PROMOTING VERTICAL FARMING IN VACANT BUILDINGS

PROMOTING VERTICAL FARMING IN VACANT BUILDINGS

Vacant buildings are an eyesore. They stand like ghosts of progress, reminders of unfinished business or failed development. In developed—or should I say overdeveloped—countries, urban blight often leaves behind entire blocks of empty offices, malls, and warehouses. The Philippines is no stranger to this either, though in our case it’s often smaller commercial buildings and old factories that end up idle.

The usual answer to urban blight is “urban renewal.” But let’s be honest: renewal does not always come. Too often, we are left with structures that remain abandoned for years, sometimes decades. So here is a question worth asking: what do we do with these buildings while waiting for some developer to swoop in?

In the United States, communities are experimenting with something bold: converting empty malls into farms. Yes, farms inside buildings. In Cleveland, part of a shopping mall was turned into a greenhouse. In Houston and Kentucky, office buildings were converted into vertical farms. Crops are now being grown under LED lights and hydroponic systems where mannequins once stood. What was once consumer space is now food space.

Why not here?

In the Philippines, we may not have as many empty malls, but we certainly have enough vacant buildings scattered across our cities. Imagine if these were turned into vertical farms—not necessarily permanently, but at least temporarily. There would be no need to completely retrofit these buildings. The beauty of hydroponic and aquaponic systems is that they are modular and reversible. If the owner wants to turn the space back into a mall or an office later on, it can be done. In the meantime, the space earns money, creates jobs, and grows food.

The logic is sound. Urban farms not only provide organic fruits and vegetables, but also reduce costs because the food does not have to travel long distances. Transport is one of the hidden costs of agriculture in this country—just ask farmers from Benguet who have to ship produce to Manila. If lettuce, tomatoes, or pechay could be grown in Quezon City warehouses, why not?

And it doesn’t stop with vegetables. Poultry, fish, and even livestock could be raised in controlled urban farms. Aquaponics, for instance, allows fish and vegetables to grow symbiotically. The waste from fish becomes nutrients for the plants, while the plants filter the water for the fish. This is already being done in many countries, and the technology is neither new nor too expensive.

Think also of the social impact. Many farmers have migrated to cities in search of jobs that don’t always exist. What if they could be farmers again—this time inside the city, working in vertical farms? That is livelihood restoration with dignity.

And here’s the kicker: this is already happening in the Philippines.

Take the Navotas City Vertical Farm, a project by the Delbros Group with the support of the city council and even the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. They built a 12-tower vertical farm, one of the tallest in Metro Manila, producing leafy greens year-round with the help of computer-monitored systems.

Or look at NXTLVL Farms in Manila, which is pioneering climate-resilient vertical farming using hydroponics and LED lighting. Their mission is clear: tackle food insecurity and make the most of scarce urban land.

Even at the policy level, the idea is gaining traction. Senator Francis Pangilinan filed the Urban Agriculture and Vertical Farming Act (SB 257) to convert idle urban lands into vertical farms and gardens. The Department of Agriculture, for its part, has already outlined strategies to scale up urban farming nationwide.

Vertical farming is not just about food security. It is about climate resilience. Farms indoors are protected from typhoons, droughts, and floods—all too familiar realities in our country. Studies show that vertical farms use up to 95% less water and 40% less energy than traditional farms, thanks to recycling systems and efficient lighting.

But here is my challenge: why stop at isolated projects? Why not encourage barangay-level vertical farming hubs in idle buildings or warehouses? Imagine every community having its own local source of vegetables, fish, and maybe poultry. Imagine these being run as cooperatives, where revenues are shared and young people are trained not just in farming but in agritech.

The Philippines cannot rely forever on imported fertilizers, imported seeds, and imported food. We need to take food production closer to where the people are. And if vacant buildings are just sitting there, collecting dust and cobwebs, why not breathe new life into them as food factories?

It would be a win for building owners, a win for LGUs, a win for farmers-turned-urban-workers, and most of all, a win for the consumers who could finally buy fresh, healthy produce without breaking the bank.

We need to think beyond malls, beyond condominiums, beyond shopping districts. The future of food could very well be growing inside the very buildings that symbolize yesterday’s economy. And perhaps, with enough vision and support, the Philippines could lead the way in Asia in turning urban blight into urban bounty.

So I ask again: Why let our vacant buildings rot, when they could feed us instead?

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 

12-30-2025