Vertical farming is only feasible – and even then, barely feasible – for a few crops. Fruits and vegetables are expensive to grow but also profitable for farmers. The higher costs of vertical farming might just be supported by crops like lettuce, mushrooms and tomatoes allowing some producers to break even or make a small profit. But we can’t produce any of our staple crops using vertical farms. Maize, wheat, rice, cassava and soybeans are where the world gets most of its calories from. These crops are so cheap that it becomes woefully expensive to try to grow them indoors. One study estimates
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