A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ENERGY AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BETWEEN SOIL-BASED  AND HYDROPONIC FARMING SYSTEMS

Lâm Trúc Thanh; Hồ Thị Thanh Hiền; Huỳnh Như; Nguyễn Thị Tú Quyên

doi:10.34238/tnu-jst.11910

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ENERGY AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BETWEEN SOIL-BASED AND HYDROPONIC FARMING SYSTEMS

About this article

Received: 16/01/25 Revised: 08/04/25 Published: 12/04/25

Authors

1. Lam Truc Thanh, Van Lang University
2. Ho Thi Thanh Hien , Van Lang University
3. Huynh Nhu, Van Lang University
4. Nguyen Thi Tu Quyen, Van Lang University

Abstract

Today, the area of agricultural land is increasingly shrinking, especially in urban areas. In this context, the development of controlled environment agriculture through hydroponic farms is emerging as a new strategy to address these challenges. However, the process of constructing and operating hydroponic farms is often considered resource- and energy-intensive, potentially leading to unsustainable development. This study evaluated the environmental impacts of hydroponic farming technology and compared them with those of traditional soil-based cultivation by adopting a life cycle assessment approach. The investigation was conducted at two commercial farms in Ho Chi Minh City: one hydroponic farm and one open-field farm, each occupying an area of 1,000 m². The results revealed that the hydroponic farm achieved higher productivity and land use efficiency in addition to consuming fewer resources in terms of water and energy, and emitting fewer greenhouse gases per kilogram of fresh biomass compared to the open-field farm. The findings provided an overview of the environmental strengths and limitations of each farming method, thereby offering valuable insights for more effective farm development and operations.

Keywords

Controlled environment agriculture; Hydroponic systems; Water scarcity; Embodied energy; Greenhouse gas emissions

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34238/tnu-jst.11910

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