Statistics on Almerian fresh produce production are impressive: production covers 33,000 hectares, making up only 0.24 percent of the agricultural land in the European Union (EU), yet its four million tons of annual fresh produce, provides the Union with eight percent of its agricultural products. This contributes 24 percent of the EU’s horticultural production value.
Tomatoes were once the largest commodity grown in Almeria, but due to increasing competition from countries like Morocco, only make up 20 percent of the produce today. Sweet peppers take up a 25 percent share, cucumbers 14 percent, and watermelons 14 percent. Spain absorbs 50 percent of the produce, with the rest being exported, mostly to the EU.
Sweet peppers account for25 percent of the producegrown in the Almeria region.
The environment has not been neglected in Almeria’s pursuit of agriculture. Through a focused water reduction strategy they provide eight percent of the EU’s fresh produce using only 1.8 percent of the EU’s irrigation water. Biological crop production has formed the foundation of cultivation techniques over the last two decades, eliminating over 80 percent of traditional harsh chemicals.
The latter is no mean feat considering that the heavily concentrated area under production is owned by around 14,000 farmers. Going the biological route has therefore required a significant effort from all stakeholders in the industry to collaborate and agree on a way forward to combat pests.
A point of no return There is perhaps no better way to convince an industry to chart a different course than having a lucrative market shut its doors to you. In 2004 Almeria was enjoying much success off the back of increasing exports to the EU. Sweet peppers exports to Germany, its largest market, reached 130,000 tons in 2004. At this stage the industry relied solely on chemical pesticides for crop control. Growers started seeing efficacy rates dip as pests developed resistance to the active ingredients, with the result that applications were increased. The inevitable result was that produce was not meeting maximum residues levels (MRL) prescribed for the chemicals, and markets started to notice.
By 2007, produce from Almeria received MRL violations on 35 percent of their produce, while only 60 percent had acceptable levels. None were residue free. Sweet pepper exports to Germany halved as a result.
Jan van der Blom, head of technical productionat farmer’s union Coexphal, Almeria
“It was a wake-up call to the whole industry,” says Jan van der Blom, head of technical production at farmer’s union Coexphal in Almeria. “Farmers knew they had to change the way in which they managed pests, and that it had to be done as a collective. Biological crop protection would never have worked in an area as dense as Almeria if every farmer was not on board, because chemicals from one farm could easily spread to another and kill any beneficial insects released. Fortunately, it was not hard to convince the farmers to comply because we had the research to back it up, and they realized they would be out of business if they didn’t comply.”
Farmers, researchers and banks have since rallied to turn this once pesticide-reliant region into a biological powerhouse. Today, residues on 94 percent of produce is within accepted MRL levels and the remaining six percent are residue free. Sweet pepper exports to Germany consequently recovered, and today the value of these exports is 10 percent higher than 2004 levels, adding €310 million in income to the region.
The right insect for the right jobWhile tomatoes are no longer the biggest crop grown in Almeria, it’s still big business. Each year, approximately 500 different tomato cultivars are tested in Almeira, with a successful candidate being commercialized roughly once every five years. In Almería, around 100 different varieties of tomatoes are cultivated.
Tomatoes however displayed a far greater value during the biological revolution, serving as the catalyst that ensured that once the farmers started with biologicals, they stuck with it.
Hives of bumblebees are placed in greenhouses to pollinate tomato crops.Photo: Lindi Botha
Tomatoes are notoriously difficult to pollinate, since their lack of nectar means honeybees avoid these flowers. As a result, farmers had to pollinate the flowers by hand, a process that was both time-consuming and expensive.
One of the first companies to develop biological crop protection for Spanish farmers was Agrobio. They breed indigenous predatory insects, bacteria and fungi that fights a host of pests in Almeria’s greenhouses. To address the pollination issue in tomatoes, Agrobio turned to bumblebees.
Isabel Mendizabal, an agricultural engineer at Agrobio explains that honeybees have an efficient communication system, quick to inform their mates back at the hive that the area has no nectar and that they don’t need to bother visiting the flowers. “Bumblebees, on the other hand, aren’t as discerning. They continue visiting flowers in search of nectar, thereby pollinating them. To sustain them, we provide a nectar solution in the greenhouses so they do get their reward after all.”
To pollinate one hectare of tomatoes, 25 hives, each containing 100 bumblebees, are required. With such a mass of beneficial insects, pesticides of any kind are out of the question if farmers want to protect their investment. Mendizabal explains that the introduction of bumblebees therefore significantly promoted the adoption of biological production methods.
An additional benefit of using bumblebees is their superior pollination capability compared to humans or machines. Since their introduction, farmers have observed greater uniformity in the shape and ripening of the tomatoes.
Mendizabal notes that farmers commonly use up to six different species of beneficial insects to manage pests. “Although this method can only reduce damage by up to 90 percent, the remaining 10 percent damage is acceptable to farmers because it keeps them within the MRL limit and allows them to maintain market access.”
