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High-tech farmers sow seeds of revolution in Dubai desert:
An ultra-modern vertical farm in the middle of the desert stands as a testament to Dubai's determination to spark a "green revolution" to overcome its dependence on food imports.
Al-Badia market garden farm produces an array of vegetable crops in multi-storey format, carefully controlling light and irrigation as well as recycling 90 percent of the water it uses.
"It's a green revolution in the middle of the desert," the farm's director Basel Jammal [says].
[...] That was not an issue decades ago when the area was sparsely inhabited by Bedouins.
But the wealth generated by oil discoveries since the 1970s sent expatriates flocking to the UAE.
Dubai now has more than 3.3 million inhabitants of 200 nationalities, relies largely on expensive desalinated water, and its food needs have grown and diversified.
Will hydroponics be cheaper than importing food?
(Score: 3, Informative) by MostCynical on Thursday August 20 2020, @03:43AM
almost every article I could find just read like a copy paste from a press release.
this [msn.com] at least has some images form inside the farm,
Looks like they are controlling everything from light colour and cycle, to nutrient supply, so chances are it will be very efficient - and minimizing water use for a desert country, and reducing imports are quite important - and amortization of upfront costs is almost irrelevant in a country with so much money.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex