1. Think of other examples of sustainability that are motivating corporations worldwide to redesign their processes. What are some critical factors that have led to this movement, as well as some process designs and layouts that have changed as a result?

2. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of sustainable processes and plant layouts?

When we think of cities, few of us picture crops growing as far as the eye can see. Nevertheless, someday that might be exactly what we see if a new agricultural revolution called vertical farming takes root. Vertical farming is based on a simple idea: Instead of growing food far away and trucking it into urban centers, which costs money and creates pollution, grow it as close to the consumers as possible in vertical greenhouses in urban areas.

A 12-story vertical farm is going up in Linköping, Sweden. The layout for this agriculture factory has been carefully developed. After being planted, an outdoor elevator will take boxed plants to the top floor. The plants will then travel from the top floor to the bottom to take advantage of natural sunlight and to make their harvesting easier. The company building the vertical factory plans to produce 300 to 500 metric tons of leafy greens a year.

Another example of new process design for sustainability is taking place in a former meatpacking plant in Chicago: Vegetables are being grown on floating rafts and fertilized by waste from nearby fish tanks. There are even farms around the United States that hang their crops in the air and spray the roots with nutrients. Neither soil nor water is used. Farming is an example of human ingenuity. Today it is coupled with the desire for sustainable operations and a willingness to experiment with process designs. Although no one is ready to declare that farming will become completely vertical and urbanized, creativity combined with technology are offering some truly unique opportunities for one of the world’s oldest industries.