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Terrestrial controlled environment agriculture (CEA) will have an increasingly important role in food production. However, present CEA systems are energy- and resource-hungry and rarely

profitable, requiring a step change in design and optimization. Here we argue that the unique nature of space controlled environment agriculture (SpaCEA), which needs to be both highly

resource efficient and circular in design, presents an opportunity to develop intrinsically circular CEA systems. Life-cycle analysis tools should be used to optimize the provision and use

of natural or electrical light, power, nutrients and infrastructure in CEA and/or SpaCEA systems, and to guide research and development into subsystems that bring strong environmental

advantages. We suggest that SpaCEA public outreach can also be used to improve the perception of terrestrial CEA on Earth by using space as a gateway for exhibiting CEA food growing

technologies. A substantial focus on SpaCEA development should be viewed as an efficient contribution to addressing major current CEA challenges.

We thank the Institute of Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield for funding this work. We also thank K. Ostojic from RAL Space for inputs in the early discussions on this

Perspective.

These authors contributed equally: Harry C. Wright, Luke Fountain, Alexis Moschopoulos.

Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

Space Group, School of Aerospace, Transport & Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK

RAL Space, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, UK

Nature Food thanks Andrew Beacham and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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