New Report on the State of the CEA Industry Launches
November 3, 2025 
CEAg World’s 2025 Industry Report: State of the CEA Industry reflects on the last year and offers some thoughts on where the industry goes from here. The following editorial kicks off the issue; to download the full report, click here.
I started my job as content lead of CEAg World in January 2025, knowing that I’d need to immerse myself quickly in the CEA industry to get up to speed. I’ve covered a lot of topics and industries throughout my editorial career, but this one has been the most volatile—and fascinating.
How do you get up to speed on something that’s still a moving target? This past year has been a whirlwind, particularly for the vertical farming sector, which continues to consolidate. Elsewhere, government policies are keeping everyone on their toes, some big greenhouse growers are expanding, and it feels like promising new ag tech and research are announced every week.
And so our final industry report of the year, The State of the CEA Industry, takes a look back at the past 12 months and offers some thoughts on where we go from here. Our lineup of articles includes a rundown of the biggest headlines affecting CEA in North America; promising research and product roundups aiming to improve crop success; and a deconstruction of the urban farming landscape from those who are determined to make it work.
It’s all in the service of advancing food under cover. That’s CEAg World’s tagline and the mission behind everything we offer. It’s also what drives the 12 finalists in our inaugural CEAg World Impact Awards program, which is the story I’m most excited to bring you in this issue.
These 12 finalists across four categories—Visionary Grower, Innovator, Emerging Leader, and Educator/Research—are very different in a lot of ways, each with a unique CEA focus and specialty. Their paths into this world differ, as well, but they all believe in the future of CEA and how important it is to food security and sustainability worldwide.
Yes, profitability, labor, and energy challenges remain stubbornly problematic. But little by little, person by person, you’re all moving the needle on what CEA can be. As we wind down the year, there’s hope and excitement on the horizon.
To download our industry reports on vertical farming, greenhouse produce, and protected crops, click here.