Green Hydrogen in Sustainable Agri-Food Systems: A Review of Applications in Agriculture and the Food Industry

The agri‑food sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions while fac‑ ing increasing demand for food production driven by population growth. Transitioning towards sustainable and low‑carbon agricultural systems is therefore critical. Green hy‑ drogen, produced from renewable energy sources, holds significant promise as a clean energy carrier and chemical feedstock to decarbonize multiple stages of the agri‑food sup‑ ply chain. This systematic review is based on a structured analysis of peer‑reviewed literature retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, covering over 120 academic publications published between 2010 and 2025. This review provides a com‑ prehensive overview of hydrogen’s current and prospective applications across agricul‑ ture and the food industry, highlighting opportunities to reduce fossil fuel dependence and greenhouse gas emissions. In agriculture, hydrogen‑powered machinery, hydrogen‑ rich water treatments for crop enhancement, and the use of green hydrogen for sustainable fertilizer production are explored. Innovative waste‑to‑hydrogen strategies contribute to circular resource utilization within farming systems. In the food industry, hydrogen sup‑ ports fat hydrogenation and modified atmosphere packaging to extend product shelf life and serves as a sustainable energy source for processing operations. The analysis indicates that near‑term opportunities for green hydrogen deployment are concentrated in fertilizer production, food processing, and controlled‑environment agriculture, while broader adop‑ tion in agricultural machinery remains constrained by cost, storage, and infrastructure limitations. Challenges such as scalability, economic viability, and infrastructure devel‑ opment are also discussed. Future research should prioritize field‑scale demonstrations, technology‑specific life‑cycle and techno‑economic assessments, and policy frameworks adapted to decentralized and rural agri‑food contexts. The integration of hydrogen tech‑ nologies offers a promising pathway to achieve carbon‑neutral, resilient, and efficient agri‑ food systems that align with global sustainability goals and climate commitments.