The CEA Alliance announced July 1 that it has retained the Torrey Advisory Group, an agricultural consulting firm in Washington, D.C., as outside government relations counsel.
“We’re excited to add the expert consultants at Torrey to the CEA Alliance team,” says Tom Stenzel, Alliance executive director. “The Torrey team has a depth of understanding of agricultural policy and works effectively with Congressional and administration leaders. They will be great partners working with our members to advance policies that support indoor agriculture.”
“The Torrey Advisory Group looks forward to advancing the CEA Alliance priorities in the halls of Congress and across the administration. Innovative production like growing in a controlled environment is an exciting new component of the food and agriculture sector,” says Katie Naessens, vice president of Torrey Advisory Group. “We will make sure that controlled environment issues have a seat at the table and a place within USDA farm discussions.”
The CEA Alliance says it will be actively working with the Torrey Advisory Group to expand the H-2A foreign guest worker program to include year-round farms. Currently, this program for farmers to recruit legal workers is restricted to 10-months as a seasonal program. But U.S. greenhouses and indoor vertical farms operate throughout the year and cannot shut down for two months with no labor.
CEA says it is also working to create tax incentives and other government programs to support private investment in innovative agricultural technology.
“It’s clear that indoor agriculture can play a vital role in feeding Americans with fresh, healthy foods with minimal use of scarce resources,” Stenzel says. “We encourage Congressional members, the USDA and the administration broadly to support and stimulate innovation in growing fresh fruits and vegetables in controlled environments.”
