Vertical Farming – a silver bullet for modern agriculture ?

Vertical farming is the process of growing crops in multiple layers in a controlled environment where all key inputs a plant responds to are specified and provided by the operator. In theory, this means you can grow anything, anywhere at any time. But does this make sense from both an economic and an environmental standpoint? Our life cycle assessment driven approach allows consideration of the embodied carbon within vertical farm systems and that used in the production of crops. This highlights areas where effort is needed to improve both hardware and operational methods as well as providing perspective on planning and best practices for energy supply.

This seminar will explore vertical farming system design, processes and key considerations and look at areas where this technology has been applied to date and sectors where it shows promise for further exploitation.