Controlled-environment agriculture

Controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) -- which includes indoor agriculture (IA) and vertical farming—is a technology-based approach toward food production. The aim of CEA is to provide protection from the outdoor elements and maintain optimal growing conditions throughout the development of the crop. Production takes place within an enclosed growing structure such as a greenhouse or plant factory.[1]

Plants are often grown in a soilless medium in order to supply the proper amounts of water and nutrients to the root zone as well as supplemental lighting to ensure a sufficient daily light integral. CEA optimizes the use of resources such as water, energy, space, capital and labor. CEA technologies include hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaculture, and aquaponics.[2]

Different techniques are available for growing food in controlled environment agriculture. Currently, the greenhouse industry is the largest component of the CEA industry but another quickly growing segment is the vertical farming industry. Controlled Environment Agriculture has the ability to produce crops all year round, with the possibility of increased yield by adjusting the amount of carbon and nutrients the plants receive.[3]

In consideration to urban agriculture, CEA can exist inside repurposed structures, built to purpose structures or in basements and subterranean spaces.[4] The trend is increasingly growing into alternative food networks, as entrepreneurs and households seek to meet the growing demand for fresh food products.[5]

  1. ^ Ting, K.C.; Lin, T.; Davidson, P.C. (9 November 2016). "Integrated Urban Controlled Environment Agriculture Systems". LED Lighting for Urban Agriculture. pp. 19–36. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-1848-0_2. ISBN 978-981-10-1846-6.
  2. ^ "Controlled Environment Agriculture Center". University of Arizona. Retrieved 2015-08-16.
  3. ^ Benke, Kurt and Bruce Tomkins. 2017. "Future Food-Production Systems: Vertical Farming and Controlled-Environment Agriculture." Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy 13 (1): 13-26.
  4. ^ Jans-Singh, M.; Fidler, P.; Ward, R.M.; Choudhary, R. (January 2019). "Monitoring the Performance of an Underground Hydroponic Farm". International Conference on Smart Infrastructure and Construction 2019 (ICSIC). pp. 133–141. doi:10.1680/icsic.64669.133. ISBN 978-0-7277-6466-9. S2CID 201596364.
  5. ^ Wiśniewska-Paluszak, Joanna; Paluszak, Grzegorz (May 2021). "The Urban and Peri-Urban Farms (UPFs) Relational Model: The Case of Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland". Agriculture. 11 (5): 421. doi:10.3390/agriculture11050421.