Source: Local RootsWith a world population estimated to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, experts predict that food resources will be strained trying to accommodate such a number. Yet, Local Roots, an indoor farming company, is preparing for such a challenge with its efforts to increase the food supply.

Using a simple process, the company grows crops under LED lights in a soil-like, nutrient-rich, water-based solution in shipping containers called TerraFarms. Capable of producing 4,000 heads of lettuce every day, the containers are typically 320-feet squared and use 99 percent less water than traditional farming methods

"At Local Roots, we design, build and operate the world’s most productive indoor farming solutions. We believe the key to a more sustainable future requires eliminating supply-chain risks and undoing the commoditization of the food industry," according to the Local Roots team.

With customers like Space X and a variety of Silicon Valley companies, Local Roots expects to deploy 100 additional TerraFarms in 2018.