Abstract

Traditionally, vegetables are mostly grown outdoors in areas suitable for certain species and on a seasonal basis, which has resulted in the transport of large volumes of vegetable products to urban centers, and therefore with a high carbon footprint. Protected horticulture is another way to cultivate horticultural crops, especially using greenhouses, with and without soil. The soilless culture technologies, hydroponics, or substrates cultivation have facilitated the vegetables growth with high commercial value. Also, this has been adopted in areas where the climate is benign, and a very efficient use of water is required. In recent years, the recurrent inclement weather, and the scarcity of water due to climate change have given rise to other green technologies, such as vertical farms, which combine the use of soilless cultivation with digital agriculture with the aim of cultivating horticultural species independently of the external climate. For this, vertical farms have been built using abandoned warehouses, recycled shipping containers or even skyscrapers with a high investment cost. However, having trained operators, technicians, and professionals both in the cultivation and management of plants and in the use and control of sensors, automation and other key aspects of digital agriculture constitutes one of the great challenges we face to achieve sustainable development and production.