INFEWS/T3: Strategic FEW and Workforce Investments to Enhance Viability of Controlled Environment Agriculture in Metropolitan Areas

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA), such as greenhouses or plant factories, may provide an alternative to conventional systems of field-based production and long-distance transportation to supply metropolitan areas with locally-grown vegetables. Potential benefits of metro CEA include decreased transportation of the food, reduced water use compared with field-based production, economic growth, and new jobs and workforce development. However, comprehensive information is lacking on the profitability of alternative CEA production technologies, the characteristics of the work force required for those production systems, the energy and water requirements under different external conditions, and the scale of CEA production compared with conventional field production. A systems modeling approach is being used to compare the economics and environmental effects of CEA versus field vegetable supply chains. This research project also evaluates novel systems to optimize economic benefits as well as water, energy, and other resource use efficiencies in CEA vegetable production. It fosters industry-research networks and workforce development programs to facilitate the acceptance, adoption, and continued improvement of viable CEA systems in metropolitan areas. Collectively, the project 1) Lays the groundwork for more sustainable FEW systems exemplified by CEA and vegetable production; 2) Provides knowledge and insights to enable informed decision making by policy makers, city planners, entrepreneurs, and current CEA operations; and 3) Develops education resources to train an appropriate workforce for a growing CEA industry. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA), which encompasses greenhouses, plant factories, or vertical farms, may be a viable alternative to conventional field-based production of vegetables to supply metropolitan areas. However, fundamental knowledge is lacking on CEA economic and ecological viability and scalability to substantially replace existing food systems. Whereas metropolitan CEA is land and transportation efficient, major barriers include: substantial energy inputs, fundamental knowledge to improve plant productivity in closed systems, and lack of a skilled workforce. The project's transdisciplinary team of plant scientists, chemists, engineers, economists, systems modelers, and computer scientists are developing a multi-dimensional toolkit to assess and guide the systematic and appropriate development of metropolitan CEA. A systems modeling approach is being used to understand the energy, water, and carbon footprints for greenhouses, plant factories, and vertical farms using both status quo CEA technologies and future scenarios based on plant research results. Information is being made available to policy planners and entrepreneurs to assess the environmental impacts of CEA adoption; no comprehensive previous information exists. Further, the factors necessary for financial feasibility of metro-based CEA operations are being systematically assessed and consolidated into a decision-support system for potential CEA operations. The potential to scale up metro-based CEA systems to provide a substantial proportion of selected vegetables to a specific metropolitan market is being assessed, including an analysis of market competition and agglomeration economies. Because metro-area residents are not necessarily prepared for careers in agriculture, the project identifies workforce needs and creates several structured workforce development opportunities (curricula, short courses, and internships). It is anticipated that the research results from this project will be highly transferrable to many regions in the USA and elsewhere. The project also develops scientific and leadership skills for several groups. Through planning and organization related to their specific projects, the graduate students working on this project gain valuable leadership experience working with undergraduate students in an interdisciplinary collaborative environment between the involved labs. The project research provides research experience to at least six undergraduate students, and several undergraduate students are participating in summer internship experiences with CEA industry members. Workforce development training, including online curricula and in-person short courses, will contribute to the professional development of potential metro CEA employees.