Life Cycle Assessment Framework for AI Controlled Vertical Farming in Sustainable Urban Agriculture
Journal of Smart and Sustainable Farming
Received On : 02 January 2026
Revised On : 06 March 2026
Accepted On : 23 March 2026
Published On : 30 March 2026
Volume 02, 2026
Pages : 043-052
Abstract
The conventional food production systems are under increased pressure due to the high rate of urbanization, climatic changes and scarcity of resources. In this paper, we review an artificial-intelligence and Internet-of-Things-powered vertical farming system (VFS) in the framework of a smart urban agriculture (SUA) application and provides comparative analysis of its functionality to that of a conventional open-field farming. A five-layered nutrient-film technique (NFT) hydroponic system was incorporated in the system with programmable LED lighting, real-time sensing and machine-learning-based adaptive control. The findings of the experiment indicate an increase in yield by 120-150kg m-2 yr-1, a decrease in water consumption of 90% (5-7L kg-1) and a 70% increase in the efficiency of land-use. Vitamin C storage increased by about 35% and AI algorithms had over 93% predictive performance and saved up to 18% of energy. In conclusion, life-cycle analysis affirms significant reduction in carbon-emission in a renewable-energy environment.
Keywords
Smart Urban Agriculture, Vertical Farming Systems, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Hydroponics, Life-Cycle Assessment, Controlled Environment Agriculture, Sustainability.
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Cite this Article
Nancy Jan Sliper, “Life Cycle Assessment Framework for AI Controlled Vertical Farming in Sustainable Urban Agriculture”, Journal of Smart and Sustainable Farming, pp. 043-052, 2026, doi: 10.64026/JSSF/2026005.