Dr. Greenhouse’s Five Predictions for the CEA Industry in 2023

Dr. Nadia Sabeh, President and Founder of Dr. Greenhouse, works with a wide range of growers across the controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) industry. She recently outlined her predicted outlook on CEA and all of indoor agriculture in 2023.

• Carbon Footprint and Resiliency Come Together in Agriculture: With power interruptions across Europe and a recent United Nations report warning nine years to avert catastrophic warming, design teams for CEA will focus on location (reducing land use and food miles), resources (energy and water), and processes (fertilizers and waste).
• Energy Codes Bring Greater Transparency to Indoor Agriculture: California’s new 2023 energy code will require farmers and indoor growers to reduce the energy consumption of new greenhouses and indoor facilities – any crop, any size. Farmers and growers in the other 49 states should closely watch the adoption of this energy code adoption.
• Tik-Tok Influencers Recession-Proof Indoor Crop Production: With consumers cooking at home due to inflation and the specter of a recession, Tik-Tok influencers will promote recipes whose ingredients (i.e., crops grown indoors) can benefit farmers’ sales. Not only can influencers promote the purchase of locally grown produce, but farmers and grocers can better forecast demand.
• Crops Grown Indoors Better Reflect Community Culture and Cuisine: The indoor ag facilities designed in 2023 will take greater consideration for the local communities they serve, including workforce development programs, food security and sovereignty needs, and varietals that provide nutrition and taste.
• Financiers Propel Innovation Within the CEA Space: Increased interest in sustainable agriculture and food security leads to greater investment in the technology and plant varietals needed to make indoor crop production more accessible. Financing for these developments will come from traditional lending institutions, as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations, utilities, eco-investors, and agripreneurs.

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