US: Prioritizing the challenges that accompany CEA spinach production

Demand for spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) has increased over the past few decades and has long been a staple of CSAs (community-supported agriculture), farmers' markets, and direct-to-consumer markets. Currently, China produces upwards of 90% of the global market share. The United States follows in a distant second, with a handful of states (California, Arizona, Texas, and New Jersey) producing 90% of its share. Spinach is a quick-maturing crop that requires mild to cool temperatures to optimize growth, which limits its field production areas. When a large proportion of production is placed in a finite region, demand will, in due course, outpace supply as resources are depleted from the region. This inevitability creates opportunity. Enter controlled environment agriculture, commonly acronymized as CEA. Spinach is among the most nutrient-dense of all vegetables, and consumers have come to expect a high-quality product. This makes spinach a high-value crop that is ideal for CEA ...