The Eden Grow Tower is a carbon-negative, NASA Spinoff vertical farming system that uses aeroponic technology to grow crops in environments where humans live and work. It produces up to 48.99 kg of fresh produce per 132-day cycle while also removing 49.21 kg of CO2 from the atmosphere, making it a sustainable and eco-friendly option. Compared to traditional vegetable farms, the Eden Grow Tower has a significantly lower carbon footprint of -1 kg of CO2 per kilogram of vegetables produced, compared to 12.7 kg for traditional vegetable farms and 5.2 kg for indoor vertical farms. The system uses less water and nutrients than traditional farming methods, reducing energy consumption and emissions. With its paradigm-changing employment, the Eden Grow Tower has the potential to generate carbon credits through its sustainable and eco-friendly practices, contributing to the carbon market and promoting a more sustainable future.

Traditional farming emits 62.3 million metric tons of CO2 per year for producing the recommended daily amount of vegetables per person in the United States.

Large-scale indoor agriculture emits 563.8 million metric tons of CO2 per year for producing the same amount of vegetables per person.

The Eden Grow System tower removes 22.2 million metric tons of CO2 per year for producing the same amount of vegetables per person.

84.5-586 million net metric tons avoided/removed by Eden Towers per year.

Eden Grow Tower Description

Eden Grow Systems (EGS, aka Eden) is a mission-based, for-profit business entity dedicated to providing sustainable food and energy independence to local communities around the world, and one day, off it. This mission allows Eden to focus on all aspects of food and energy production, including community and education. Eden believes in the appropriate use of technology to increase the quality of life for all on the planet, and one day, off it. The first Eden product, the Eden Tower, is an unmanned food-growing system, or robot.

The Eden Tower is based on NASA-derived technology that reduces water consumption by over 95% compared to traditional agriculture, decreases human labor by 75%, increases space utilization by up to 300%, can grow the entire range of crops (including root vegetables) indoors, uses no dirt, requires no pesticides or herbicides, and consumes hardly any power.

Each tower, or robot, is autonomous, controlled by a computer that manages the watering, light, and fan schedules for the plantings. Users are required to simply monitor the crops, look for any issues, and perform minor maintenance requiring less than 5 minutes per day. This can be done with no training or prior knowledge of how to grow crops. Some towers come with an optional 60-gallon bi-modal reservoir, allowing users to operate the tower in hydroponic mode (add nutrient solution) or aquaponic mode (grow fish and utilize fish waste as plant food). Four of these towers can produce 2000 calories per day, every day, 365 days per year, and take up the same space as a queen-size mattress. This system requires no understanding of farming, plants, or indoor growing, which enables any user to set up, operate, and maintain it. The towers are mobile, require no permits for installation, and take less than two hours with two people to set up.

Background

The carbon marketplace is a platform where companies and organizations can buy and sell carbon credits to offset their own carbon emissions. Carbon credits represent a reduction of one ton of carbon dioxide or equivalent greenhouse gases and can be generated by activities such as renewable energy projects, energy efficiency improvements, or sustainable farming practices like the Eden Grow Tower. The demand for carbon credits comes from companies committed to reducing their carbon footprint or those subject to carbon pricing schemes, while the supply of carbon credits comes from projects certified by recognized carbon standards.

To generate carbon credits, the Eden Grow Tower would need to be certified by a recognized carbon standard, such as the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) or the Gold Standard. This would involve measuring and verifying the carbon emissions reductions achieved by the system and then issuing carbon credits based on those reductions. Once certified, the carbon credits generated by the Eden Grow Tower could be sold on the carbon market to companies or organizations looking to offset their own emissions. This would provide a source of revenue for the vertical farming system while contributing to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Discussion

According to our data, the Eden Grow Tower produces up to 48.99 kg of fresh produce per 132-day cycle while also removing 49.21 kg of CO2 during that same cycle. This means that the system is removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and can be considered a carbon-negative technology. Compared to traditional vegetable farms, the carbon footprint of the Eden Grow Tower is significantly lower. According to a study by the University of Michigan, the average carbon footprint of vegetable farms in the United States is approximately 12.7 kg of CO2 per kilogram of vegetables produced. In contrast, the Eden Grow Tower produces -1 kg of CO2 per kilogram of vegetables produced, making it a much more sustainable and eco-friendly option.

The Eden Grow Tower's carbon footprint is also lower than that of large-scale indoor agriculture facilities such as Plenty or AeroFarms. According to a life cycle analysis conducted by the University of California, Davis, large-scale indoor agriculture facilities emit an average of 5.2 kg of CO2 per kilogram of lettuce produced, primarily due to energy usage. In contrast, the Eden Grow Tower uses efficient LED lighting and can be located in urban areas where heating and cooling energy usage is already accounted for, resulting in a lower carbon footprint.

The following sections compare CO2 emissions from traditional farming, large-scale indoor agriculture, and Eden Grow System towers for producing the recommended daily amount of vegetables per person, which, according to the USDA, is approximately 0.5 to 1.5 kilograms, depending on age, sex, and level of physical activity:

Traditional Farming:

The average carbon footprint of conventional farming methods is 12.7 kg CO2 per kg of vegetables produced.

Assuming each adult consumes 0.5 kg of vegetables per day, traditional farming methods would generate 0.5 kg * 12.7 kg CO2/kg of vegetables = 6.35 kg CO2 per person per day.

Based on the estimated adult population above 21 years of age in the United States of approximately 246.8 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2020 data, traditional farming methods would generate 6.35 kg CO2 per person per day * 246.8 million adults consuming vegetables per day * 365 days = 555,397,880 metric tons of CO2 emitted per year.

Large Scale Indoor Agriculture:

The carbon footprint of indoor agriculture varies depending on factors such as energy source, equipment efficiency, and location.

According to a study by the University of California, Davis, the average carbon footprint of indoor cannabis cultivation in California was estimated to be 5.2 kg CO2 per kg of product. Assuming a similar carbon footprint for indoor vegetable cultivation, producing 0.5 kg of vegetables per day would generate 0.5 kg * 5.2 kg CO2/kg of vegetables = 2.6 kg CO2 per person per day.

Based on the estimated adult population above 21 years of age in the United States of approximately 246.8 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2020 data, large-scale indoor agriculture would generate 2.6 kg CO2 per person per day * 246.8 million adults consuming vegetables per day * 365 days = 225,013,840 metric tons of CO2 emitted per year.

Eden Grow System Towers:

According to previous calculations, Eden Grow System towers would remove approximately 0.245 kg CO2 per person per day, or 90 kg CO2 per person per year.

Based on the estimated adult population above 21 years of age in the United States of approximately 246.8 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2020 data, Eden Grow System towers would remove 90 kg CO2 per person per year * 246.8 million adults consuming vegetables per day = 22,212,000 metric tons of CO2 removed per year.

Overall, traditional farming methods and large-scale indoor agriculture generate significantly more CO2 emissions than using Eden Grow System towers for producing the same amount of vegetables.

Addressing Pitfalls in Carbon Credit Market

The Eden Grow System towers have the potential to address several challenges associated with the generation of carbon credits. Here are some ways in which the system can be beneficial for each major carbon credit problem area:

• Measurement and verification: Accurately measuring the amount of emissions reduction achieved by a particular project and verifying that it has actually occurred can be difficult and costly.