Why ‘vertical farming’ is not a fix for our food system

The Canadian government launched its first-ever National Food Security Strategy in June 2026.

The strategy aims to invest $750 million to increase year-round Canadian production of fruits and vegetables, including on so-called vertical farms.

These multi-storey towers and warehouses filled with fresh produce glowing under artificial light may seem like the future of food.

Promoted as climate-resilient, land-saving and a positive form of urban development, vertical plant factories, commonly referred to as vertical farms, are drawing investment from governments and venture capital alike.

What we refer to as vertical plant factories are fully enclosed buildings or warehouses where artificial lighting, wiring, plumbing, engineered substrates and climate control systems replace sun, soil and seasons.

These systems are largely oriented toward producing leafy greens and berries.

We recently took a closer look at the claims made about vertical plant factories.

We examined the claims made by leading Canadian vertical farm developers and how those claims have been covered in major Canadian news outlets.

We argue that vertical plant factories are not a solution to the problems of industrial agriculture.

Instead, they represent a problematic continuation of its contradictory logic.

High costs Vertical plant factories are widely promoted as a sustainable response to mounting environmental crises and future food security challenges.

They are also touted for using less water and less land .

Yet, they often require enormous amounts of energy and extensive digital infrastructure that monitors and controls production, while replacing functions otherwise provided by ecological processes and farmer knowledge.

Growing plants in a sealed building means replacing the free energy of sunlight with high-powered LEDs and temperature and ventilation systems that run around the clock.