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Innovation

Vertical farms promised a revolution. What comes next?

After a wave of high-profile failures, the sector is quietly rethinking what it can — and cannot — do.

By Editorial Desk · Editorial·27 June 2026·6 min read
Vertical farms promised a revolution. What comes next?

The past two years have been humbling for vertical farming. A wave of high-profile bankruptcies and downsizings has forced the sector to confront harder questions about what it can realistically produce, at what cost, and for whom.

Proponents argue the technology still has a role to play — particularly for leafy greens, herbs and specialty crops close to urban markets. Sceptics counter that the energy footprint remains the sector's central unresolved problem.

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