The effects of climate change are expected to be felt at an increasingly higher rate in the years to come. Yet, Spain is already grappling with issues related to water scarcity, soil degradation, and intensifying heat. The agricultural sector is adapting to these new challenges; however, a question looms: will it be enough to keep the sector future-proof?
The story goes that from space, you can spot two things: the Great Wall and Almería's horticultural industry. As the vast majority of protected cropping systems in the region are plastic-covered, NASA has even described the region as "a sea of plastic."
Feeling the Heat
With the summer months getting extremely hot, low-tech greenhouse growers have been the most impacted, but not in the way it may seem. "Tomato greenhouse growers are planting later than in previous years," says Francisco Saba from Hortrecursos, a greenhouse grower specializing in tomatoes. Usually, tomato growers planted in July, but the increasing heat has forced them to delay planting. "There's a risk of losing one to two vines per plant," Francisco points out. High temperatures and little to no humidity certainly don't do any good for tomatoes. Dimitri Calabrese from Hortoverde, a greenhouse grower whose production is destined for the Italian market, explains that tomato plants may lose up to 15-20% of the total harvest. "With late planting, you can somewhat fix that issue." Such a hit to production may pose a significant challenge to tomato greenhouse growers. After all, their primary goal is to get as many kilos as possible from each plant. "That's the first income for a grower." And when it comes to prices? "That's up to the market, eventually," Dimitri continues. So, regardless of climate change, Almería growers are following the same old principle of any greenhouse grower: get the most out of their plants.
Pepper growers, too, are feeling the heat and planting late. "Usually, pepper growers start planting between the 20th and 30th of July. Now, however, they begin in the first week of August," explains Dimitri. "Last year, too, there was the same issue. Those who planted on the usual days saw their plants struggling because of the heat." Late planting for peppers is not that big of an issue, says Dimitri, as the competition from Polish growers would greatly penalize Spanish production.
Cucumbers are one of the crops that have taken the biggest blow. Francisco says there's a big shortage at the moment. "With these temperatures, the quality of cucumbers cannot be good." Quality is not the only problem, as they also grow quite fast, requiring constant harvesting, which can be quite costly for a meager payoff in the end.
However, heat doesn't only affect plants. Francisco explains how it's getting difficult to have bees within the greenhouses. "With these temperatures, bees can't work in the greenhouse, so it's essential to find a different solution." Also, working conditions for farmworkers are becoming extremely uncomfortable, and this too is something that needs to be addressed in the future.
Troubled Waters
At the same time, heat is not the only thing associated with climate change. Water scarcity is a huge issue in Spain, which is why they have invested in desalination plants to better meet water demand. "In Almería, we have a little less water than in previous years," says Dimitri. "However, the situation is not as dire as in other regions in Europe, like Sicily and Southern Italy, for example. Here in Almería, there are desalination plants. So, even though the water situation is not as good as in the past, growers are still not particularly concerned."
When it comes to water, Francisco is taking it a step further by conducting meticulous and constant testing on the water entering his greenhouses. "There are a lot of certifications involved, and we are doing extensive checks and controls on the water we use in our facilities."
While heat can be addressed with later planting, the issues of water scarcity and soil degradation can be somewhat mitigated with a different cultivation methodology, namely hydroponics. Unlike other (mainly) Northern European countries, the Spanish market tends to avoid making a distinction between hydroponically and non-hydroponically grown produce. However, things seem to be on an upward trajectory, with consumers becoming increasingly educated on the benefits of such a cultivation method. "It is still too early to say that Spanish consumers specifically look for hydroponically grown produce over traditionally cultivated vegetables," Dimitri points out. "We have some hectares where we grow hydroponically, and I've noticed that there's an increasing number of growers opting for this." The reasons for this can be many, such as better operational costs or marketing a type of quality that can only be obtained in soilless cultivation. "Tomatoes, obviously, but also peppers and eggplants, are increasingly being grown hydroponically." Creating an environment where plants can thrive and express their full genetic potential can be costly, especially upfront, but it certainly provides some level of security for cultivation.
Glass and Hydroponics
Hydroponics is indeed the method Cualin Quality uses to grow their tomatoes. This Spanish grower, unlike the majority of other greenhouse growers, cultivates their crops in high-tech glasshouses. "Our high-tech glasshouses offer greater durability and resistance to adverse weather conditions compared to traditional plastic greenhouses," says David Vicario Villa, commercial director at Cualin Quality. "Our glasshouses are equipped with advanced automation and climate control systems. On top of that, we also have a cogeneration plant that not only improves our energy efficiency and sustainability but also allows us to use the generated CO2 to enhance photosynthesis and, hence, the quality of our tomatoes." The advanced infrastructure of Cualin Quality enables the grower to be prepared for any climate change-related challenges. "Our water management system is a pillar of our strategy. Not only do we have the capacity to store water for more than a year's consumption, but we also maximize the available water by collecting condensation from the greenhouse glass and reusing it in our hydroponic systems. This approach allows us to maintain efficient operations even under water scarcity conditions."
To conclude, while greenhouse growers in Spain are not significantly affected by climate change-related issues yet, increased heat, soil degradation, and water scarcity are looming over them. With different cultivation methods, such as hydroponics or late planting, they can somewhat address current challenges relatively easily. Glasshouse growers certainly have an advantage over plastic greenhouse growers in that regard. However, setting up these kinds of structures can be quite costly, but so too may be the consequences of climate change.