Floating Farms: The Future of Agriculture


With the world’s population growing at an ever increasing rate, the global demand for food is also expected to increase substantially. The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 795 million people were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2014-2016.

There is also a global decline in the availability of agricultural land and many regions are also suffering from climate change-driven water scarcity. To help solve the global food crisis, countries around the world will need to come up with innovative farming techniques.

Floating farms are a smart, integrated concept combining aquaculture, hydroponics and photovoltaics. This concept will move farms to large bodies of water and thus reduce the dependability on land for farming.

These water-based farms do not need soil to grow plants. It uses a process known as hydroponics where water is already infused with vitamins and minerals. The roof would be covered in skylights and photovoltaic solar cells that would convert sunlight into energy.

Major cities of the world that are located near large bodies of water can turn to this method of farming. It would cost less to transport food to grocery stores and a self-sustaining ecosystem could also mean less maintenance and lower manufacturing costs too.

The bottom of these agricultural barges can be used to breed fish that would survive on the waste products from the farm. Wind turbines and wave energy converter systems could also play a role, and biogas power plants could be used to eliminate the biological waste produced.


Smart Floating Farms

Future Farming

Growing crops on water instead of land

A Cleaner Sustainable Solution

Aquaponics – Aquaculture

A photo posted by Dyana B. (@dyanasaurrex) on

Jellyfish-inspired floating modular Greenhouse