Facing Extreme Weather, a New Path for Food
Extreme weather, from pounding rainfall to heatwaves and prolonged droughts, is threatening crop yields around the globe. In response, an international collaboration led by the University of Adelaide, the University of Cambridge, the University of Western Australia and NASA reimagines how we grow food for the future. Published in Trends in Plant Science and selected for a 30th anniversary special issue on big concepts shaping plant science, the work champions controlled environment agriculture (CEA) as a potent supplement to traditional farming, not a replacement.
What is Controlled Environment Agriculture?
Controlled environment agriculture allows crops to be grown indoors under precise control of light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide and nutrients, while reducing pest risks. As Dr Alison Gill explains, “Controlled environment agriculture allows crops to be grown indoors under the precise control of light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and nutrients, while reducing pest risks.” This approach can produce food anywhere, year-round, with yields up to 20 times greater than conventional farming, using far less arable land and water.
From Space Research to Earth-Scale Food Production
The project originated from space-focused experiments designed to grow food beyond Earth, supported by UK and Australian Space Agency collaborations. Yet the greatest impacts are expected back on Earth. Gill says, “What began as space science… has enabled us to create a blueprint to deliver big impacts back home.” In Australia, container farms could deliver fresh produce to remote outback communities, reduce food miles, and help farmers’ incomes during droughts through recycled water. The research also points to future applications beyond salad greens, including indoor plant-based pharmaceuticals and other high-value bioproducts, unlocking substantial economic potential for CEA.
Why CEA Still Needs a Roadmap
Today, CEA production has been limited to small, editable crops like lettuce, herbs, cucumbers and microgreens. To turn indoor farms into robust, scalable production platforms, the researchers identify concrete targets and pathways. As Professor Matthew Gilliham notes, “We have identified specific targets that plant scientists must address, and the routes by which this could be achieved, as a pre-requisite for controlled environment agriculture to form a viable production platform going forward.” He also calls for a pre-breeding pipeline spanning traditional horticulture, broadacre farming and even forestry, to broaden crop options and resilience for indoor settings.
Envisioning a World with Local, Resilient Food
Cambridge’s Professor Alex Webb emphasizes the need for creative minds, combined with state-of-the-art technologies, to tailor crops to indoor environments. “It is only now that we have these tools… by combining precise environmental control with cutting-edge plant science, we can begin to grow plants that are best suited to meet the challenges ahead,” he says. If implemented to its full potential, CEA could keep fresh food supplies local all year round—inside cities, in remote regions, and even beyond Earth’s borders when space farming becomes feasible. With right investment, these innovations could redefine how, what and where we grow, eat and share food in the 21st century.
Towards a More Sustainable and Equitable Food System
The research underscores a future where agriculture is less vulnerable to climate volatility, using technologies that monitor crop health and fine-tune growth for consistency and nutrition. In addition to yielding improvements, CEA promises to reduce land use and water consumption while creating opportunities for high-value crops in controlled environments. The collaboration between the University of Adelaide, the University of Cambridge, the University of Western Australia and NASA marks a pivotal step toward turning space-tested concepts into practical, Earth-based solutions.
Additional Context: Adelaide’s Academic Landscape
The collaboration arrives as the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia plan to unite to form Adelaide University, a national flagship institution opening in January 2026. The merger aims to advance globally relevant research, industry-informed teaching and a strengthened student experience, further supporting initiatives like indoor farming at scale.
