Daily Junction.mobi portal<figure class="align-right zoomable"> <a aria-label="Zoomable image" href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/753133/original/file-20260810-50-hmfle8.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="rows of lettuce growing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/753133/original/file-20260810-50-hmfle8.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/753133/original/file-20260810-50-hmfle8.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/753133/original/file-20260810-50-hmfle8.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/753133/original/file-20260810-50-hmfle8.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/753133/original/file-20260810-50-hmfle8.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/753133/original/file-20260810-50-hmfle8.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/753133/original/file-20260810-50-hmfle8.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a> <figcaption> <span class="caption">Crops such as lettuce can be grown in vertical farms at scale.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-view-vertical-lettuce-plantation-organic-2481388015">Sergey_Bogomyako/Shutterstock</a></span> </figcaption> </figure>
<p>They can use remarkably little land and recycle much of their water. They are also largely protected from drought, storms and other extreme weather. But the greater the control, the greater the dependence on infrastructure and energy.</p>
<p>Even vertical farms are not completely independent of outdoor temperatures. LEDs and other equipment generate heat that needs to be removed. Maintaining an optimal indoor climate can require more energy as external temperatures move further away from the conditions required by the crop.</p>
<p>This exposes a fundamental trade-off in controlled-environment agriculture. The more we separate food production from the natural environment, the more energy and infrastructure we need to replace the services that nature previously provided for free.</p>
<p>The economics can become difficult. Vertical farming has demonstrated that crops can be produced using very little land and water, but the sector has also experienced numerous business failures. High energy requirements, substantial infrastructure costs and narrow profit margins have made it difficult for some technically impressive systems to become financially sustainable.</p>
<h2>Resilience has a price</h2>
<p>There is no simple answer to whether fields, greenhouses or vertical farms are the most resilient way to produce food.</p>
<p>Fields require comparatively little infrastructure but are highly exposed to weather. Greenhouses provide greater control but require investment, energy and secure water supplies. Vertical farms offer even more control, but with greater dependence on electricity and expensive infrastructure.</p>
<p>Climate change makes this trade-off increasingly important. The future will require smarter, rather than simply more controlled, agriculture: better water management in fields, greater rainwater capture and storage in greenhouses, more efficient heating and cooling, and increased use of renewable energy and waste heat from other industries.</p>
<p>We will need fields, greenhouses <em>and</em> vertical farms – for different crops in different places. The challenge is finding the right balance between exposure to a changing climate, and the increasing cost of controlling it.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/289441/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p>
<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sven-batke-1306101">Sven Batke</a>, Associate Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange - Reader in Plant Science, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edge-hill-university-1356">Edge Hill University</a></em></span></p>
<p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/fields-greenhouses-or-vertical-farms-what-is-the-best-way-to-grow-food-in-a-changing-climate-289441">original article</a>.</p> </div>