PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1653230
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1653230
A plant factory is an agricultural production system engineered to transform crop production into a new model through the use of bioinformatics and industrial automation. This system optimizes yield, harvesting density, and financial returns by artificially controlling the plant growth environment. Plant factories utilize artificial light, moisture, temperature, and carbon dioxide concentrations to cultivate plants and vegetables.
Plant factories encompass various facility types, including greenhouses, indoor farms, and others. Indoor farms involve the large-scale cultivation of plants and crops within enclosed spaces. This method is employed for growing plants, cultivating crops, and efficiently recycling water. Light sources utilized in plant factories encompass both natural sunlight and full artificial light, catering to the cultivation of diverse crops such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamentals.
The plant factory market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides plant factory market statistics, including plant factory industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a plant factory market share, detailed plant factory market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the plant factory industry. This plant factory market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.
The plant factory market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $130.6 billion in 2024 to $140.43 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increased demand for locally grown and fresh produce, limited arable land availability and urbanization, growth in concerns about food security and supply chain resilience, advancements in controlled environment agriculture (cea) technologies, need for year-round crop production and reduced seasonal variability, focus on sustainable and resource-efficient agriculture practices.
The plant factory market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $188.23 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to adoption of hydroponic and aeroponic growing methods, expansion of urban farming and rooftop greenhouse projects, research and development in plant factory automation and robotics, need for pesticide-free and non-gmo crop production, emphasis on high-yield and high-density crop cultivation. Major trends in the forecast period include integration of ai and machine learning, modular and stackable growing systems, advanced led grow lights and spectral tuning, hybrid systems combining natural and artificial light, blockchain and traceability in urban agriculture.
The growing demand for food, driven by the rising population and the challenges posed by climate change, is a significant factor in the expansion of the plant factory market. As the global population increases and the need for food rises, issues such as soil infertility, demographic changes, climate change, and pest outbreaks are prompting the adoption of innovative plant factory methods for crop cultivation. For example, in 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that in 2022, Canada's convenience food market reached 11.65 billion CAD, up from 10.39 billion CAD in 2021. Similarly, Europe's convenience food market grew to 2.09 billion EUR, an increase from 2 billion EUR. Consequently, the heightened demand for food resulting from population growth and climate change challenges is fueling the growth of the plant factory market.
The plant factory market is also expected to benefit from the ongoing trend of urbanization. Urbanization, driven by economic development and industrialization, leads to the transformation of rural areas into urban centers. Plant factories play a crucial role in urban areas by enabling the local production of fresh crops, reducing transportation costs, and addressing food security concerns. As of April 2023, more than half of the global population resides in urban regions, a number projected to increase to 6 billion by 2045, reflecting a 1.5 times increase. This surge in urbanization is a key driver for the growth of the plant factory market.
Major players in the plant factory market are responding to the increasing demand for a consistent, year-round supply of fresh produce by establishing new indoor farms. Companies like Plenty are investing in state-of-the-art facilities utilizing 3D vertical architecture to achieve high yields. For example, in May 2023, Plenty opened a new indoor vertical farm in Compton, California, with the capacity to produce 4.5 million pounds of leafy greens annually. This innovative technology allows for significantly higher yields compared to traditional farming, with automation streamlining the entire growth process.
The plant factory market is witnessing advancements with companies developing autonomous climate control technology. This technology involves self-regulating systems that maintain optimal environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity, without human intervention. In June 2023, IUNU launched Intelligent Setpoint Control for LUNA AI, an autonomous climate control technology that utilizes computer vision and compares real-time data with experiments conducted on actual plants and virtual simulations. This technology places the plant in control of its environment, contributing to more efficient and sustainable crop cultivation.
In March 2022, Plantas Group, a Danish company, made a strategic move by acquiring Euroflora for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition, the largest corporate acquisition to date, followed a series of strategic moves by Plantas Group, including the opening of a subsidiary in Germany and expansion in Poland. EuroFlora, an Italy-based plant factory, became part of Plantas Group, further consolidating the company's presence in the plant factory market.
Major companies operating in the plant factory market include AeroFarms LLC, BrightFarms Inc., Gotham Greens Holdings LLC, Bowery Farming Inc., AppHarvest Inc., Lufa Farms, Beijing IEDA Protected Horticulture Co. Ltd., Green Sense Farms Holdings Inc., Plenty Unlimited Inc., Mirai Co. Ltd., Farminova Plant Factory, Urban Crops Solutions, Sky Greens, Kalera Inc., Smallhold, Sky Vegetables, TruLeaf Sustainable Agriculture, Wulian, Crop One Holdings Inc., Vertical Harvest Farms, Growing Greener Ltd., Heliospectra AB, Infarm GmbH, Intelligent Growth Solutions, LettuceGrow, Light Science Technologies, MechaFarm, Phytoponics, Plug and Play Tech Center, Radiant Food Company, SmartFarm Systems, Vertical Greens
Western Europe was the largest region in the plant factory market in 2024. The regions covered in the plant factory market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.
The countries covered in the plant factory market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, and USA.
The plant factory market includes revenues earned by entities providing services such as hydroponics aquaponics, aeroponics, and vertical planting. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.
The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.
Plant Factory Global Market Report 2025 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses on plant factory market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for plant factory ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward? The plant factory market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
The forecasts are made after considering the major factors currently impacting the market. These include the Russia-Ukraine war, rising inflation, higher interest rates, and the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic.