What was it all about?

This short project, which ran from 2020 to 2021, examined a range of high technology systems and assessed their applicability to urban Australia by considering factors such as regulation and planning, farm input and waste, and supply chain logistics. The project team provided recommendations on how the Australian horticulture industry can realise opportunities surrounding high technology horticulture production in urban environments and build the capacity of this sector.

To assess the feasibility of high technology urban horticulture, the project team:

• Reviewed current literature on the topic (from both domestic and international sources)
• Modelled potential systems and their applicability in Australia
• Conducted an economic analysis of systems and assessed how changes to cost and revenue impact profitability
• Consulted with industry stakeholders to inform the modelling and economic analysis.

The feasibility study identified several areas where further work is required to enable the use of high technology urban horticulture in Australia across a number of areas such as economic, planning and government support, environment, and social. These recommendations are outlined in the project summary Opportunities for high-technology horticulture in urban Australia.

ACT NOW

Read Hort Innovation’s media release on this project, Bringing high tech horticulture to urban areas in Australia – rooftop, underground and floating farms.