15 November 2017
High-Tech Plant Factories: Challenges and Way Forward
Abstract
Natural disasters in the Asia Pacific have substantially affected the agricultural sector with crop losses amounting to $28 billion USD. These incidences are expected to increase because of climate change. Plant factories, completely indoor environmentally controlled farming systems, have been touted as a solution to “climate-proof” agriculture. This policy brief highlights the challenges in this space that plant factory operators face and presents policy recommendations gleaned from best practices in Japan, China and Taiwan – the countries that have witnessed the greatest growth in plant factories in the past few decades.
Abstract
Natural disasters in the Asia Pacific have substantially affected the agricultural sector with crop losses amounting to $28 billion USD. These incidences are expected to increase because of climate change. Plant factories, completely indoor environmentally controlled farming systems, have been touted as a solution to “climate-proof” agriculture. This policy brief highlights the challenges in this space that plant factory operators face and presents policy recommendations gleaned from best practices in Japan, China and Taiwan – the countries that have witnessed the greatest growth in plant factories in the past few decades.
