DESPITE being an agricultural nation, Bangladesh is witnessing a steady decline in agricultural production, largely due to the continuous conversion of farmland into non-agricultural uses. Population growth, urban expansion, industrial projects, and infrastructure development are steadily eroding cultivable land. If this trend continues unchecked, ensuring future food security will become increasingly challenging. Vertical farming offers a sustainable, space-efficient solution that demands urgent attention and investment.
According to a seminar jointly organised by the Consumer Association of Bangladesh and Friends in Village Development Bangladesh, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, between 2,500 and 3,000 hectares of arable land are being converted each year. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations data indicate that Bangladesh’s arable land has shrunk by roughly 30 per cent between 1980 and 2020, from nearly 10 million hectares to about 7 million hectares. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics further reports an annual loss of approximately 8,750 hectares due to urbanisation and infrastructure development. Experts warn that, at this rate, Bangladesh could be left without cultivable land within six decades, leaving a population of 170 million largely dependent on imports and vulnerable to global market fluctuations.
Vertical farming, widely adopted in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, and the United Kingdom, provides a viable alternative. By producing crops in stacked layers within controlled environments — buildings, warehouses, or shipping containers — vertical farms maximise output without horizontal land expansion. Hydroponics, LED lighting simulating sunlight, and automated nutrient and water systems enable year-round production, free from weather limitations and pesticide reliance. Simple shelf systems can grow crops in trays, while complex towers or building interiors manage climate, light and humidity precisely, ensuring optimal plant health.
For Bangladesh, vertical farming could be transformative. The nation loses roughly 15,000 hectares of farmland annually. Urban centres such as Dhaka could repurpose rooftops or underutilised spaces into food production hubs, reducing reliance on imports, a critical consideration following the 2024 floods, which destroyed 1.1 million tons of rice. Vertical farms also conserve 70–95 per cent of water compared with conventional agriculture, offering a climate-resilient, sustainable solution.
The primary obstacle is cost. Setting up lighting, climate systems, and automated controls is capital-intensive. Yet the United States boasts a billion-dollar vertical farming sector, while Japan maintains over 200 operational vertical farms, demonstrating that scale and funding make the model feasible. In Bangladesh, government subsidies, private investment, and pilot projects could catalyse adoption. Creative implementation and necessity may ensure food security if action is taken promptly.
Alongside vertical farming, modernising traditional agriculture remains essential. A study by students at Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science & Technology University found that nearly 89 per cent of farmers over 25 were unaware of artificial intelligence applications and contemporary agricultural appliances. Short-, medium-, and long-term extension programmes are vital to improve technology literacy. Training in modern farm machinery, effective pest management, soil fertility maintenance using organic amendments, and biofertiliser use can help prevent further land degradation. Coordinated government action is crucial to monitor land conversion, promote sustainable practices and protect cultivable land from irreversible loss.
Bangladesh cannot afford to lag behind global agricultural innovation. Vertical farming offers a solution that is simultaneously sustainable, space-efficient and capable of alleviating food insecurity. Complemented by modernisation and farmer education, it could transform the nation’s agricultural landscape, ensuring that food production keeps pace with urban growth and climate challenges. The time to act is now; delay may compromise the future of the nation’s food security.
Abdur Rahman Al-Mamun is a student and agricultural researcher; and, Tahsina Zaman is a legal researcher
