European Study Explores Carbon Footprint of Vertical Farming

A new study led by the University of Surrey explored the climate costs and benefits of vertical farming. The study, published in Food and Energy Security, is believed to be the first to fully account for soil emissions from field farming while comparing them to crops grown in a commercial vertical farm in the United Kingdom. This study showed that while vertical farms dramatically increase lettuce yields and use far less water, their carbon footprint still exceeds that of traditional field-based lettuce farming. Interestingly, much of the carbon impact was linked to the high energy demands of vertical systems and the jute fiber plugs that are used instead of soil to support and grow the plants.