Introduction: A new blueprint for feeding a warming world
Extreme weather—intense rainfall, heatwaves, and droughts—poses a growing threat to crop yields around the globe. In response, an international team spanning the University of Adelaide, University of Cambridge, University of Western Australia, and NASA has reimagined how we grow food. Their collaborative work, published in Trends in Plant Science and featured in a forthcoming 30th anniversary issue, outlines a blueprint for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) that could transform food security while reducing land and water use.
What is controlled environment agriculture?
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) refers to growing crops indoors under precise control of light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and nutrients. Proponents argue that CEA can slash pest pressure and lock in consistent yields year-round, independent of local weather. The team notes that, in optimal conditions, CEA has the potential to deliver yields up to 20 times greater than conventional farming, with substantially less arable land and water required.
A hybrid of plant science and cutting-edge technology
CEA is not about replacing traditional farming; it is about augmenting it with a system that can tailor crop growth, monitor health, and adapt to consumer needs. The researchers emphasize that decades of plant science—combined with real-time sensing, data analytics, and precision management—can yield crops that are more consistent, nutritious, and better suited to future climates.
From space experiments to Earth-based benefits
The research grew out of space biology, where experiments to grow plants in controlled environments aboard space missions helped develop practical approaches for Earth-based farming. Dr Alison Gill, a postdoctoral researcher at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space, explains that a key aim is to make CEA a practical, scalable production platform. “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,” she states.
As a result, the team envisions container farms that could deliver fresh produce to remote communities, reduce “food miles,” and provide drought resilience through recycled water. They also anticipate new economic opportunities in indoor plant-based pharmaceuticals and other high-value bioproducts, expanding CEA beyond vegetables and herbs to a broader range of crops.
Opportunities and implications for the 21st century
CEA could mean fresh, locally grown food in inner cities and remote outback towns, regardless of external weather. In addition to food security, the approach offers a platform for climate-controlled production of nutritionally consistent crops, potentially reducing price volatility and waste. The research also underlines a broader industrial vision: a pre-breeding pipeline for traditional horticulture, broadacre agriculture, and even forestry, expanding CEA’s reach far beyond current, small-scale crops.
Beyond edible crops: bioproducts and pharmaceuticals
Beyond food, the team sees indoor plant-based pharmaceuticals and high-value bioproducts as an attractive economic driver. The ability to precisely tune plant metabolism in a controlled environment could unlock new treatments and specialty ingredients produced at scale inside urban facilities.
Challenges on the path to scale
Today, CEA successes have been mostly with lettuce, herbs, cucumbers, and microgreens—the low-hanging fruit of indoor farming. Scaling up to larger, staple crops and broad commercial viability presents challenges in energy use, system integration, crop genetics, and operation economics. The authors emphasize the need for a coordinated R&D pipeline, infrastructure investment, and policy support to translate a laboratory blueprint into a globally distributed production network.
Looking ahead: a practical, inclusive farming future
With the right investment, CEA could redefine how and where we grow, eat, and share food. The authors envision a future where indoor farming complements traditional agriculture—reducing drought risk, limiting environmental impact, and expanding access to nutritious produce in cities and far-flung regions alike. In this vision, space-inspired science informs terrestrial food systems, turning the once speculative idea of growing food in controlled chambers into a practical, everyday reality.
Conclusion: A multi-faceted path to resilience
CEA is not a silver bullet, but a powerful supplement to conventional farming. The research advocates a pragmatic, phased approach: harness space-derived insights, advance plant science for indoor environments, and build scalable systems that can nourish communities amid climate extremes. As universities in Australia, the UK, and the United States collaborate with NASA, the potential to bring fresh, local produce to diverse populations—while protecting water and land resources—moves from concept to concrete potential.
