U.S. House introduces tax bill to boost indoor farming, specialty crop production

The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Alliance and several other trade associations support the bipartisan introduction of H.R. 9263, the Supporting Innovation in Agriculture Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Supporting Innovation in Agriculture Act aims to create a new federal investment tax credit (ITC) to support the deployment of CEA technologies and precision agriculture technologies for specialty crop growers.

“The Supporting Innovation in Agriculture Act fills an important policy gap for the diverse domestic specialty crop industry and will ensure that producers can leverage innovative technologies to grow more with less," said CEA Alliance Executive Director Tom Stenzel.

The bill has garnered support from more than 50 prominent farm groups and trade associations across the country, including the International Fresh Produce Association, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the CEA Alliance and the Food Industry Association (FMI), among others.

In addition, 27 heads of state departments of agriculture joined a letter in support of the legislation representing Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Carolina , Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington state, West Virginia and Wyoming.

“The federal government has a critical role to play in ensuring our nation's food security and fostering agricultural innovation,” said Colin O'Neil, chair of the CEA Alliance's Public Policy Working Group and senior director of public policy & social impact for Bowery. "In the years to come, we'll look back on this bill as a crucial turning point in making our fresh food supply chains more resilient and sustainable. Congress must act now to pass this bill."

The bill was introduced by Ways & Means Tax Subcommittee Chairman Mike Kelly (R-PA-16) and Ranking Member Mike Thompson (D-CA-04), along with Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), David Valadao (R-CA-22), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Max Miller (R-OH-07), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-07) and Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-02).