Vertical farming could free up thousands of hectares of UK farmland, but the environmental benefits depend on how that land is reused, according to new research led by the University of Surrey.

The study, published in Cleaner Food Systems, is the first UK-wide study to look at not only the environmental impact of vertical farming itself, but also what happens if the land no longer needed for conventional farming is repurposed for climate and environmental goals, such as renewable energy generation, woodland creation and ecosystem restoration.

Focusing on lettuce production, researchers found that vertical farming could reduce land demand by 93 per cent, thanks to the extremely high yields achieved in stacked indoor growing systems. However, the study also details how vertical farming currently produces higher greenhouse gas emissions than traditional field farming due to the intensive electricity demand.

Through life cycle assessment and national-scale environmental modelling, the team explored a range of scenarios for how best to reuse the lettuce fields. According to the study, converting that land for solar power generation would deliver the strongest climate benefits, with the avoided emissions from solar power offsetting the operational emissions associated with vertical farming and reducing overall emissions below those of conventional field-grown lettuce.

Other land-use options, including forestry, agroforestry, bioenergy crops and wind energy, were also modelled and assessed. While woodland creation and agroforestry generated positive land-carbon outcomes, their greenhouse gas reductions were more modest compared with solar power.

Michael Gargaro, lead author of the study and Postgraduate Researcher at the University of Surrey’s Centre for Environment and Sustainability, said:

“Vertical farming for crops like leafy greens is already proving popular with supermarkets and consumers alike, offering year-round supply, longer shelf life and fewer chemical pesticides. While it’s often discussed as a way to grow food more efficiently, our research shows the bigger opportunity may be what it allows us to do with the land no longer needed for conventional farming.

“The technology still comes with environmental costs, but if the land spared is used strategically for renewable energy or environmental restoration, the overall system can bring meaningful climate benefits.”

The study estimates that current UK lettuce production occupies around 4,000 hectares of farmland. Meeting UK lettuce demand through vertical farming would require around 590 hectares of facilities, potentially sparing around 3,410 hectares of agricultural land.

Professor Zoe M Harris, Director of the Centre for Environment and Sustainability, and Co-Director of the Institute for Sustainability at the University of Surrey, said:

“The UK is under growing pressure to balance food production with climate targets, biodiversity recovery and renewable energy generation. Whilst changing Grade 1 land from lettuce to solar is unlikely due to its potential to grow food, this work provides a useful exploration of the critical role vertical farming can play in sparing land and in a wider land-use strategy.”

The findings could help inform future UK land-use planning, particularly as demand for land continues to rise due to food production, net-zero commitments and environmental restoration goals.

[ENDS]