Smart vertical farming technology is redefining agricultural production with remarkable efficiency in Chengdu, the capital of China's Sichuan province. A 100-square-meter automated vertical plant factory here is capable of producing 50 metric tons of lettuce per year.

"Standing 8.8 meters tall with 20 layers, the factory enables full control over light, temperature, water, nutrients and air. The entire production process, from seeding and transplanting to harvesting and packaging, is handled by robots," said Shi Xianglian, a staff member at Sichuan Zhongnong Yixiang Agricultural Technology Co, a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' Institute of Urban Agriculture.