Controlled Environment Agriculture and Food Security

C.F. Nicholson, Adjunct Associate Professor Horticulture Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University August 2021 This 12-minute video summarizes the potential contributions of controlled-environment agriculture systems (greenhouses, vertical farms and plant factories) to food security in higher-income countries. CEA systems could have impacts on food security due to higher and more stable yields. They can also potentially be located near food-insecure populations, for example in urban areas. However, food insecurity arises primarily due to limits on food access for some populations, access that has both distance and economic dimensions. It is less clear based on existing evidence that the location or cost structures for CEA would facilitate the broad-based improvements in food access necessary for substantive reductions in food insecurity. Pending additional information, it is appropriate to exercise caution in claims about the role of CEA in improvement of food security outcomes.