Insects employed to protect crops in Spain’s ‘Sea of Plastic’

GROWERS in southern Spain’s greenhouses have ditched pesticides and employed insects to combat pests.

Many growers in Almeria’s ‘Sea of Plastic’ have rejected chemical pesticides in favour of ‘biological controls.’

This followed pressure from consumer groups, as well as the fact crops, are growing increasingly resistant to insecticides.

“We have had to change course. The use of pesticides became excessive,” explained Jan van der Blom of the producers association Coexphal.

The decision has been welcomed by environmental group Ecologists in Action who described the change as a ‘very positive step.’

Almeria’s ‘sea of plastic’ can be seen from space and contains some 30,000 hectares of greenhouses.

Last year 2.5 million tonnes of produce was exported from the area, half of Spain’s total vegetable exports.