Rich DeMuro visits a vertical indoor farm run by Plenty in Compton, California. See how robots are growing some of the freshest greens around.

Between climate change and population growth, the global food crisis looms larger. Plenty is looking up for solutions—and selling produce at scale.

Here’s a provocative question: What if we needed far less water to grow food, and what if farmers did it indoors?

Between climate change and population growth, the global food crisis looms larger. Plenty is looking up for solutions—and selling produce at scale.

Here’s a provocative question: What if we needed far less water to grow food, and what if farmers did it indoors?

Commerical real estate investment trust Realty Income (O.N) will partner with Softbank-backed vertical farming startup Plenty Unlimited Inc to invest up to $1 billion to build farming space leased to the startup, the companies said on Tuesday. As part of the agreement, Realty Income will invest $42 million into Plenty's strawberry farm near Richmond, Virginia, marking the South San Fransciso-based startup's first facility on the East Coast.

Scaling up doesn’t always mean building up and out; sometimes it can involve investing in the capacity to dive deep into research and ask the right questions. Case in point: California-based indoor grower Plenty Unlimited Inc. has spent nearly a decade learning the ropes and evolving its approach to indoor agriculture and recently has jumped on an opportunity to grow by making a big investing in R&D.

Agriculture and food systems are on the edge due to climate change, soil degradation, and the loss of productive farmland. But Plenty’s Chief Science Officer, Nate Storey, has a solution. He talked to Nick Bradley about how he and his team of vertical farmers are planning to grow enough fresh food for everyone, everywhere