Exploring the landscape of controlled environment agriculture research: A systematic scoping review of trends and topics

CONTEXT

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA), as vertical farms or plant factories, is a promising technology to intensify food production in an ecologically friendly manner. CEA's potential for improving the sustainability of food systems has prompted a growing research field. However, little is known about the emerging landscape of CEA research.

OBJECTIVE

To map the key concepts underpinning CEA research and answer the following questions: What are the conceptual domains in CEA research? What crops have been systematically investigated for CEA production? What are the major research gaps and future research considerations?

METHOD

We conducted a scoping review, systematically retrieving and screening peer-reviewed literature that met the inclusion criteria. We then conducted a thematic analysis of the included studies and extracted relevant data.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The review included 610 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Based on thematic analysis, CEA research was categorised into four domains—technical, biological, environmental, and socio-economic research. CEA research focused disproportionately on biological research (n=348), particularly plant-light interactions (n=248). We observed a paucity of research on the socio-economic aspects of CEA (n=60). Screening for studied crop species revealed a disproportionate research focus on leafy vegetables (n=187). Lettuce was the most studied crop followed by basil (n=24) and tomato (n=22). Increasing crop choices is imperative for CEA to improve food security. Future research must prioritize socio-economic studies, increase crop choices through breeding, and rigorously test environmental sustainability claims if CEA is to become a truly viable player in developing more sustainable food systems.

SIGNIFICANCE

These results highlight a need for cross-disciplinary CEA research with a scope beyond photobiology—including environmental assessments, resource use efficiency, urban food security, and expanding crop choices in CEA. This will improve understanding of CEA's role in sustainable food systems.