The University of Arizona hosted the two-day Arizona CEA Conference (AzCEA) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that took place at the Biosphere 2 in Tucson, Arizona on September 9-11, 2019. A diverse group of stakeholders from industry, academia, and government sectors gathered to engage with the critical issues, both current and future, facing vertical and indoor food production systems. Discussions revolved around seven major thematic areas including: Economics, Production Systems, Engineering, Plant Breeding, Food Nutrition and Safety, Industrial Ecology in Closed Systems, and Pest Disease and Management. The AzCEA Conference provided academicians a better understanding of the production process and its challenges; stakeholders with better appreciation for the complex nature of CEA, and decision-makers more informed about CEA. A Summary and Full report from the AzCEA conference outline strategies for the future development of the US CEA industry.
