Future homes and workplaces to be self-sufficient in meat, veggies and fruit

Future homes and workplaces are set to be transformed into complex food production systems becoming self-sufficient in meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, according to a research.

The so-called vertical urban farming techniques to feed growing city populations will form one of the centre pieces of this year's Manchester International Festival, the Independent reported.

The research, which is due to go on public display in Britain for the first time next month, is based across different levels of the building and surrounding ground.

The project- brainchild of Manchester Metropolitan University PhD student Vincent Walsh from Wythenshawe- will demonstrate how vegetable, mushroom, meat and fish production systems are able to feed naturally into each other to generate food crops requiring a minimum of tending.

At present the Biosphere offers a fairly limited diet of freshwater fish, mushrooms green leaves, apples, pears and the occasional citrus fruit or plum, but according to Walsh, the potential is limitless.

The concept is based on the traditional African agricultural traditions where crops are grown above each other.

Backing the project are international architectural practice BDP and engineering giant Siemens which are hoping to pioneer their Greenius Wall technology at the Biosphere.

BDP North chairman Gavin Elliot said the technology had great value in areas of high population density.