Shortage of arable land creates unprecedented challenges to produce enough food to satisfy the increased food demands. Scientists Xie et al. show that the desert-like, non-arable land can be developed by building ‘clusters’ of solar-energy greenhouses in which land productivity is higher and crop water use efficiency greater than in traditional open-field, irrigated cultivation systems. Although many challenges remain to be addressed, this innovative system has potential for areas with available barren land.