The embodied carbon emissions of lettuce production in vertical farming, greenhouse horticulture, and open-field farming in the Netherlands

The embodied carbon emissions of lettuce production in vertical farming, greenhouse horticulture, and open-field farming in the Netherlands

Blom, T. (TU Delft Climate Design and Sustainability)
Jenkins, A.J. (TU Delft Climate Design and Sustainability)
Pulselli, Riccardo (University of Florence)
van den Dobbelsteen, A.A.J.F. (TU Delft Climate Design and Sustainability)

2022

Over the past decades, various farming methods have evolved in response to the global challenges of increasing food demands, decreasing availability of arable land, and climate change. One of these new farming methods is vertical farming. To understand the contribution of vertical farms to future sustainable food production, beyond its efficient land-use and high yields, this paper evaluates the current carbon footprint of lettuce produced in an operational vertical farm in comparison to conventional open-field farming and both soil-based and hydroponic greenhouse cultivation in the Netherlands. The assessment includes the greenhouse gas emissions of the life cycle of the farm and the crop, from cradle-to-grave. An alternative scenario is explored to include the lost carbon sequestration potential by land-use change, identical packaging for all farming methods, and renewable energy
usage. The carbon footprint of the vertical farm was 5.6–16.7 times greater than that of the conventional farming methods in the baseline scenario and 2.3 to 3.3 times in the alternative scenario. The electricity demands of the vertical farm represented 85% of the carbon footprint in the baseline scenario and 66% in the alternative scenario, suggesting that a significant reduction in electricity use is required to compete with conventional farming methods from a carbon footprint perspective. If this could be achieved, vertical farming could become a valid component of future sustainable and food secure systems by its efficient use of land, high yields, minimal use of water, nutrients, pesticides and herbicides, and the ability to be located within or adjacent to cities.

Vertical farming
Carbon footprint
LCA
Sustainable agriculture
Renewable energy

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:b97d1c03-4dc4-4a19-91c8-949930d5590e

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134443

0959-6526

Journal of Cleaner Production, 377

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2022 T. Blom, A.J. Jenkins, Riccardo Pulselli, A.A.J.F. van den Dobbelsteen