Greenhouses offer a number of advantages over field farming in terms of climate
and pest control, but greenhouse farming also offers us a number of environmental
advantages. From land requirements to water use, greenhouses can help us produce
higher yields with lower inputs and less impact on the surrounding environment.
Integrated Pest Management
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a process where we use ‘good bugs’ to prey on
‘bad bugs’ in our greenhouses. Our closed environment allows us to significantly
reduce the number of pests that we encounter, but when they do get in we deal with
them as nature intended – with their own natural predators.
Protected water supply and reduced water usage
Our greenhouses allow us to incorporate a closed water system where any unused water
is collected, sterilized and recirculated through our irrigation system. This means
that we are able to use only what we actually need, which can be as little as 1/20
of the water that traditional farming requires!
Other Benefits
Because we are able to give our plants the ideal climate with the
perfect amount of water and nutrients, our plants never have to fight for survival
and are able to put all of their energy into producing the best possible fruit.
This also means that greenhouse yields are significantly higher than those from
field farming. Much more produce can be grown in a much smaller space, which is
good news in a world with high population growth and food crises.