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I see no foreseeable future in which it makes any sense to erect massive, power-hungry concrete towers, pump huge volumes of water up into them, build fleets of

I see no foreseeable future in which it makes any sense to erect massive, power-hungry concrete towers, pump huge volumes of water up into them, build fleets of drones to carry small quantities of vegetables back down to us on-demand, and drive it all with an absurd amount of software and hardware, much of it requiring rare earth materials. Maybe if we had nearly free/infinite energy it would be possible. It still wouldn't be smart. Vertical farming may make sense in a small number of cases, likely where existing buildings can be renovated and repurposed. Localized, sustainable horizontal agriculture is way more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and ecologically sound in most cases.

ThorsBane 3y ago
It is known that vertical farms are very cost efficient, or can be. They can outproduce traditional farms in terms of yield given inputs. If that can be increased further, they should be built as open source technologies as much as possible so humanity always remembers how to rebuild pipelines for optimal nutrition and the lowest cost. You also have year round fresh produce that isn't treated with pesticides or refrigerated, so its taste and nutrition profile are intact. Vertical farms with drone delivery are locally maintainable pipelines for giving humans optimal nutrition at the lowest possible cost and the lowest current possible shipping friction.