Is vertical farming a relevant and feasible solution for sustainable agriculture among smallholders in South Asia?

Details

Supervisors

Desmet, Carlos

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

The need for agriculture to feed an ever-growing population while urgently minimizing its environmental impact and adapting to rapid climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. This is especially true for smallholder farmers in South Asia, who form the backbone of agriculture in the region, are crucial players for improving food security, and yet are among the most vulnerable to climate change. In this context, vertical farming, which is the method of growing crops in vertically stacked shelves under controlled environment, has gained relevance worldwide, thanks to its potential to ensure sustainable year-round crops production while minimizing resource utilization. This work aims to assess the degree of feasibility and sustainability of vertical farming implementation within the South Asia region. A thorough analysis of each country’s major opportunities and challenges was conducted through a database of 148 development indicators and the construction of synthetic indices. Our results revealed that countries such as India and Sri Lanka demonstrated the best prospective for vertical farming implementation, while the countries where vertical farming adoption seems the least feasible are Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan.