Short Description
Despite Spain’s prevalent heat and drought, Almería’s vast “sea of plastic” greenhouses enable abundant vegetable cultivation year-round, demonstrating how dry conditions can be beneficial for controlled growing. Farmers and engineers optimize scarce water resources using technology like sensors and software, achieving 20-30% savings in water and fertilizer, and around 30% in electricity. Manuel Escobar, a tomato farmer, uses soilless cultivation, recycling 20% of his water and fertilizer. This innovative approach, dating back to the 1960s, has dramatically improved Almería’s living standards.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the efficiency benefits of greenhouse cultivation in arid regions: Identify how controlled environments enable year-round vegetable production with significantly less water, fertilizer, and electricity compared to open-field farming.
- Recognize the role of technology in sustainable agriculture: Learn about the use of sensors and software in optimizing water and fertilizer consumption in greenhouses.
- Identify specific water-saving techniques in greenhouses: Understand methods like soilless cultivation (hydroponics) and closed-loop water systems that recirculate water and nutrients.
- Analyze the economic impact of greenhouse farming on local communities: Grasp how this agricultural model can dramatically improve the living standards of local populations in traditionally barren areas.
