Vertical Farming Market Overview, 2029

Vertical farming represents a ground-breaking method of food production that utilizes vertically oriented surfaces. Instead of traditional flat farming, this technique allows for the growth of crops, vegetables, and other food items in multiple stacked layers. These layers can be integrated into various structures, including skyscrapers, shipping containers, or repurposed warehouses. The process leverages controlled environment agriculture (CEA) technology to improve outcomes, involving the artificial management of temperature, light, humidity, and gases within the farming environment. This approach has the potential to revolutionize our food production and consumption practices.

The vertical farming industry is projected to be the 'future of agriculture, ' thanks to its high monitoring capabilities and improved efficiency. It reduces the consumption of water and land while also minimizing waste. Additionally, CEA technology safeguards crops from pests and other contaminants. With the world population expected to soar to 9.7 billion by 2050, the challenge of feeding this growing population is intensified by industrialization and urban expansion, which are eroding valuable arable land. Studies have shown that a third of the Earth's arable land has been lost over the past four decades. Many researchers advocate for vertical farming as a viable solution to this challenge, focusing on maximizing crop production in limited spaces.

According to the research report, the market is expected to cross USD 20.90 Billion market size by 2029, with 23.25 % CAGR by 2024-29. Market revenue growth is expected to be driven by various factors, including a rise in global demand for food, higher yields than traditional farming, and independence from climate impacts. Drastic climate change and erratic weather patterns have significantly impacted the agriculture industry across the globe in the last decade. This change is creating higher demand for alternative, sustainable farming practices such as vertical farming. The global vertical farming market is segmented into five major regions, including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Among these regions, the Asia-Pacific region is estimated to acquire a larger portion of the market share during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is one of the most lucrative markets for vertical farming compared to other regions. There has been a significant rise in new manufacturers and start-ups offering new innovative products across the region. In addition to that, higher adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), enhanced sensors, robotics, and smart monitoring is boosting the market growth.

In the global vertical farming market, building-based and container-based systems represent two key structural approaches, each contributing to the sector's rapid expansion. Building-based vertical farms are the larger segment, dominating the market due to their ability to support large-scale, high-volume crop production. These systems, often housed in repurposed warehouses or skyscrapers in urban areas, provide the advantage of year-round cultivation in controlled environments, making them highly efficient and suited for meeting the growing demand for fresh, locally sourced produce in cities.

Their capacity for scaling up operations positions building-based farms as the preferred choice for commercial farming ventures focused on maximizing yields and minimizing land use. Meanwhile, container-based farms are the faster-growing segment, driven by their flexibility, portability, and cost-effectiveness. These systems are typically housed in modified shipping containers, allowing for small-scale, localized farming that can be deployed in urban and remote areas alike. They are particularly attractive to startups and smaller-scale operators who seek to enter the vertical farming space with lower upfront costs and adaptable solutions.

In the global vertical farming market, the application segments of indoor and outdoor vertical farming play distinct yet complementary roles in shaping the industry’s landscape. Indoor vertical farming is the larger segment, dominating the market due to its ability to provide controlled environments that optimize growing conditions regardless of external climate factors. These systems, typically housed in warehouses or dedicated facilities, allow for year-round cultivation, ensuring consistent crop production of high-value vegetables, herbs, and fruits.

The growing urban population and increasing demand for fresh produce have further fuelled the adoption of indoor vertical farms, making them a preferred choice for commercial operations seeking to maximize efficiency and yield. In contrast, outdoor vertical farming is the faster-growing segment, gaining traction as innovations in agricultural technology and vertical farming techniques enable crops to be grown in non-traditional outdoor settings. This approach can enhance land utilization and reduce the need for extensive infrastructure while still leveraging vertical growing methods. The trend towards outdoor vertical farming is also driven by its potential to improve resource efficiency and sustainability, aligning with environmental goals and consumer preferences for eco-friendly practices.

In the global vertical farming market, the crop type segment is diverse, encompassing tomatoes, bell and chilli peppers, lettuce, herbs, leafy greens (excluding lettuce), strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables like cucumbers. Among these, tomatoes represent the largest segment, widely cultivated due to their high demand in various culinary applications and the versatility they offer to both consumers and producers. The trend of increasing urbanization and the growing preference for locally sourced food have significantly bolstered the production of tomatoes in vertical farms, allowing for consistent quality and year-round availability.

Following tomatoes, leafy greens, including lettuce and herbs, have gained substantial traction, driven by their rapid growth cycles and high market demand. These crops are particularly well-suited for vertical farming systems, where controlled environments can optimize conditions for growth, resulting in improved yields and reduced resource usage. The rising interest in health and wellness has also prompted consumers to seek fresh, pesticide-free produce, enhancing the appeal of vertical farming for growing leafy greens and herbs.

COVID-19 Impacts:

In order to deliver safe goods and services, stop disease outbreaks, and lower the chance of downtime, vital enterprises and organisations depend on pest control. When the coronavirus lockdown limitations are relaxed, the restoration of a building to normal usage will be delayed by pest infestations. Utilizing pest control services at this time will enable you to keep an eye on infestations, deal with them immediately, and drastically save expenditures.

Considered In the Report

• Geography: Global
• Historical year: 2018
• Base year: 2023
• Estimated year: 2024
• Forecasted year: 2029

Aspects covered in this report

• Global Vertical Farming Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Region wise Vertical Farming market analysis
• Application wise Vertical Farming distribution
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

Regions covered in the report

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle-East & Africa

Based on Growth Mechanism:

• Hydroponics
• Aeroponics
• Aquaponics

Based on structure type:

• Building based-vertical farming
• Shipping based-vertical farming

Based on components:

• Lighting
• Climate Control (HVAC)
• Sensors
• Other Hydroponic Components (Irrigation & fertigation system)

Based on application type:

• Indoor-vertical farming
• Outdoor-vertical farming

Based on crop type:

• Tomatoes
• Bell & Chili peppers
• Lettuce
• Herbs
• Leafy Greens (excluding lettuce)
• Strawberry
• Others

The approach of the report:

This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and listing out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual report of companies, analyzing the government generated reports and databases.

After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to agricultural industry, food & beverage industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.