Industry analysis of 300 controlled environment agriculture projects reveals vertical farming is evolving much slower than expected, with fragile unit economics at scale. While technological advances like Dyson's automated strawberry facility demonstrate commercial potential, the sector faces energy costs, market challenges, and fraud cases like Metropolis Farms, forcing a strategic shift toward smaller-scale, high-margin crops and regional market focus.
Industry analysis of 300 controlled environment agriculture projects reveals vertical farming is evolving much slower than expected, with fragile unit economics at scale. While technological advances like Dyson's automated strawberry facility demonstrate commercial potential, the sector faces energy costs, market challenges, and fraud cases like Metropolis Farms, forcing a strategic shift toward smaller-scale, high-margin crops and regional market focus.