral part of the greater solution, used to cultivate both crops and consciousness. Green Square Farming plans to grow those seeds in classrooms across Canada.
