CEAg World, a Meister Media Worldwide media and events brand in the controlled environment space, and Agritecture, a top-tier advisory and agriculture consulting firm, announced today that the 2025 Global CEA Census is available for download.
Now in its fifth year, the world's largest controlled environment agriculture (CEA) census is a collaboration between Meister Media's CEAgWorld and Agritecture, drawing on data contributed by growers worldwide to create the industry's most accurate and comprehensive benchmark.
"The 2025 Global CEA Census reflects an industry that has done the hard work of self-examination," said Henry Gordon-Smith, Founder and CEO of Agritecture. "What we're seeing is a sector that's moving from hype to evidence — growers, technology providers, and investors are demanding real data to guide real decisions. This Census delivers exactly that, and we're proud to help the industry navigate what comes next."
The 2025 Global CEA Census report delves deep into the data behind the following findings:
• CEA is shifting from hype to discipline.
• Unit economics now define growth.
• Growers are favoring stable B2B revenue over risk.
• Capital rewards proven performance, not promises.
• AI is becoming core to operational resilience.
The report comes at an inflection point for controlled environment agriculture as technology becomes more accessible to organizations looking to enter or expand within the sector. Growers, solution providers, students, researchers, and other industry stakeholders participated by sharing insights to help guide the sector's next phase of growth.
"The CEA sector has been forced to mature quickly as new technologies are tested against economic reality," said Kristin D. Zeit, Content Lead for CEAg World. "With vital global input from different corners of the industry's ecosystem, which has been analyzed with care and precision, the Census has become one of the industry's most valuable reality checks."
The Global CEA Census was first launched in 2019 to understand the growth and potential of the industry and has since narrowed its focus and expanded its reach with the primary objective remaining the same: to map the growth, challenges, and opportunities within the CEA sector across the globe. Last year's census had 450 participants across 75 countries provide their insights on technology and innovation adoption in the rapidly growing industry.
The full report is available for download here.
