Assembly of European Horticultural Regions

EU projects

Solar greenhouses claim the quality and safety of their crops at the gates of the European Parliament

logo cutesolar programmeAREFLH is a partner of the project CuTe-Solar “Cultivating the Taste of European in Solar Greenhouses”, an EU-financed promotion program.

 

The Cute Solar campaign has carried out a promotional action in Brussels to inform about the reality of greenhouse cultivation methods in south-eastern Spain.

The action is supported by Frank Schwalba-Hoth, founder of the German Green Party and former first member of the European Parliament for this party, who has praised the effort made by farmers and has encouraged the consumption of greenhouse products.

 

Almeria, 22 December 2021 - The European campaign Cutesolar: growing the taste of Europe in solar greenhouses has carried out a promotional and informative action at the gates of the European Parliament in Brussels to raise awareness of the quality and safety of fruit and vegetables grown in solar greenhouses in southern Europe and to inform consumers about this sustainable model from an economic, social and environmental point of view.

This is an action promoted by the Almerian journalist Lorenzo Rubio, who has been living in Belgium for 4 years and has become a defender of Almerian agriculture, through which he has presented politicians and officials of the Parliament, as well as passers-by, with a tasting of mini vegetables grown in the greenhouses.

The communicator also took the opportunity to explain to consumers the realities of greenhouse farming and its production methods that are respectful of people and the environment, with the aim of raising awareness of the quality and safety of these products and the sustainability of this agricultural model.

 

Support from German environmentalists

The promotional action was supported by Frank Schwalba-Hoth, founder of the German Green party and the first of its members to become an MEP. The Greens were the third most voted party in the last German elections. The politician acknowledged the efforts made by farmers to make agriculture an economically sustainable and environmentally friendly model. The ecologist leader wanted to show his support for this agricultural model by handing out products to passers-by and onlookers who gathered outside the Parliament and who were encouraged to consume greenhouse products.

These statements are very much in line with those made by the chief scientist at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), Ismahane Eluoafi, during the 2nd Inversolar Congress, who defended the fact that "thanks to greenhouses we are managing to mitigate the effects of climate change, they make efficient use of resources and have an important social impact, as they generate jobs and support the auxiliary industry of agriculture".

 

serre cutesolar

 

What is a solar greenhouse?

A solar greenhouse is an enclosed structure covered by plastic sheeting, through which the sun's rays shine, allowing the light necessary for plants to maintain the right temperature for their development in the winter months, so that they can carry out photosynthesis. In this process, the plants produce nutrients from the CO2 they absorb from the air and release enormous amounts of oxygen into the atmosphere. Solar greenhouses differ significantly from the production methods of other greenhouse areas, where fossil fuel heating and lighting systems are used, with up to 30% higher energy consumption and the resulting polluting effect.

 

About CuteSolar

CuteSolar: Growing the taste of Europe in solar greenhouses is a programme promoted by APROA, Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers' Organisations of Andalusia, HORTIESPAÑA, Spanish Interprofessional Organisation of Fruit and Vegetables, and AREFLH, Assembly of European Fruit and Vegetable Regions, with the aim of informing European consumers of the specific characteristics of agricultural production methods in solar greenhouses, especially in key aspects such as sustainability and respect for the environment and the safety, quality and traceability of the crops.

The programme, which has a total investment of 1.95 million euros, is co-financed by the proposing organisations and the European Union, will last three years (2020-2022) and will be carried out in Spain, Germany and Belgium. 

 

Know more about CuteSolar 

 

AREFLH
110 Quai de Paludate
BP26
33800 Bordeaux
Réalisation et maintenance par