High-tech greenhouses are a part of the solution for today’s challenges in the global food system. Vegetables, for example, can be grown on substantially less land (75+% less than with other cultivation methods). That is an important finding of a new study by Wageningen University (WUR) commissioned by Grodan about sustainable food production in the greenhouse. The study looks at cultivation systems through the lens of the UN Sustainable Development goals.
Leo Marcelis, professor of Horticulture and Product Physiology at the WUR and leader of the study, is enthusiastic about the results: “The study shows that high-tech greenhouses in the Netherlands – in comparison to other cultivation methods used in Europe – scores the highest on 7 of the 14 indicators for SDG’s relevant to horticulture. This is a result of the cultivation method in the greenhouse, where very low amounts of water and land are used, with barely any emissions from fertilizers. On top of that, biological pest control is the standard with 100 percent of high-tech growers.”