CEA Alliance: Legislative Spotlight: NatureSweet Makes a Lasting Impression

Jennifer Polanz

In a new segment, we’ll spotlight members of the CEA Alliance who have hosted legislators. Find out more about the organization and their government advocacy efforts at ceaalliance.com.

When NatureSweet opened its Bonita, Arizona, location, the company invited representatives from their U.S. Senate and House of Representatives offices, as well as county and city legislators, and those from partner organizations for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. They gathered for the ceremony in February 2024 that also included a presentation to highlight their impact in North America (with operations in the U.S. and Mexico), and a tour to show attendees how a CEA greenhouse operates.

“It is important for local, state, and federal legislators and government officials to understand our greenhouse operations because the policies they develop directly affect our employees, food production, sustainability efforts and ability to serve consumers,” said Skip Hulett, chief legal officer at NatureSweet. “By seeing our facilities firsthand, legislators and government officials gain a better understanding of modern agriculture, the economic impact we have on our communities and the real-world impact of public policy decisions on Controlled Environment Agriculture and the production of healthy, affordable food for American consumers.”

It’s key to highlighting the differences between indoor and field production, he noted, and show CEA growers can be a large employer, as well as offer real-world perspectives and build relationships with legislators to create more meaningful dialog on topics impacting the industry and Americans nationwide. IG