Resource Innovation Institute (RII) is joining forces with FarmTech Society. “As a global industry, CEA is increasingly facing the pressures of rising energy prices and water shortages,” said Derek Smith, Executive Director of Resource Innovation Institute. “Working together, RII and FarmTech Society will focus on the importance of benchmarking in demonstrating the climate-smart value of greenhouse and indoor farming. It all comes down to the quality of the data, and with this partnership, we are bringing together two organizations who are dedicated to this critical effort.”
Data collection that is representative of CEA facilities in operation, including those with different crops, growing styles, and climate zones, is vital to create a complete snapshot of CEA practices and benefits. Utilizing the collective resources and knowledge of each organization, the collaboration between RII and FarmTech Society will build on the USDA-sponsored benchmarking featured in the Conservation Innovation Grant titled Data-Driven Market Transformation for Efficient CEA and the EU Green Deal Infrastructure Strategy. With these initiatives, the two organizations will be advocating for global benchmarking standards in controlled environment agriculture.
“It is imperative that those of us working in CEA take the initiative to develop best practices to address the ongoing challenges of resource management and consumption,” said Thomas Zöellner, Secretary General of Farm Tech Society. “This cooperative effort between two such like-minded organizations will be a great step toward recognizing the sector need to identify the data metrics and agreeable benchmarks to develop the tools necessary to support and propel the CEA industry forward.”
The partnership will also aim to develop resources and programs geared towards workforce development in the CEA sector, representing a connection to environmental, societal, and governance (ESG) reporting conducted by CEA operations.
For more information:
Resource Innovation Institute
www.resourceinnovation.org
Farm Tech Society
www.farmtechsociety.org