Climate impact is real, and a rapidly growing concern. At Gotham Greens, we are on a mission to reimagine how and where fresh food is grown.
The Problem
When it comes to open-field farming, it may be surprising to learn these three critical statistics:
- Food systems are responsible for 34% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions globally.
- 70% of global freshwater withdrawals are used for agriculture.
- Half of the world’s habitable (ice- and desert-free) land is used for agriculture.
Our Solution
In order to reduce emissions related to food production, we must increase yields, decrease food waste, improve farming practices, and shift to a plant-rich diet.
- Gotham Greens uses less than 3 gallons of water to grow a pound of lettuce, while conventional farming uses around 30 gallons of water to grow the same pound of lettuce. In 2022, this was equivalent to saving over 450 million gallons of water annually compared with a conventional farm – that’s the volume of more than 680 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
- We use up to 97% less land than conventional farming.
- And with a footprint of 1.8 million square feet, Gotham Greens will produce more than 30 times more lettuce per acre of land than conventional farming — or the equivalent of an 900-acre conventional soil-based farm.
As individuals, it may seem daunting to tackle the climate crisis, but there are small sustainable changes we can all make towards a healthier planet. See “7 Small Sustainable Changes to Make This Week” for ideas on how to get started.