The cultural movement known as transhumanism has been in charge of drawing quite an eloquent map for the destiny of humanity. Projections such as these populate the cultural paradigm of our time: hordes of cyborg humans with enhanced capabilities thanks to their mechanical implants, nanotechnology applied to biomedicine that will allow us to reach new horizons in the cure of diseases, and a long etcetera. However, all these glimpses into the future have a considerable number of shadows in our immediate present.

The artist Neil Harbisson is an example of the latter. He was the first human to be recognized as a cyborg by a state. Harbisson is known for featuring a cranial implant that gives him abilities of all kinds: he can perceive invisible colors such as infrared or ultraviolet, has an internet connection and can even receive calls. Now Neil’s main activity in the public sphere is outreach and activism for the rights of cyborg people. The whole movement generated by Harbisson opens a door to utopia.

All these utopias – which at times become real – distract the public and might the effect of overshadowing urgent issues. The environmental problems associated with the development of human activity on the planet are countless. There are a multitude of short-term goals that require immediate action by countries. However, the population is not going to spontaneously change their behavior overnight. It is necessary, more than at any previous time, to focus on the goals that require faster action by people and also require structural changes in the way we live.

Agricultural dystopia

In the context described above, it is pertinent to outline the dystopian future to which we are heading if we do not take immediate decisions. Estimates suggest that by the year 2050 there will be a population of 10 billion people on the planet. Even more worrying is the estimate made by the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations: “Available data suggest that two-thirds of the world’s population could be living in water-stressed countries by 2025 if current consumption patterns continue.”  All this points to a near term in which we should be concerned about water resource management and optimization. Agriculture accounts for about 70% of the water withdrawn and up to 95% in developing countries (FAO). The urgency of solving the agricultural crisis is of the utmost importance for our short-term future.

The hope of vertical agriculture

Large population centers are today the places where most people live. This trend will continue in the years to come. The next step, therefore, will be to feed these large agglomerations of human populations. One of the solutions being considered is the development of vertical agriculture, with crops integrated into urban centers. This would save all transportation costs between the countryside and the cities, reducing, among other things, the carbon footprint associated with all the food that has to be transported. Each square meter of floor space dedicated to vertical farming produces approximately the same amount of vegetable crops as 50 square meters of agricultural land cultivated in the traditional way. The benefits of vertical farming are a hope for the sustainability of the agricultural sector.

Hydroponics: Alternative to traditional agriculture

One of the advancing forms of vertical farming is hydroponics. This booming mode of production does not use soil like traditional agriculture. It incorporates a mineral solution dissolved in water that feeds the plants during their growth. This is not a totally new technique, though. The Aztecs or the Romans, among other civilizations, developed rudimentary hydroponic cultivation methods. There are several types of hydroponic systems:

– NFT, which includes the creation of a recirculating film of nutrient solution. It does not require measuring time or substrate.

– Floating root, where the plants are in a sheet or raft that floats over a nutrient solution, so that their roots are submerged in the nutrient solution.

– Aeroponics, where the roots are suspended in the air and are misted with nutrient solution every few minutes.

– Ebb and flow: The container that houses the plant drains the nutrient solution which returns to the plant through a circuit.

Furthermore, the use of rock wool in combination with hydroponics is becoming a more common practice to increase the sustainability of the process.

Rock wool is a non-combustible insulating material, originally used to protect buildings against possible fires. The implementation of this material in hydroponic agriculture allows to reduce land use by 80%, water use by 50%, fertilizer use by 58% and increase productivity by 76%.

In the year 2020, the use of rock wool, also known as mineral wool, in agriculture has led to saving about 28,795 gallons of water and 18,336 tons of fertilizer materials, according to Rockwool, one of the leader manufacturers of this product in Spain. Furthermore, this material increased the productivity of vegetables in the agriculture industry by 2.23 million metric tons.

Utopia or dystopia

Many of the innovations in the field of agriculture have brought generous advances
in saving water resources and increasing productivity. However, it remains to be seen whether the narrative that raises awareness among producers and consumers is heading in the right direction. The initial critique of this text on Transhumanism appeals to a need to separate secondary needs from urgent needs. If technological progress is oriented towards the former, the medium-term future of human life will become uncertain. Utopias are narratives that can materialize our current decisions into the future. No mechanized humans will be able to thrive in a wasteland where nothing can be grown. We must re-focus the story. We must channel the utopian and avoid the impending dystopia we face.