In just a few years, Spain has become the undisputed leader of organic farming in Europe. The Almeria province is the heart of the continent’s intensive agriculture and has seen the proportion of organic farming explode over the last decade from 1.4 percent to 10.3 percent. The television program Down to Earth made a report about this in south of Spain, amidst the world's largest greenhouse complex.
Jan van der Blom with Coexphal shows the greenhouse complexes and how the growers do everything in their way to grow organically.
Tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers have become staples of organic growing in Almeria. Around 80 percent of this organic produce is exported elsewhere in Europe, where consumers hail the label as a symbol of sustainability.
Also the other side of the story is told. Abel La Calle with the University of Almeria points out that the horticultural industry takes its toll on the humidity in the ground and that even organic farms can over-exploit water. Also the second downside of the industry, the plastic waste, is shown in the video.
Source: France 24