Abstract

Vertical farming, growing plants on multiple layers or upright surfaces, in enclosed climate controlled chambers and supplemented with artificial lighting technologies, is reshaping current agriculture. This revolutionary way of food production may substantially impact our knowledge on plant biology and physiology, cultivation systems and resource use. Beyond the hype toward this new sector, a clear need for successful cooperation between industry and research is pivotal to ensure feasibility and sustainability of the technology. The International Workshop on Vertical Farming (abbreviated as VertiFarm from its 1st edition, in 2019, followed by a 2nd event in 2023) is a recurring workshop within the portfolio of scientific dissemination and communication events of the International Society for Horticultural Sciences (ISHS), the World's leading independent organization of horticulturists with a network of over 70,000 individuals, universities, governments, institutions, libraries and commercial companies. At VertiFarm, experts from diversified World regions and with cross-disciplinary backgrounds encounter entrepreneurs, policy makers and investors to exchange on priorities and challenges of the sector. Its mission is to shed light on innovation technologies and pave the way for the future evolution of the sector. The content of the 3rd International Workshop on Vertical Farming (#VertiFarm2024) are condensed in the following pages, where an effort was made to summarize the many diverse (though all significant) steps research and industry are advancing toward a viable vertical farming sector, ranging from the single technologies to the whole food system approach. Thematic sessions, business panels, workshop, technical visits and a dense agenda of social and networking events constitute the solid framework of the workshop series, as clearly visible in the agenda of this VertiFarm2024 edition. We sincerely hope you will enjoy the workshop and look forward to meet and exchange with you in the coming days,