South Korea moving towards vertical farming

Scientists in South Korea are developing a farming system that could allow food to be grown in any climate, a project that becomes increasingly pressing as the world’s population reaches new heights.

The scientists practise vertical farming: the mass cultivation of plant and animal life indoors, in urban settings.

This cultivation system could help reduce overall carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere by recycling emissions from nearby industries. Artificially controlling the variables of the environment such as temperatures, humidity and CO2 emissions could also provide optimal environments for plants in a variety of settings.

Once the Koreans make the system more sustainable and affordable, the plan is to export the idea to harsher climates like the Middle East.

Al Jazeera’s Wayne Hay reports from South Korea’s Gyeonggi province.