Tomatoes are more uniform since replacing manual pollination with bumblebees.Photo: Lindi Botha
While the industry started making good strides towards biological production by 2009, the arrival of the notorious Tuta Absoluta moth had farmers reaching for pesticides once more. Agrobio then discovered an insect indigenous to Spain, macroloplus pygmaeus, which feeds on the moths’ eggs, reducing the damage the moths cause by 80 percent.
Finding a natural solution to pests is an ongoing process, since new invaders are discovered annually. Mendizabal says that climate change is changing migratory patterns, survival rates and prevalence of insects, which necessitates a consistent study of what needs to be combatted, and which beneficial insects need to be increased.
Going one step further to build the insect army, the company this year started a division to breed better insects. “Just like seed and animals can be improved through genetic selection, so too can insects. We therefore place the insects in different environments and those that fare better are selected for further breeding,” Mendizabal explains.
And just like livestock, nutrition also plays a role in maintaining a healthy population of insects that are optimally primed to fulfil their purpose. Geneticists and nutritionists conduct ongoing research to improve insect diets, and fine tune the way in which the insects are packaged for transportation to the greenhouses.
David Beltrán Morales, a researcher at Agrobio, explains that when beneficial insects are placed in the greenhouses, the numbers are not necessarily sufficient to combat pests. But by placing the insects in packaging that contains the right food and provides the right habitat, insects start breeding, sending out scores of insects into the greenhouse over several weeks. The fact that the insects multiply in the greenhouses means that farmers don’t need to constantly top up insect levels.
David Beltrán Morales,a researcher at Agrobio,works on breeding predatory mites to combat Tuta Absoluta in greenhouses in Spain.
Photo: Lindi Botha
A productive habitatSince over 90 percent of the beneficial insects Agrobio employs are indigenous, they would be present in the area anyway if the habitat was ideal. This is where the company is conducting further research to find an ideal solution to make life in the greenhouses as attractive as possible for the insects.
Biodiversity islands have been placed in the greenhouses consisting of a range of indigenous plants along the edges of the tunnels and at the end of each crop row. “Placing beneficial insects in the greenhouses is one aspect of biological crop control, but keeping them there and active, is another that requires much attention for long term success. To keep the insect populations at the right threshold for protection they need both food and shelter. Pests are not always enough to sustain the beneficials, so we need to provide an alternative source of food. If life is comfortable in the greenhouse, then the insects have more energy to combat pests,” Mendizabal says.
The ‘banker plants’ used as biodiversity islands consist of a range of indigenous aromatic plants like those from the fennel and marigold family, and Mediterranean herbs. An important consideration for banker plants is that they are not hosts for harmful viruses or fungi.
The benefit of the biodiversity islands is already apparent as 54 percent of growers have reported the presence of beneficial insects in the greenhouses that they did not intentionally introduce.
Banker plants create biodiversity hubs in greenhouses where beneficial insects can find refuge and additional food sources.
Turning the publicity tideAlmeria’s environmental efforts have paid off and van der Blom states that over the last few years, populations of owls, flamingos, lizards and chameleons, to name a few, have been increasing. “This is proof that our strategy is working. I believe that Almeria can be an example of how an industry can work together to achieve sustainability for all.”
The rumour mill has however been slower in showing progress, and Almerian produce is still struggling to shake off its past. Van der Blom says that negative consumer perceptions about Almeria’s produce persists, demonstrating how difficult it is to get consumers to change their minds once an idea has taken hold.
The Spanish Interprofessional Organisation of Fruits and Vegetables, Hortiespaña, therefore launched a three-year marketing programme last year to promote the benefits of horticulture under solar greenhouses in southern Europe. Messaging is aimed at consumers looking for quality, safe produce that doesn’t have a negative effect on the environment. Key goals of the campaign are to increase the perception of produce grown in greenhouses as sustainable products, and increase consumption of produce grown in greenhouses. Messaging includes showcasing tunnel production as being efficient in terms of environmental, social and economic sustainability.
The widespread and successful adoption of biological crop protection in Almeria is testament to what can be achieved even in intensive systems, run by scores of farmers that need to agree on a collective way forward. It’s this cooperation that led to the complete turnaround of the industry from one that was heavily reliant on chemical crop protection, and quickly becoming redundant, to one of the greenest produce hubs in the world. ●
A new white paper, commissioned by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, RVO) and funded by the European Community, offers a detailed examination of the potential for greenhouse development across the globe.
The comprehensive study, conducted with contributions from Dutch Green Delta (DGD) and its partners, aims to create a world map pinpointing the most suitable locations for greenhouses, categorized by mid-tech and high-tech standards.
