Evaluating the feasibility of Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) for achieving Net Zero Emissions in Northern Nigeria

Achieving Net Zero Emissions in vegetable production systems is a critical challenge in dryland climates of low- and middle-income countries, yet limited data exists to assess the feasibility of such systems. This study employs life cycle inventory methods to evaluate key performance metrics, including yield per land area, production costs, cumulative energy demand (CED), global warming potential (GWP), and water use (WU) for Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) in screen houses and field-based tomato production systems in Northern Nigeria. The findings reveal that CEA, despite its high production cost of ₦3,538,407 per 147 m², achieves the highest yield of 4,200 kg per 147 m². Additionally, CEA demonstrates superior efficiency, exhibiting the lowest CED (0.025 MJ/kg) and GWP (0.76 CO₂-eq/kg). In contrast, rainfed field production, while having the lowest cost (₦584,464 per 10000m²), results in the lowest yield (800 kg/10000m²) and the highest GWP (34,545.8%). Irrigated field production performs moderately, with a production cost of ₦1,503,829 per 10000m², a yield of 2,200 kg per 10000 m², and a GWP of 12,572.4%. A key factor influencing yield variation across production systems is the difference in tomato varieties cultivated in open-field and CEA environments. CEA relies on hybrid varieties optimized for controlled conditions, whereas open-field farming utilizes varieties adapted to outdoor environmental fluctuations, contributing to disparities in yield potential. This study highlights the trade-offs between cost, yield, energy efficiency, and environmental impact across different production models. The results underscore the advantages of adopting more efficient and controlled cultivation methods like CEA, offering potential pathways for sustainable and environmentally responsible agricultural practices in regions facing climate and resource constraints.