China has unveiled an AI-run lettuce-growing farm, the world’s tallest vertical farm. The facility is situated in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in southwest China. 

A design by scientists, with supervision from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the 20-storey structure is wholly unmanned. 

One of the breakthroughs of this AI-controlled facility is the capability to produce lettuce every 35 days. Because of its conditioned environment in confined space, the Chengdu vertical farm defies climate effects or geographical constraints.  Other than lettuce, foods that depend on season and geography such as mushrooms and fruits can now grow in the same building all year-round.

The project has garnered the following other “firsts” in terms of the evolving landscape of Chinese agriculture:

• Automatic breeding of various lettuce varieties.
• A vertical 3-D cultivation system.
• Automated nutrient delivery mechanisms.
• Energy-efficiency that uses artificial lighting that mimics daylight.
• AI control centre for the plants’ optimal growth.

On top of this, there is a breeding accelerator in the structure that reduces the usual lengthy time of breeding plants. Hence, breeders will be able to modify plant genetics easily to curb diseases and other growth challenges. 

Fact Sheet

This is happening at a time when China’s population has crossed the 1.4-billion mark. The country is seeking unique food-generating avenues to be 100% self-sufficient amid this population boom.

The start of this project goes back to China’s Document No. 1, which underwent publication in February 2023. In the document, President Xi Jinping targets rural development and the turning of urban spaces into food production systems.

China prides in its lettuce clout. In 2017, the country led global production with 15.16 million tonnes of the crop, ahead of India’s 109.1 million tonnes.  

Only a portion of the lettuce from China goes into export while the rest feeds the nation. In 2021, for instance, export shipments reached $201 million , ranking sixth among lettuce-exporting nations. 

To meet extra demand, the economic powerhouse also imports a small portion of its lettuce from Brazil, Eastern Europe and south-east Asia. In 2021, there were $9,007 worth of inbound shipments from abroad. 

Hence, the coming of the Chengdu vertical farm will help make the import of lettuce negligible in China.