Controlled Environment Agriculture for Sustainable Development

Controlled Environment Agriculture for Sustainable Development
January 13, 2025
To meet rising food demand, food systems have to increase production by more than 50%. Opportunities to expand agricultural land are limited and efforts to do so can be environmentally harmful. To improve resilience and foster sustainable growth, this article examines the role of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) – a range of farming methods and technologies that allow crops to be cultivated outside their natural or preferred environments.
The UNDP Singapore Global Centre, with the support of Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, has produced this article to lay out the workings of CEA systems, as well as the opportunities and challenges of CEA in transforming food systems. The article also highlights its potential social and environmental impacts, and considers pathways for CEA adoption in lower- and middle-income countries.