Planet Farms’ production system
Vertical farm based in Italy, Europe, using proprietary technologies developed in-house. It is a fully controlled-environment agricultural system, hydroponic and closed-loop.
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an internationally recognized scientific methodology used to objectively evaluate the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product, process, or service throughout its entire life cycle. It is governed by the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards.
Planet Farms conducted a comparative LCA in 2025 to assess its own production system against conventional agriculture used for ready-to-eat IV range vegetables: open-field and greenhouse cultivation.
Three cultivation methods analysed under the same functional unit and the same system boundaries, for a rigorous and transparent comparison.
Vertical farm based in Italy, Europe, using proprietary technologies developed in-house. It is a fully controlled-environment agricultural system, hydroponic and closed-loop.
Crop cultivation done outdoors in natural environmental conditions, fully exposed to weather and climate.
Crop cultivation inside controlled structures where temperature, humidity, light, and irrigation are managed to optimize growth.
Six key environmental indicators, measured against the same functional unit, allow a robust comparison between the different cultivation systems.
Litres of water used for irrigation and product washing.
Kilograms of plant protection products used during cultivation.
Kilograms expressed per individual nutrient elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) to ensure a robust comparison.
Square metres of surface occupied during the production cycle.
Kilowatt-hours of energy used throughout the cultivation process.
Global Warming Potential (kg CO₂ eq), the indicator of climate change impact.
A study grounded in primary data collected on site, cross-checked against internationally recognized scientific databases.
The functional unit used for comparison is 1 kg of product, and the system boundary is gate-to-gate: the study focuses on the cultivation phase (sowing, growth, and harvest/washing), enabling a clear and specific comparison between different agricultural methods.
Primary production data from Planet Farms were collected directly at the Cirimido facility (Como, Italy) over a three-month period (June – September 2025), following the initial ramp-up phase of operations.
For the energy parameter, data was collected over a broader period, from January to August 2025, leveraging the availability of energy records from the start of the year. Given the fully controlled environment of the vertical farm, where temperature, humidity, lighting, and irrigation are standardized year-round, the data collected during this stabilized period are considered representative of standard operations and have been scaled to an annual basis. The production figures are based on assumptions of full-capacity.
Data for conventional systems (open field and greenhouse) were sourced from peer-reviewed scientific literature and from internationally recognized databases Ecoinvent and Agribalyse, often used for environmental assessment in the agri-food sector.
The LCA study was conducted in 2025 by PNO Innovation Srl , an independent consulting firm, ensuring the impartiality of the analysis.
The model and results were also subject to an independent critical review conducted by Prof. Fabrizio D’Errico of Politecnico di Milano, acting as an independent expert. The review confirmed the methodological compliance with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, the correct definition of goal, scope, functional unit, and system boundaries, the consistency and transparency of the calculation model and the quality of primary data collected by Planet Farms.
LCA results demonstrate that Planet Farms’ production system performs as follows.
* While energy figures are significantly higher for Planet Farms, the Company’s Cirimido facility is 100% powered by renewable energy backed by Guarantees of Origin (GO).
** The carbon footprint here considers the inputs included in the LCA, as follows: water, pesticide, fertilizer, land and energy. Transportation is not included.