Advanced technologies in plant factories: exploring current and future economic and environmental benefits in urban horticulture

Abstract

Plant factories (PFs), also known as vertical farms, are advanced agricultural production systems that operate independently of geographical and environmental conditions. They utilize artificial light and controlled environments to produce horticultural plants year-round. This approach offers a promising solution for the stable and efficient supply of high-quality horticultural produce in urban areas, enhancing resilient urban food systems. This review explores the economic and environmental impacts and potential of PFs. Breakthroughs in PF research and development are highlighted, including increased product yields and quality, reduced energy input and CO₂ emissions through optimized growing conditions and automation systems, transitioning to clean energy, improved resource use efficiency, and reduced food transport distances. Moreover, innovations and applications of PFs have been proposed to address challenges from both economic and environmental perspectives. The proposed development of PF technologies for economic and environmental benefits represents a comprehensive and promising approach to urban horticulture, significantly enhancing the impact and benefits of fundamental research and industrial applications.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Qiuyuan Zeng for her assistance in preparing the figures. This work was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program (2022YFF1001900 and 2023YFD1300014), the Earmarked Fund for Sichuan Innovation Team Program of CARS (sccxtd-2024-22), Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2023NSFSC1250 and 2023NSFSC0164), Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund (NASC2023ST10, and S2024005), the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of CAAS (ASTIP-34-IUA), and the Elite Youth Program of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences for Xiao Yang.

Author contributions

J.H., X.Y., and X.Y. conceptualized and designed the study and drafted the manuscript. E.H., L.M., and Q.Y. provided critical revisions to the manuscript, and J.P. helped collect and analyze the industry data. Q.Y. supervised this project. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Data availability statement

All data supporting the findings of this review are available within the article.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Supplementary Data

Supplementary data is available at Horticulture Research online.

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