Having sat on a panel of professionals discussing the film 6 Inches of Soil with the incredible https://petersfieldcan.org/ organisation, in front of an audience of 250 people, it really got me thinking. The event saw 3 other regenerative farmers sitting as part of the discussion, I was the only indoor vertical farmer. The more I listened, the clearer it got. I thought I'd put together a post to discuss this further.
Sustainable agriculture has never been more important. With climate change, soil degradation, and population growth putting pressure on our food systems, two innovative farming methods have emerged as potential solutions: vertical farming and regenerative farming. On the surface, they seem worlds apart—one relies on technology and controlled environments, the other on soil health and natural ecosystems. But dig deeper, and you’ll see they’re both working towards the same goal: producing nutritious food while restoring balance to the environment.
What is Vertical Farming?
Vertical farming grows crops in stacked layers or in our case, towers using hydroponics, aeroponics, or aquaponics, often in controlled environments like warehouses or greenhouses. It eliminates the need for soil, uses significantly less water than traditional agriculture, and allows for year-round production, independent of weather conditions.
Key Benefits of Vertical Farming:
✅ Uses up to 95% less water than traditional farming
✅ Eliminates the need for pesticides and herbicides
✅ Can be located in urban areas, reducing food miles
✅ Maximises space efficiency with high-yield production
But vertical farming is not without its challenges. Energy consumption (especially artificial lighting and climate control) can be high, and large-scale vertical farms require significant capital investment.
What is Regenerative Farming?
Regenerative farming is all about working with nature, not against it. It focuses on restoring soil health, increasing biodiversity, and enhancing ecosystem resilience. Farmers use techniques like cover cropping, no-till farming, crop rotation, and holistic grazing to rebuild soil fertility and sequester carbon.
Key Benefits of Regenerative Farming:
✅ Improves soil health and increases carbon sequestration
✅ Enhances biodiversity, benefiting pollinators and wildlife
✅ Reduces dependence on synthetic fertilisers and chemicals
✅ Promotes long-term resilience against climate change
The challenge? Regenerative farming takes time to see results, requires farmers to rethink conventional methods, and can be more susceptible to extreme weather events.
Different Methods, Same Mission
Despite their differences, vertical farming and regenerative farming are not in competition—they are complementary approaches tackling the same core issues:
🔹 Soil Health & Resource Efficiency: Vertical farming bypasses soil entirely, while regenerative farming rebuilds it. Both aim to create more sustainable growing conditions with minimal environmental impact.
🔹 Reducing Chemical Inputs: Vertical farms grow without pesticides because they operate in sterile environments. Regenerative farming reduces chemical dependence by fostering healthy, self-sustaining ecosystems.
🔹 Resilience in Food Systems: Whether it’s extreme weather or soil degradation, both methods aim to make food production more resilient in a changing world.
🔹 Localised Food Production: Vertical farms can be placed in cities, reducing transport emissions, while regenerative farms enhance rural food sovereignty and sustainable land management.
A Future of Collaboration
Instead of viewing these two farming methods as opposing forces, we should be exploring how they can work together. Imagine a future where vertical farms provide consistent, high-yield urban food production, while regenerative farms restore rural landscapes and build climate resilience. Both approaches offer solutions to feed the world sustainably—it’s not a question of which is better, but how we can integrate them effectively.
Final Thought
The future of farming isn’t about choosing between technology and nature—it’s about finding the best ways to balance both. Whether we’re growing upwards or regenerating outwards, the goal remains the same: a food system that nourishes both people and the planet. It's about the hyper-local production of foods to break up the current big ag model. The UK sources 34% of its foods from climate vulnerable countries. We need to find a new way of producing foods where every technique helps to bring food sovereignty front and centre of the mission!
Will Benson
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