LED Horticulture Lighting Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027

The LED horticulture lighting market was valued at US$2.630 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.25% over the forecast period to reach a market size of US$9.564 billion in 2027.

Horticulture is a segment of agriculture in which plants are cultivated on a smaller scale and in a more controlled manner. Other artificial light sources such as fluorescent lamps, high-pressure sodium, and metal-halide are inefficient and have a short life while difficult to control wavelengths arising from photosynthesis and morphogenesis. As a result, LED lights are considered the most promising type of horticulture lighting as it is energy-efficient and stimulate plant growth and development in a better way. Growing global food insecurity is escalating the adoption of horticulture activities which, in turn, is driving the demand for LED horticulture lights. The growing popularity of controlled urban farming due to increasing population and limited agricultural land is boosting the growth of the LED horticulture lighting market. Growing concern about global warming is further putting pressure to opt for horticulture options as LED lights make plants less vulnerable to the threat of climate change.

Indoor farming to drive growth in the market

The significance of LED lighting applications in the horticultural sector is rising with the growing trend of indoor and vertical farming applications, which is expected to drive growth in the market. With controllable spectrum and illuminance, LED is broadly used in cultivation for various kinds of crops such as tomatoes, herbs, greens, cucumbers, and others. Farm8, a South Korean agriculture cultivator has been utilising this technology to aid in the growth of plants. With this LED technology, a plant can be grown in lesser days, when compared to the time taken by a plant to grow outdoors. Further, the growing population across the world is generating additional demand for food, which is difficult to be met only through conventional methods of farming, and advancements in horticulture lighting enable indoor agriculture to increase crop yield. LEDs in Horticulture lighting act as the primary light source in indoor farming, in the complete or partial absence of natural light. Signify (by Philips Lighting) has established GrowWise, which is a city farm facility focusing on cultivating a variety of crops, such as strawberries, leafy vegetables, etc. by the utilisation of LED horticulture lights to increase crop production in its indoor farming facilities. Developments like these in the indoor farming sector is thus expected to boost the demand for LED horticulture lighting, thus driving growth in the market.

Europe to account for a substantial share in the market

Europe is estimated to account for a significant share of the horticulture lighting market in the analysed period and has continued to grow to promote plant factories and provide subsidies to spur local demands. The initiatives by the European Union to encourage the adoption of LED technology are expected to create lucrative opportunities for the providers of LED lights for the horticulture sector. Increasing awareness of benefits and rising demand for food due to the rising population is further predicted to drive the adoption of vertical farms in the region, thus driving growth. Researchers in the Netherlands have been calculating the viability of vertical farming in urban areas. For instance, Staay Food Group built a vertical farm in the Netherlands with the usage of Philips GreenPower LED horticultural lighting. LED lighting providers in the region are also constantly developing full-range horticultural products and expanding collaboration with different partners. For instance, in 2019, Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH launched the Duris S5 purple, which combines wavelengths of red and blue into a single purple LED that can make horticulture applications more cost-effective. With strawberries ranking as the most sought-after seasonal fruits in the European region, Hungarian lighting technology group, Tungsram has set out to further fortify its expertise in the commercial growth of strawberries. The Budapest-based company teamed up with the University of Reading, one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the sector of horticulture in the UK, to reap the benefits of using LED lighting for strawberry cultivation. The Horticulture Lighting market is competitive in Europe, and several companies have entered the market to utilise opportunities when the demands for general lighting are relatively weak. Companies have been strengthening their market presence by introducing entering into partnerships or strategic acquisitions. For instance, in July 2020, The European Commission approved the acquisition of Osram by the Austrian optical sensor maker, AMS, ruling that the combination of the two companies posed no competitive threat in the European Economic Area.

COVID-19 Insights

The coronavirus pandemic had a relatively slighter impact on the LED horticulture market due to oversupply in the previous few years prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. However, the packaging companies suffered a little from a lack of manpower during the lockdowns. Nevertheless, the pandemic did drive more application opportunities for the LED industry including germicidal UVC LEDs, social distance-controlling infrared sensors, and horticulture lighting to back food supply, thus supporting the LED horticulture market.

Market Segmentation:

By Crop Type

Leafy Greens

Flowers and Ornamental

Specialty Crops

Others

By Application

Greenhouses

Indoor/Vertical Farming

Consumer

By Geography

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

South America

Brazil

Argentina

Others

Europe

UK

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Others

Middle East and Africa (MEA)

Saudi Arabia

UAE

Israel

Others

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

South Korea

India

Indonesia

Thailand

Taiwan

Others