The Spanish greenhouses they are the present and the future of agriculture. Harvests, unlike in the past, no longer depend on the climate. Thus, they do an essential job in times of adverse weather or stoppages such as that caused by the coronavirus. Also they take advantage to the maximum the available resources contaminating as little as possible. Let's take a look at the main characteristics of Spanish greenhouses below.
Why are Spanish greenhouses so sustainable?
Almería It is the paradigm of greenhouse agriculture. A report from the fruit and horticultural consortium SKIN makes it very clear: "Only 3% of the surface of Almería harvests the salads of half Europe". These closed spaces are so productive that in Almería they can allow half of the ground to be protected. That half of its surface is Natural Park it is not very common in Europe. For this and for the Resource Optimization is that these greenhouses are so sustainable.
The aforementioned entity is made up of European fruit and vegetable associations from France, Greece, Poland and Spain. Your report also explains your low environmental impact in a detailed way. It ensures that they dispense with fossil energy, since they use the Salt as an endless source of energy. They save water, reduce the use of pesticides and absorb C02. Their mode of operation is so efficient that they consume up to a 30% less energy than in other systems.
It is more, according The newspaper of Almería, each greenhouse absorbs as much CO2 in a day as it emits eight cars. Moreover, it indicates that the temperatures of the province have dropped an average of 0 degrees since 1989 despite global warming. He argues that these gigantic plastic surfaces, seen from the space, they are key. They assure that they help mitigate the impact of climate change in the province.
¿Where does our food came from?
La traceability it also plays a very important role. More and more consumers are concerned that what they eat meets quality standards. In our case, the most relevant guidelines come from the EU health authority. The quality and respect for the environment increasingly play a more relevant role. Thus, the European people can rest easy in the case of Spanish greenhouses. The controls are very demanding and guarantee essential food.
Grenada and the already mentioned Andalusian province have shown their very important role. His work during the toughest months of Covid-19 in Europe was vital for us to be able to feed ourselves during the stop. These Spanish greenhouses produce four and a half million tons of vegetables year. They supply more than 47% of the domestic market and more than half of the european. Vegetables that are not grown further north due to low winter temperatures grow here.
The numbers speak for themselves. A trial in the XNUMXs confirmed the increase in productivity brought about by plastic. The tomato went from producing 1'68 kilos per square meter to produce 3'58 under glass. The pepper went from 0'17 a 0'78 and the cucumber went from 0'94 a 3'84. Respectively, the price differences between greenhouse and outdoor crops were 157%, 265% y 108% respectively.
Your ability to continue supplying fresh food the rest of the countries during the confinement made them reflect. Many, many people realized the importance of wearing a balance diet to bolster your defenses. It is sobering that a large part of Europe depends on the Spanish greenhouses to guarantee their food sovereignty.
A "sea of plastic" in the south
Returning to Almería, he closed 2019 with 31.614 hectares under plastic. This is 580 more than the previous year. The surface is divided between 12.500 farms and families. Thus, the land is widely dispersed and not concentrated in the hands of large landowners. The average area of a farm is 2'4 hectares. In addition, it should be noted that 62% of the marketing of its products is done through Cooperatives.
Instead, Granada has 3.100 hectares of "sea of plastic". On these, however, there is not as much information as there is with the people of Almeria. The most noteworthy thing is that the municipality with the most hectares is Motril, with an amount of 1.134 hectáreas.
In short, the Spanish greenhouses they are essential to guarantee our food sovereignty. They are characterized by their extremely high productivity and efficiency, in addition to complying with all quality guarantees. If they disappear, there could be a scenario of shortage and exorbitant prices. Luckily, we can have their healthy products at any time of the year.
