Innovation in everything is always possible, of course, but I suspect none of the people who threw money at "what if we grow lettuce, but with a computer" ever bothered to talk to anyone who knows anything about
growing lettuce.
The pitch for vertical farming had all the promise of a modern venture capital dream: a new way to grow crops that would use robots and artificial intelligence to conserve water, combat food insecurity and save the environment.
But after firms poured billions of dollars into these startups, pushing valuations into the stratosphere, the industry is now facing a harsh new reality: funding is drying up, profits remain elusive, and creditors are circling.
Also, vertical farming in places with IMMENSE AMOUNTS OF LAND (and everywhere, really) is a dumb idea embraced by a) people who love anything that looks like an artist's conception of some scifi novel and b) weird people who think sticking farms in Manhattan makes sense, for reasons.