Unlocking the Climate-Smart Potential
of Controlled Environment Agriculture
Read about the US CEA Market Accelerator ➝
In partnership with
RII's Latest Report on CEA in the Census
Explore key 10-year trends in controlled environment production with our comprehensive report. Gain valuable insights into the U.S. market potential for CEA, complete with thoughtfully designed data visualizations. Empower your decision-making and stay ahead in the industry with actionable findings tailored for professionals like you.
We advance farm productivity and community resilience.
To us, climate-smart agriculture includes water-wise, locally grown production that is quantifiably lower in life cycle carbon emissions impacts. We’re here to prove it.
We achieve our mission by working in three program areas:
- Data & Research
- Education & Training
- Market Development
Access best practice guidance towards resource efficiency
RII offers Best Practices Guides designed specifically for producers of food, floriculture and medicine, as well as key market actors like governments and utilities. These reports, sponsored by partners like the USDA and the US Department of Energy, are written by RII’s technical team with insights from our subject matter expert Technical Advisory Council faculty members.
Latest News
RII Announces CEA Accelerator Working Group Topics Focused on AI, Robotics, Energy Management, and High-Tech Greenhouse Strategies
Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, working groups will be hosted in partnership with Berkeley Lab as part of the CEA Accelerator ProjectPORTLAND, Ore. (September 17, 2024) — Resource Innovation Institute (RII), a not-for-profit, public-private partnership advancing climate resilience, announced today the topics for its working groups under the CEA Accelerator Project. Funded through…
Read More Georgia on The CEA Accelerator’s Mind
In the iteration of the CEA Accelerator Community Profile series, we look at the potential impact CEA can have in Georgia and the industry vision Ebony Tree Farms hopes to bring to life.As part of their shared development work on the national Controlled Environment Agriculture Accelerator program, Resource Innovation Institute (RII) team members and representatives…
Read More Circularity Opportunities to Reduce Your CEA Operation’s Carbon Footprint
Looking at downstream outputs can help controlled environment agriculture growers unlock carbon footprint-reducing solutions.In developing sustainable agriculture businesses that serve local communities, controlled environment agriculture (CEA) companies are pioneering innovative ways to enhance efficiency and reduce waste. By embracing circularity, indoor farms can significantly reduce their carbon footprints, enhance resource efficiency, and create economic value…
Read More CEA Food Trends in the USDA Census of Agriculture
CEA is often pitched as a tool to address food deserts and swamps, and data from the 2022 USDA AgCensus supports that story.On August 7, RII presented some of the main food-related CEA trends found in the USDA Census of Agriculture. RII’s Carmen Azzaretti and USDA’s James Altland, a Research Leader in the Application Technology…
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EDUCATION
Improve Your Efficiency With RII’s Best Practices Guides
The horticultural market has changed a lot, technology has advanced, and so have the technical terms used to describe everything. RII’s peer reviewed Best Practices Guides help growers understand the most resource efficient HVAC and lighting technologies for controlled environment agriculture. We are here to show growers how to use efficient.
INTELLIGENCE
Resource Benchmarking, Baselines & Standards
PowerScore, our resource benchmarking platform analyzes facility-level performance on energy, emissions, water and waste. We help compare farm performance against similar peers. Cultivators and their supply chain partners can assess differences between HVAC and lighting technologies designed for controlled environment agriculture operations.
POLICY & UTILITY COORDINATION
Resource Efficient Controlled Environment Agriculture
As an objective, data-driven non-profit organization, RII informs effective policies and incentives that accelerate conservation. RII has provided a trusted, stakeholder-driven voice as leading jurisdictions, including Massachusetts, California, Illinois and Colorado, have established policies and codes addressing the energy and water impacts of controlled environment agriculture. In late 2019, RII formed its Utility Working Group on Controlled Environment Agriculture to enable power suppliers and energy efficiency program administrators to learn from each other and advance best practices on program design, savings methodologies and grower outreach.
