Vertical farming is a concept that argues that it is economically and environmentally viable to cultivate plant or animal life within skyscrapers, or on vertically inclined surfaces. The idea of a vertical farm has existed at least since the early 1950s and built precedents are well documented by John Hix in his canonical text "The Glass House"

Irrespective of their origins, there are three classifications debated by contemporary scholars.

1) The phrase "vertical farming" was coined by Gilbert Ellis Bailey in 1915. In his book "Vertical Farming", Bailey defined the earliest meanings and methods of vertical farming:

2) The second category of vertical farming falls under the concepts proposed and built by architect Ken Yeang developed at least ten years before Despommier. Yeang proposes that instead of hermetically sealed mass produced agriculture that plant life should be cultivated within open air, mixed-use skyscrapers for climate control and consumption (i.e. a personal or communal planting space as per the needs of the individual). This version of vertical farming is based upon personal or community use rather than the wholesale production and distribution plant and animal life that aspires to feed an entire city. It thus requires less of an initial investment than Despommier's "The Vertical Farm". However, neither Despommier nor Yeang are the conceptual "originators", nor is Yeang the inventor of vertical farming in skyscrapers.

Dickson D. Despommier is a microbiologist, ecologist and Professor of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University. He conducts research on intracellular parasitism and teaches courses on Parasitic Diseases, Medical Ecology and Ecology. In recent years, Despommier has received considerable media coverage for his ideas on vertical farming. He developed his concept of vertical farming with graduate students in a medical ecology class in 1999.

Despommier is also co-host of two popular podcasts along with Vincent Racaniello, namely TWIV (This Week in Virology) and TWIP (This Week in Parasitism).

Dickson Despommier (2010). The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century. ISBN 978-0-312-61139-2. http://www.verticalfarm.com/.