6 . Salad plants have already been grown in old shelters and tunnels. Urban farming is a regular topic of interest at places like the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, where leaders consider whether the world's food system, blamed for causing both obesity malnutrition, can be fixed. There are already plenty of urban farming projects around the world, particularly in the US. Japan and the Netherlands, from urban fish and plant farms to vertical farming.
“It’s becoming an expanding industry,” said Richard Ballard, one of the founders of the farm Growing Underground. “There’re several other businesses starting up in London in containers, and there are other vertical farms around the country now.”
Growing Underground is not a standard farm. The rows of crops could be in almost any tunnel, but these plants are 100 feet below Clapham High Street and show that urban agriculture is, in some cases at least, not a fad. The underground farm has occupied a part of the Second World War air-raid shelters for nearly five years, and Ballard is planning to expand into the rest of the space later this year.
Growing Underground supplies herb and salad mixes to grocery shops, supermarkets and restaurants. Being in London creates an advantage, Ballard says, as they can harvest and deliver in an hour.
He adds other advantages. Being under-ground means temperatures never go below 15℃surface greenhouses need to be heated. They can do more harvests: 60 crops a year, compared with about seven in a traditional farm. Electricity to power the lights is a major cost, but the company believes renewable energy will become cheaper.
Similar British companies include the Jones Food Company in Lincolnshire, while in the US Aerofarms has several projects in New Jersey, and Edenworks in Brooklyn.
1. What do we know about urban farming?
| A．It leads to a healthier lifestyle. | B．It is rarely discussed at the WEF. |
| C．Different farming methods are used. | D．Local governments pay efforts to develop it. |
2. What can we learn about the underground farm?
| A．It is more productive than a traditional farm. |
| B．It provides food directly to the customers. |
| C．Its major products are herbs and salads. |
| D．It uses less energy than a greenhouse. |
3. What can be a suitable title for the text?
| A．Current food system causes health problems |
| B．Growing Underground attracts more people |
| C．Traditional farming will be replaced soon |
| D．Urban farming is still thought costly and time-consuming |
