Greenhouse cultivation is booming globally, especially in the Global South -- and across one country in particular. This is revealed in a new study that deploys detailed satellite imagery and AI to map greenhouses across the planet. According to the researchers, the development is a source of both promise and concern.
We have long since become accustomed to enjoying tomatoes, cucumbers, berries and melons year-round. In Europe, most of these imports come from Spain, where millions of tons of fruit and vegetables are grown under seas of white plastic that span the southern part of the country.
Whereas large clusters of greenhouses in the Global North were established in the 1970's and '80s, they began to spring up in the Global South two decades later. And while there has been some stagnation in the Global North, the trajectory of growth continues in Asia, Africa and Central and South America. Indeed, greenhouses in the Global South account for 2.7 times as much area as in the Global North.
Due to their controlled environments, greenhouses potentially offer a range of major advantages in the form of higher and more stable yields, efficient irrigation systems, the more precise dosing of fertilizers and nutrients, and an improved control of crop quality. Consequently, the researchers believe that political regulation of the sector needs to be considered:
"I hope this mapping serves as a point of departure for studies related to the consequences of greenhouse cultivation.
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