The impetus for this study is clear: with climate change wreaking havoc on traditional agriculture and resource constraints becoming more pressing, governments and industries are keen to invest in controlled environmental agriculture (CEA) as a means to ensure food security and sustainability. This analysis comes at a critical juncture, as the greenhouse sector faces disruptions from recent global events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing warin Ukraine.
Existing CEA areas aroundthe world. Source: WUR
The need for greenhousesThe global area of covered horticulture, which includes both traditional and advanced greenhouse systems, is challenging to quantify due to inconsistent definitions and data reporting. According to the white paper, current estimates suggest approximately 700,000 hectares of protected horticulture worldwide, with about 53,000 hectares dedicated to high-tech greenhouses. This figure aligns with previous literature but highlights the significant data gaps, particularly in regions like China, where precise numbers remain elusive.
According to Peter Ravensbergen, one author of the white paper, greenhouses, particularly high-tech ones, offer numerous benefits. Ravensbergen is horticulture sector expert at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). He maintains that greenhouses allow for year-round production, reduce water usage, and minimize the need for pesticides and herbicides. “As the climate becomes increasingly unpredictable and water resources scarcer, the advantages of greenhouses become even more pronounced,” he says.
Peter Ravensbergen
Ravensbergen explains the primary objective of the recent study is “to develop a world map with the highest suitability for greenhouse locations and to list the top five countries for high-tech and mid-tech greenhouses, creating focus to invest in by businesses.”
The methodology of the study includes three key components:
Area Potential: This involves mapping areas with the highest potential for greenhouse development based on factors such as climate, soil quality, infrastructure and land use.
Market Potential: This component examines market opportunities by analyzing the import, production and consumption of key crops like tomatoes and strawberries. It also considers factors such as the ease of doing business, corruption levels and quality infrastructure.
Current Potential of Greenhouses: This involves assessing the current presence of greenhouses in various countries through desk research and consultations with Dutch agricultural councils.
“Based on the combination of these three analyses, the top 10 countries with the strongest expected growth in high-tech greenhouses are the U.S., France, Spain, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Turkey and China,” says Ravensbergen.
Specifically, they identified:
Emerging countries: the U.S., Poland, Italy, Saudi Arabia and the UK.
Conversion countries from mid-tech to high-tech greenhouses: Spain, France, China, Japan, India and South Korea.
Countries that already have areas of high-tech greenhouses: Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Belgium and Mexico.
Countries with the highestCEA potential.Source: WUR
Implications for the industry Ravensbergen notes the findings of this study have significant implications for the greenhouse industry and related sectors. For instance, countries with high scores for high-tech greenhouse potential represent promising markets for investment and expansion.
“Companies in the Netherlands and other leading greenhouse nations are likely to find lucrative opportunities in these regions,” he says.
In addition, “the differentiation between emerging markets and conversion markets allows businesses to tailor their strategies,” adds Ravensbergen. “Emerging markets may require more foundational investment and education, while conversion markets offer opportunities to introduce advanced technologies to existing systems.”
The study found that expected growth in greenhouse areas aligns with broader trends in food security and climate adaptation. As the global population grows and climate conditions become more extreme, the demand for controlled environment agriculture is likelyto increase.
Ravensbergen says there are some conclusions that can be made concerning the study’s data. “There is no uniformity in definition of CEA or greenhouses or high-tech, mid-tech and low-tech,” he notes. “Therefore, data is not clear or not available in all cases.
“In addition, regional data is very limited; it’s mostly national. And there is no timeline of datasets; therefore, development/growth is hard to define.”
Ravensbergern adds field expertise is needed to interpret the data. “And that is not easy, since we speak of many countries.”
Finally, data on China are also difficult to verify.
Final result location suitability for high-tech greenhouses (Global-Detector). Source: WUR
Several additional challenges remain. Recent disruptions in energy and resource markets, exacerbated by geopolitical events, pose risks to greenhouse development. And the study does not delve into specific investment policies, government regulations or legal restrictions, which can significantly impact greenhouse projects.
“Not included in this research, so that needs more investigation, includes present (investment) policies of governments; private investment programmes; legal restrictions, e.g., on water usage of lakes; restrictions on imports and exports (e.g., tomato from Morocco to EU); and, availability of local knowledge and expertise,” says Ravensbergen.
Can governments help certain countries to develop greenhouses, or is that more the role of private investment? Ravensbergen says that like in the Dutch triple helix model, “a cooperation between government, academia and private sector is needed. Together they make a vision and a strategy, in which all partners have their contributions/duties to make in order to make it successful.”
While the white paper provides a valuable roadmap for identifying the most promising locations for greenhouse development, stakeholders must remain adaptable and informed to capitalize on emerging opportunities and address the challenges ahead.
The study's findings underscore the growing importance of controlled environmental agriculture in ensuring food security and sustainability. By leveraging the insights from this comprehensive analysis, businesses and policymakers can make strategic decisions that support the growth of greenhouses and contribute to a more resilient global food system. ●
