Aeroponic container farm life-cycle analysis

Everything at LettUs Grow is rooted in science. It’s important to the company that its innovations and the claims it makes about them are driven by data and validated by high-quality research. Aeroponics is a relatively underexplored technology in scientific literature and we are still at the beginning of understanding its true potential. This is exciting as a leading developer of aeroponic technology, but it also means that there are few scientific studies researching the impact of aeroponics.

That's why the company was thrilled to be able to share the publication of our research paper, 'The role of aeroponic container farms in sustainable food systems'. The paper was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment by researchers from Brunel University London and LettUs Grow, including Jack Farmer, Chief Scientific Officer, Billy Rodgers (growing specialist) and Temi Odanye (engineering product lead).

The research paper explores the environmental credentials of the DROP & GROW container farms from LettUs Grow and their role in sustainable food systems.

The key findings from the report are that its aeroponic container farm system generates 1.52kg CO2eq./kg pea shoots using 2021 UK grid electricity. The energy source, meanwhile, is critical to reduce most of the environmental impacts of aeroponics. Solar and wind power lowers greenhouse gas emissions of aeroponic container farms by up to 80%. And finally, salads grown in a renewably powered DROP & GROW show lower greenhouse gases than salads imported from most of Europe.

As with any agricultural technology innovation, container farms are best placed to benefit the environment in different use cases, locations or for specific crops. This research and its conclusions make a crucial first step in allowing LettUs Grow to make educated decisions about where and how an aeroponic container farm should be used to create a positive impact.

It also provides evidence for policy-makers and decision makers to understand the benefits of aeroponics compared to imported foods, as well as the importance of integrating renewable energy into controlled environment agriculture.