2021 Controlled Environment Agriculture Census offers insight on sustainability issues

How ready are controlled environment agriculture operators for a sustainable future?

The 2021 Global Controlled Environment Agriculture Census report seeks to answer that question, and the document now is available for free download.

The 56-page report, a joint project of Agritecture LLC and WayBeyond Ltd., surveyed more than 330 operators in 51 countries.

The authors said 18% of respondents came from the U.S., 10% were from India, 9% were from the United Kingdom and 5% operated in Canada.

This year the focus of the census was on sustainability, with 70% of those participating indicating the CEA industry is excessively susceptible to "greenwashing," according to a summary of the report.

The report quoted growers, without identifying them by name, about the greenwashing issue.

“There is a ton of greenwashing in the industry," one greenhouse grower in the U.S. said in the report. "Not to throw the vertical indoor guys under the bus, but it is crazy how indoor farms (and greenhouses) will say less food miles (e.g. lower carbon footprint) but then use an unbelievable amount of energy (lights/HVAC) per lb/lettuce. If consumers knew how much energy went into their “indoor” food, they would be shocked!”

A container grower in France commented that claims are rarely backed up with hard numbers.

“If you look at the communication of CEA actors and especially indoor/vertical farming companies, sustainability claims are widespread in public statements but almost never backed with factual and comprehensive data (e.g., Life Cycle Assessment based)," the French grower said. "As most data is kept secret (yields, energy consumption per kg, actual water footprint, source of electricity, raw material usage...) those claims are quite hard to be challenged, and thus it is quite easy for companies to cherry-pick the environmental benefits and not talk about the issues. I believe this is fostered by the dependence on fundraising, as most actors have not yet proven the viability of their business models and need arguments to keep attracting investors to back their projects, which will remain the case in the next few years at least.”

Currently, the census found only about 35% of businesses surveyed have a specific sustainability-focused role appointed, though another 22% said they were actively looking for someone to fill that role.

The census looks at how farms are addressing factors such as water and energy consumption and general sustainable practices, according to the report summary.

Some questions asked and answered in the survey were:

• What are the greatest sustainability challenges in your business?
• What do you believe their businesses can do a better job of when it comes to sustainability?
• How often do your customers inquire about your practices related to sustainability?
• How does your business track sustainability metrics?
• What technology solutions are you considering in the next 12 months?

The report can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3obS1Cq.

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