2026-10-06T16:03:51Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/31334059 2026-09-22T21:52:58Z category_24001 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Life cycle assessment of U.S.-based hydroponic container farms Alexa Kaminski (23046754) Callie W. Babbitt (8067541) Food sustainability Hydroponic container farm Controlled environment agriculture Urban agriculture Life cycle assessment Global warming potential <p dir="ltr">Urban food systems are under increased pressure to sustain a growing population while balancing the complex environmental, economic, and social dimensions inherent to modern food supply chains. Urban-scaled hydroponic systems have been touted as a way to provide cities with reliable, year-round food production while also contributing to broader sustainable development goals. However, hydroponic systems can be energy-intensive to operate, which could lead to climate impacts that offset their sustainability benefits to urban regions. This study applies life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impacts of production and use of a hydroponic container farming system in the U.S. under three scenarios of use in urban food system transitions. Results show that these systems consume less water but typically lead to higher climate impacts compared to conventional field-based growing methods. HCF impacts were comparable to other urban agriculture options operating at a similar scale. However, impacts are largely dependent on the location, objectives, and characteristics of farm operation, particularly the amount of energy used and carbon intensity of the electricity grid, leading to climate impacts that vary from 5.0 to 25 kg CO₂-eq/kg lettuce. Scenario analyses showed that environmental impacts can be mitigated by integrating renewable energy sources and optimizing operational efficiency and yield. However, use of hydroponic container farms in the U.S. may lead to environmental tradeoffs that decision makers will have to evaluate relative to their potential social and economic benefits in sustainable urban transitions.</p> 2026-09-22T21:52:58Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.31334059.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Life_cycle_assessment_of_U_S_-based_hydroponic_container_farms/31334059 CC BY 4.0