Technology-Enabled Controlled-Environment Farming in Brunei Darussalam: Evidence and Pathways towards a Bioeconomy-Oriented Sustainable Food System

Brunei Darussalam is accelerating the modernisation of its agriculture system from input-intensive towards technology-enabled and resource efficient production system to strengthen the domestic supply, reduce import dependence, and advance national targets under Vision 2035. This study synthesises evidence from practitioners and stakeholders to examine how technology-enabled production systems are reshaping the country's agricultural landscape, with specific attention to their relevance for bioeconomy-oriented sustainable food systems. The study documents the emergence and operational realities of controlled-environment and resource-efficient innovations alongside evolving livestock and farm management practices. The analysis shows that agricultural enterprises in Brunei are already experimenting with a diverse portfolio of controlled-environment and resource-efficient innovations such as hydroponics, fertigation, aquaponics, protected cultivation structures and IoT-assisted monitoring farming systems. Findings indicate that these innovations are perceived to improve yield stability, biosecurity, and input-use efficiency, while enabling more standardised and monitorable production processes that can support food safety and supply reliability. However, diffusion is constrained by high upfront costs, skills shortages, maintenance and calibration demands, limited local vendor and after-sales ecosystems, and the absence of clear, enforceable technical standards. Importantly, the study highlights workforce implications: technology adoption is reconfiguring job roles towards higher-demand competencies in data-enabled operations, systems troubleshooting, and compliance-oriented management, creating both new employment opportunities and immediate reskilling pressures. The paper concludes by outlining policy and industry actions: targeted incentives, standards development, extension and capacity-building, and public-private partnerships to strengthen circular/resource-efficient production pathways and future-proof Brunei's agricultural sector within a sustainable food systems and bioeconomy agenda.