What is vertical farming and could it be a solution to tackling climate change?

COP26, the climate change conference taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, is drawing to a close, with the final day of discussions taking place on Friday.

But whilst the leaders from more than 120 countries and their campaigners, media teams and negotiators will be heading home, people and companies in Glasgow have been looking ahead to what can be done to help tackle climate change once the conference is over.

One company has been displaying its vertical indoor farm in the city centre, in a bid to show people alternative and new agricultural methods that could potentially be a solution to farming-related climate change issues.

Kate Forster, from Intelligent Growth Solutions, told ITV News: "Vertical farming is where we have taken farming inside. We use a description of taking a field, cutting it up into snooker-table-sized trays and stacking it up vertically into the sky."

But could this really be a farm of the future?

Could alternative agricultural methods potentially be a solution to farming-related climate change issues?

The company has been trialling growing all sorts of leafy greens, herbs, vegetables, fruit and even Norwegian Spruce tree seedlings in its vertical farms, with the seedlings then going on to be replanted in areas to help with reforestation purposes.

But what are the benefits of vertical farming over normal farming methods?

Kate continued: "With vertical farming, you have complete control over all the parameters. You effectively control the weather, so that means that we use minimal amounts of water. We don't use any pesticides. But one of the absolute key benefits really is that you can grow anywhere you like. You can grow in a desert or a very cold climate."

The vertical farm site in Glasgow was even built on a former car park, with IGS wanting to show that the vertical farms can be used on any piece of land in any area.

Those involved in vertical farming say it has an important role to play in tackling climate change.

Kate added: "Agriculture does have impacts on the environment. However, the agricultural community is one of the most innovative in the world...and vertical farming has a really important part to play."

The climate change challenges in Glasgow will be shared in other towns and cities in Wales.

But the focus is very much on finding solutions to our climate change problems, with people here at COP26 wanting others to think about the positive changes we can all make, rather than getting overwhelmed by the issue at hand itself.