Letters to the Editor, November 12, 2014

It is ironic that Hong Kong's restaurants are among the best in the world and home to celebrity chefs who are investing in this urban epicentre, yet the reality is that we depend on the mainland for 90 per cent of our food imports.

The truth is that food import prices from the mainland have risen in the past couple of years. Furthermore, the mainland is experiencing numerous food safety problems. Considering these two issues, it's only a matter of time before Hong Kong's food supply becomes unsustainable. To resolve this issue, the government should consider adopting vertical farming.

It is an agricultural technique that uses greenhouses stacked one on top of the other to create a huge greenhouse skyscraper.

Relying on hydroponics, crops are produced year round, significantly reducing use of fossil fuels by reducing use of farm machines and transport of crops. The process also eliminates agricultural run-off and weather-related crop failures, converts black and grey water to drinking water, adds energy back to the grid via methane generation, creates jobs and produces cheaper and safer locally grown crops.

Asian countries such as Japan and Singapore have built vertical farms. These initiatives have been supported by their governments, as they allow for greater self-sufficiency. If the Hong Kong government supported a similar initiative, the SAR could start growing its own food and become less dependent on the mainland.

Imagine if every district and village in Hong Kong had its own local food source, grown in the safest way possible, where not a drop of water or particle of light was wasted, and where a simple elevator ride could transport you to nature's local grocery store. Imagine the world of the vertical farm - this could be Hong Kong's future.