Stat of the Week: CEA growers have embraced the snacking message
According to The Power of Produce 2025 report from FMI, The Food Industry Association, fruit drove 95% of dollar gains, while vegetables underperformed. Fruit added $2.8 billion in sales in 2025, with berries accounting for 32% of the new dollars. Representing 25% of all fruit sales, berry volume rose 7% year-over-year. While the report does not distinguish between field-grown and CEA-grown crops, these stats should register for indoor-grown producers.
When it comes to snacking, fresh fruit is prioritized over traditional snacks by 77% of financially secure consumers, compared with 55% of those who are struggling financially. CEA growers have embraced the snacking message with tomatoes (such as Lil’Ones from Wholesum), “midi bell” peppers (such as Prism from PanAmerican Seed) and mini cucumbers (such as Pop Its from Sunset).
Weighing sourcing location, time savings, production attributes and sustainable packaging, locally grown items have the highest draw to get people to spend a little more. And for CEA, the local story is often genuine and authentic in ways that field-grown and imported produce can’t match.
Read more from the report in Produce Grower’s May/June Cover Story.