It’s no secret that plants rely on sunlight to survive. Photosynthesis, the process of converting solar energy into food, has shaped the planet’s ecosystems and driven the evolution of life on Earth. But what if plants didn’t need the sun? What if food could grow in complete darkness—powered not by photons, but by electricity?
Scientists are now exploring a radical departure from traditional agriculture: electro-agriculture, or electro-ag. By feeding plants acetate, a compound derived from carbon dioxide (CO₂) using electrolysis, they have created a system that bypasses photosynthesis altogether. This technology, described in a new paper published in Joule, could revolutionize food production, slashing land use, conserving water, and making farming possible in areas previously considered unsuitable.
The Science Behind Electro-Agriculture
The idea of using electricity to power chemical reactions isn’t exactly new. Electrolysis—splitting molecules with an electric current—has been around for centuries. But using it to feed plants was considered audacious until now.
Traditional photosynthesis is, from an engineering perspective, grossly inefficient. Crops convert only about 1% of the sunlight they receive into biomass. The electro-agriculture method proposed by Jiao and his colleagues is, in theory, four times more efficient. It starts by using electricity to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO), which is then transformed into acetate. Plants and fungi can absorb this acetate and metabolize it into essential compounds like sugars and amino acids, bypassing the need for sunlight altogether.
The system is designed as a vertical farming model: solar panels on the roof provide energy for electrolysis, which takes place on the upper floors. Below, in stacked growing chambers, crops absorb acetate and grow in a carefully controlled environment. So far, researchers have successfully grown mushrooms, yeast, and algae using this method. They’ve already started experiments with tomatoes, lettuce, and other small crops. Eventually, they hope to modify staple crops like wheat and sweet potatoes to process acetate more efficiently.
“We have demonstrated at least a four-fold improvement in solar-to-food energy efficiency compared to photosynthesis,” the researchers write. If the United States were to fully adopt electro-ag, the authors estimate that agricultural land use could shrink by 88%, freeing vast areas for rewilding and carbon sequestration.
A Solution to Food Insecurity—Or an Expensive Dream?
It’s not hard to see why this would be a game changer in many parts of the world.
Hunger remains a global crisis, exacerbated by climate change, conflict, and economic instability. According to the United Nations, 733 million people faced food insecurity in 2023, a number that has risen sharply in recent years. In addition, electro-agriculture could bring food production into urban centers, eliminating long supply chains and reducing the need for farmland.
“We hope the technology can be implemented in locations where traditional agriculture is very difficult,” says Jiao. “Climate change is making once-fertile land unsuitable for farming, and this may become a way to secure food production.”
But can it work on a large scale? Harold van Es, a soil and water specialist at Cornell University, is skeptical. “Does it actually solve a problem, or is it just a novel way of growing plants?” he asks. “It’s not going to solve the global food shortage because it’s too complex and probably too inefficient from a financial perspective.”
One major challenge is energy demand. Researchers estimate that producing enough acetate to feed the U.S. population would require nearly five times the country’s total electricity consumption in 2023. Without massive investment in renewable energy, scaling up would be difficult.
Cost is another issue. Vertical farming—another high-tech agricultural method—remains expensive due to its reliance on artificial lighting. Electro-agriculture eliminates that problem, but it introduces new ones. “Plants reject most of the light they receive, which makes vertical farming inefficient,” Jiao explains. “With electro-agriculture, we can cut down on light use and significantly lower energy costs.” But whether those savings will be enough to make the technology practical outside the lab remains uncertain.
Babe, Wake Up! Plants 2.0 are About to Drop
Despite the uncertainties, researchers remain optimistic. If electro-agriculture advances as they hope, it could transform how and where we grow food. In a future where urban farming becomes common, sprawling fields could give way to reforested landscapes. Researchers are also working to optimize plants for acetate-based growth through genetic engineering, aiming to make staple crops like wheat, rice, and potatoes compatible with this futuristic farming method.
This technology could even be impactful beyond Earth. With its ability to function in complete darkness, electro-agriculture may be a game-changer for space exploration. Mars’ thin atmosphere is 95% CO₂, making it an ideal candidate for acetate production. If scientists can refine the process, future astronauts might farm their own food in underground Martian habitats.
For now, the technology is still in its infancy, but researchers are confident. “This is just the first step,” Jiao says. “We believe that within the next two years, we’ll see significant developments.”
Whether electro-agriculture becomes a niche tool for urban food production or a fundamental shift in how humans grow food remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the idea of farming without sunlight is no longer just science fiction.
