It’s a well accepted fact that the world’s food supply is being put under greater strain by ever increasing population numbers, but underground farms could help to alleviate some of this pressure.

We visited an underground farm deep under London, in tunnels that were used as air raid shelters during World War 2.

The farm, and any subsequent ones created by its owners Growing Underground, may be able to help alleviate the issue of providing food for expanding city populations.

While the farm is not the first to be located underground it is the first in London to use a hidden space similar to abandoned underground spaces in other cities.

The London farm, like other such projects, uses LED lights to help products grow in environments which can be fully controlled and kept free from pests.

Farming under our cities builds on the concept of vertical farming, which aims to see crops grown in purpose-designed buildings. Earlier this year the largest vertical farm, which can hold 17 million plants, opened in the US.

Meanwhile there had even been talk of growing underground on planets that future humans may colonise.

In next issue of Factor Magazine, out next week, you can see our video exploring the tunnels and hear from the brains behind the farm. You can download the magazine and previous editions for free by subscribing on iTunes, or view it on the web. In the meantime, here’s the scene below London.

The farm is being developed in old tunnels which have remained largely unused and uninhabited since the end of World War 2.

They sit under the surface in the south of London and are part of a series of older tunnels that are used for various purposes.

At present the staff at the tunnels are testing a variety of LED lighting to grow plants under.

The farm, which is fully funded for its first phase of expansion, will have the potential to grow products over 2.5 acres of space.

There are currently nine types of micro-herbs and three types of regular herbs being grown at the farm.

The lights that are being tested come from a variety of manufacturers, including one group that previously created them during the production of cannabis.

The herbs and micro-herbs are fed with water that contains all the nutrients they need to grow healthily.

Featured image and images five, six, seven are courtesy of Seven Storey Media.