Vertical farming is often promoted as a sustainable alternative to traditional agriculture, offering efficient land use, reduced water consumption, and the potential for localised food production in urban areas. However, I read a recent news article that suggests that the environmental benefits may not be as clear-cut as once thought. A new report indicates that vertical farming could generate almost twice the CO₂ emissions of conventional field farming, largely due to the intensive energy demands of artificial lighting and climate control systems.
I’d be interested to hear thoughts from any EngX community members working in agriculture, energy systems, or sustainability.
What are your thoughts on the viability of vertical farming, and where do you see the biggest opportunities for improvement? How can we optimise energy efficiency in controlled-environment agriculture? Are there emerging technologies (such as adaptive lighting, renewable integration, or AI-driven climate systems) that could mitigate these impacts? And how do you evaluate sustainability trade-offs when designing food systems for the future?
