The Most Cost Cost Effective Farm

Is Spain’s Sea of Plastic an Agricultural Breakthrough?

The Great Wall of China and the Sea of Plastic are the only structures built by humans that can be seen from space. While one was constructed for the purpose of deterring enemies, the other is waging a battle for sustainable agriculture. Is Almeria, Spain, and its plastic sea of greenhouses the future of agriculture?

Almeria is home to an 80,000-acre stretch of agricultural development that produces 24% of Europe’s fruits and vegetables. The arid region isn’t your typical agricultural ideal. Farms that once housed cattle and grew grapes have given way to the production of tomatoes, peppers, and peaches. Farmers have managed this impressive agricultural shift by adopting unconventional methods for growing crops. All of the produce harvested in Almeria comes from a greenhouse. As the global population rises and demand for resources increases, the world is keeping its eye on the Almeria experiment and the farming solutions this greenhouse city could present. 

The Benefits of Intensive Farming

Unlike other agriculturally strong areas of the world suffering from prolonged drought or extreme wet seasons, Almeria’s climate is experiencing prolonged growing seasons. Though it encompasses a coastal desert-like region, local temperatures, consistent sunlight, and, of course, the protection of greenhouse walls have made it possible to harvest crops multiple times throughout the year.

The sheer scale of the greenhouse colony, complete with growers, researchers, consultants, on-site fertilizer and biologic production, and canneries, is impressive. Some say it's the epitome of efficiency; a real time trial center where farming methods maximize resources and quality of taste and nutrition are fine-tuned operations.  Here, the best disease preventions and bug-plant relationships have been discovered through a pool of experts engaging in fast-paced knowledge sharing and near constant trials. Though research is expensive, Almeria’s farmers believe agriculture can afford to keep funding experiments and information sharing that has the potential to change our food system.

While the rest of the world pushes for high-tech solutions, Almeria keeps it simple. Energy costs are low as greenhouses rarely need additional heating since they get more than 3,000 hours of sun per year and temperatures don’t swing wildly.  Labor costs have remained low as well due to a steady flow of migrant labor traveling to the area in search of work.  Pests are controlled with fungi and bacteria, chemical use is in decline, and drip irrigation minimizes water usage. Scientists and consultants are on hand to advise on the very best practices for any given crop or system. The flow of information is so swift that the latest discoveries are implemented quickly.

The Sea of Plastic is also a socio-economic wonder. Almeria, once home to subsistence farmers, now generates $1.5 million annually in greenhouse produce, with fruit and veggies selling at higher price points than other options in European grocery stores. The area comprises family “farms” as well as corporate enterprises that have moved their processing plants in and added to the creation of jobs. Formerly a depressed region of Spain, Almeria is now home to over 120,000 agricultural laborers who play a part in producing 2.7 million tons of food every year, using half the inputs of their neighbors using traditional farming methods.

Should Almeria’s Sea of Plastic be Recreated Elsewhere?

Perhaps the real win is that Almeria has managed to take land unsuitable for farming and use it to produce food. If it can be done here, can it be done elsewhere? Surely there are other arid plots of land capable of leveraging a greenhouse to intensify the sun’s rays and create a climate-controlled indoor farm.  Will flooded land and drought-riddled portions of the globe soon erect their own plastic cities to feed the world?

The Sea of Plastic certainly seems to be a testament to collaboration and ingenuity. It is solving many big agricultural crises beyond just resource management. Here, aging laborers can accomplish manual tasks with greater ease thanks to greenhouse designs. Though the seemingly wall-to-wall greenhouse city is large enough and consolidated enough to be seen from space, the intensive farming model has served to support conservation and reclamation efforts in the area and only accounts for 3% of land usage in Almeria.  

It may be possible to recreate versions of the Sea of Plastic elsewhere, but the model isn’t entirely foolproof. While it’s become a crucial component of Europe's food supply, some say it's yet another example of an intensive model that will soon max out the area’s resources and eventually cause more harm than good.  Even prioritizing simplicity and sustainability, agricultural work is taxing, and the more greenhouses that go up, the more resources are required. At what point do these efficient farms grow into a city that uses too much water and causes too much pollution to be realistically sustainable?  

Plastic is another problem, and one even Almeria’s farmers agree needs a solution. Disposing of plastic used for or in greenhouses is a costly expense for farmers. The coastline has seen an increase in pollution as the Sea of Plastic makes its way into the sea. It's the type of pollution not many parts of the world want to see more of. 

Almeria draws laborers from Romania, Bulgaria, Morocco, Senegal, and Malawi. Like other areas of the world, the labor system has its flaws, leaving many workers to live in slum-like conditions. While some argue the expansion of agriculture here is generating jobs and incomes, others perceive the Sea of Plastic as a humanitarian crisis in the making and see the low input costs as a sign that workers are receiving minimal compensation for the services they provide.

Yet, at the end of the day, Almeria’s productivity is 30 times higher than average, making the farming methods here worth examining further. Sure, there are kinks to work out, but could the next sea of plastic emerge in North Carolina, Australia, or Israel? And, if you talked to NASA, even support a colony on Mars?