Report from EIT Food North-West with Innovate UK KTN on exploring opportunities for Controlled Environment Agriculture.

Summary:

Stakeholders from Iceland, Ireland and the United Kingdom have shared their thoughts on strategic opportunities and major barriers related to controlled environment agriculture in North-West Europe.

The EIT Food North-West Regional Office is exploring opportunities provided by controlled environment growing systems. This encompasses both the move towards urban growing systems as well as diversification opportunities for rural producers. Both of these scenarios can make a contribution to increasing the region’s food security and improving the living conditions and diet of urban citizens in the first case and the sustainability of the rural sector in the latter. This report highlights key findings from a consultation undertaken in collaboration with Innovate UK KTN, which sought insights from experts in Iceland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom regarding local, regional and global challenges and opportunities associated with controlled environment agriculture systems.