Agriculture on Wheels: A BioE3 Vision for Green, Sustainable and Resilient Cities

Authors

  • Arjit Amol More Swami Vivekanand High School, Mumbai, India Author
  • Rani Amol More Independent Researcher, Mumbai, India Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.67308/irjist.008

Keywords:

Agriculture on Wheels, Mobile Urban Agriculture, BioE3 Framework, Net-Zero Cities, Urban Carbon Mitigation, Sustainable Public Transport

Abstract

Urban environments are increasingly challenged by rising pollution levels, limited land availability, and sustainability constraints, particularly along high-density transport corridors. While urban agriculture and vegetation-based interventions offer environmental and socio-economic advantages, their expansion in dense cities is restricted by static deployment and space limitations. This study introduces Agriculture on Wheels (AoW), a mobility-integrated framework that embeds agricultural and carbon-assimilating vegetation systems within public transport infrastructure. By utilising underused bus rooftops as modular cultivation platforms, the approach enables distributed environmental interaction across urban routes without interfering with transport functionality. A depot-centric operational model ensures safety, hygiene, and regulatory compliance. The system prioritises shallow-root crops such as leafy greens and herbs, supporting biomass generation alongside carbon dioxide absorption and oxygen release. Preliminary scenario-based estimates indicate that large-scale implementation could contribute to decentralised biomass production and local environmental benefits using existing infrastructure. In addition to environmental impact, the framework offers opportunities for green employment, skill development, and productive reuse of public assets. By combining sustainability, economic value, and employment generation, AoW presents a scalable and policy-relevant pathway aligned with the BioE3 vision for resilient urban systems.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] R. Specht et al., “Urban agriculture of the future: An overview of sustainability aspects,” Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 33–51, 2014.

[2] L. Orsini et al., “Exploring the production capacity of rooftop gardens,” Agricultural Systems, vol. 153, pp. 1–12, 2017.

[3] J. Ackerman et al., “The potential for urban agriculture in New York City,” Urban Design Lab, Columbia University, 2014.

[4] P. Royse, D. J. Baars, and Q. Tan, “Current overview of mushroom production in the world,” Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms, vol. 1, pp. 5–13, 2017.

[5] J. Chang and P. G. Miles, Mushrooms: Cultivation, Nutritional Value, Medicinal Effect, and Environmental Impact, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA, 2004.

[6] C. Eigenbrod and J. Gruda, “Urban vegetable production: A review on the current state of research,” Agricultural and Food Science, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 1–15, 2015.

[7] A. Chaurey and T. C. Kandpal, “Assessment of decentralized and mobile energy systems for sustainable development,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 14, no. 8, pp. 2266–2278, 2010.

[8] A. A. More, “Illumbrella 2.0: A Movable Solar Energy Ecosystem for Street Vendors, Electric Mobility, Farmers and Allied Applications,” International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), vol. 14, no. 12, pp. 1467–1474, Dec. 2025.

[9] N. ur Rehman, S. A. Khan, and A. Iqbal, “Solar potential assessment of public bus routes for solar buses,” Renewable Energy, vol. 153, pp. 123–134, 2020.

[10] F. T. Payen et al., “How much food can we grow in urban areas? A meta-analysis of urban agriculture yields,” Earth’s Future, vol. 10, no. 3, 2022.

[11] E. Appolloni et al., “The global rise of urban rooftop agriculture: opportunities and challenges,” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 300, 2021.

[12] V. Singh et al., “Variation of PM2.5 and inhalation dose across transport corridors,” Science of the Total Environment, 2024.

[13] K. L. Getter and D. B. Rowe, “Carbon sequestration potential of extensive green roofs,” Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 43, no. 19, pp. 7564–7570, 2009.

[14] R. Rasoolzadeh et al., “Carbon sequestration and storage of urban trees in a case study,” Forests, vol. 15, no. 9, 2024.

[15] N. V. Vantagodi, “Case study on PV integrated grid independent electric bus,” Sustainable Power and Energy Engineering, 2021.

[16] Transformative Mobility Lab / Electrive reporting, “Mumbai bus fleet and e-bus orders / BEST targets,” 2023–2024.

[17] Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, “BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy,” Policy Document, approved Aug. 24, 2024, available at https://bmi.dbtindia.gov.in/pdf/folder.pdf

[18] R. Kolge, A. Somatkar, M. Deshmukh, K. Hadole, and H. Ahire, “Ergonomic Design and Analysis of Workstations in Manufacturing Industries for Enhanced Safety and Productivity,” International Research Journal of Innovation in Science and Technology (IRJIST), vol. 1, no. 1, 2026.

[19] D. P. Ulemale and R. A. More, “Agrarian Crisis and Farmer Suicides in India: A Regional Analysis of Vidarbha,” International Research Journal of Innovation in Science and Technology (IRJIST), vol. 1, no. 1, 2026.

Downloads

Published

24-07-2026

How to Cite

Agriculture on Wheels: A BioE3 Vision for Green, Sustainable and Resilient Cities. (2026). International Research Journal of Innovation in Science and Technology, 1(3), 73-90. https://doi.org/10.67308/irjist.008

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Similar Articles

31-33 of 33

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.