Greenhouse production
towards food security
Article & Photos Estelle Kempen
DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY, FACULTY OF AGRISCIENCES
STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
Food security or the availability of healthy and safe food is an increasing concern and with the expected increase in the world population this is expected
to become an even bigger worry in the future.
A
dded to this is the massive urbanization seen in
the developing world as
well as the degradation
of soil quality in many agricultural
production areas. This can lead to a
decrease in the food production
potential in many countries, especially in the developing world. Agricultural systems will therefore have
to become more efficient, increasing production while at the same
time conserving our natural resources. Many people believe that
the only way to ensure food security and to conserve our environment
is through going back to more organic methods, but smart use of
available technology can actually
help in the fight for food security.
Greenhouse production has an im-
portant role to play in helping communities become or stay food secure. Growing food in a greenhouse
allows the producer to accurately
control many of the factors affecting plant growth including temperature, light intensity and water- and
nutrient supply to the roots. Greenhouses can be constructed in areas
where traditional farming might not
be viable like peri-urban areas and
even in the centre of a big city. The
benefit of this is firstly that the production is closer to where the majority of consumers are, ensuring
availability and decreasing the need
for transport from the rural areas to
the city. Reducing the need for extended transport can significantly
reduce the cost and increase the
quality of produce since it will reach
A modern glasshouse used to produce vegetables
year-round in peri-urban areas.
the consumers sooner and can be
harvested closer to maturity which
will result in an increase the taste as
well. By using land that would otherwise not be used for agriculture,
it also helps in maintaining more
natural vegetation in the rural areas
instead of having to clear these areas for food production.
Since producing food crops in a
greenhouse allows us to manipulate
the environment, it enables us to
produce nutritious food crops all
year long and to produce crops that
would otherwise not have been
able to be produced in a specific
area due to climatic constraints. By
creating the optimal temperature,
light intensity and CO2 concentrations for your crop, yields and quality can increase. This can assist in
A range of fruit and vegetables that can be produced
in a greenhouse close to the supermarket in a greenhouse.