[westurner]

What are the downsides?

I read that it was [Vitamin E] acetate in carts that was causing EVALI lung conditions?

What nutrients does it require synthetic or natural production of, and how sustainable are those processes?

Have the given organisms co-evolved with earth ecology for millions of billions of years?

Acetate > Biology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetate

[pfdietz]

PV modules don't grow themselves. Also, the CO2 has to be captured somehow. Plants double as CO2 collectors.

An upside is vastly lower water requirements, since no transpiration.