OPS 2023 Announces First Ed Session: CEA - Where Do We Grow from Here?

The continued growth of CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) and how producers, retailers, and consumers are responding to fresh produce items grown indoors will be the subject of the first-announced educational session at Organic Produce Summit 2023.

Panelists for the session include Philp Karp, President of Soli Organic; Eric Cusimano, Global Produce Principal Buyer for Whole Foods Market; and Pierre Sleiman, CEO and Founder of Go Green Agriculture. The session will be moderated by Todd Linsky, host of Todd-versations.

Organic Produce Summit 2023 is a two-day event specifically designed to bring together organic fresh produce growers, shippers, and processors with retailers and buying organizations from across North America. The seventh annual event will be held July 12-13 in Monterey, CA.

“CEA continues to alter the landscape of food production and provide consumers a variety of new items that will evolve in the years ahead,” said Susan Canales, President of Organic Produce Summit. “There continues to be significant financial investment from within and outside of the produce industry that fuels CEA growth. OPS attendees will hear from leaders of two of the most progressive organic CEA producers and a leading retailer who is front and center offering these products to their customers, exploring what is going right and needs work for the future of CEA."

Over the past four years, production of fresh produce in CEA has become a $100 billion-plus industry. Growing indoors while using less water and no pesticides, CEA incorporates innovative and efficient technologies to provide fresher produce to consumers.

"The CEA space has successes and failures that ebb and flow daily—sometimes hourly. The mercurial nature of the shifts can be attributed to overzealous investors, lack of institutional knowledge of the produce business, and how companies are defining their value in the food supply chain,” Linsky said.

“CEA continues to alter the landscape of food production and provide consumers a variety of new items that will evolve in the years ahead.” - Susan Canales 

The announcement of the OPS 2023 ed session focused on CEA is the first of five educational sessions and pair of keynotes available for attendees. OPS 2023 will also include a selection of field tours for retailers and buyers, a gala opening night reception, and a sold-out trade show floor featuring over 170 producers and processors of organic fresh produce from across North America and the globe. Additionally, several new activities are planned for OPS attendees and will be announced in the coming weeks.

General registration to attend OPS 2023 will open Monday, February 13 at www.organicproducesummit.com.