News » 23.07.2026 - Mediterranean greenhouse sector shifts toward smarter climate management
Greenhouse production across Southern Europe continues to expand as growers seek greater production stability under increasingly variable weather conditions. While many new structures remain relatively low-tech, industry experts say there is growing interest in climate management technologies, sensors and decision-support tools that can improve crop performance without requiring fully automated greenhouse systems.
Speaking about the current market, Gianmarco Rossi, Sales Manager at Europrogress, said greenhouse adoption is broadening into regions and production sectors where protected cultivation was previously uncommon.
"The greenhouse sector is expanding significantly, including in sectors and areas where greenhouses were not widely used before. Climate change has made open-field production more difficult, so growers are investing in protected cultivation to provide greater production stability and security, even when they are not aiming for full climate control."
According to Esteban Baeza, CEO of Future Farms, the challenge facing Mediterranean greenhouse production is no longer only infrastructure, but also knowledge.
"The vast majority of greenhouses in Spain and Italy still rely primarily on passive climate control through natural ventilation, shading and, in some cases, limited fogging or heating. Compared with highly equipped greenhouses in northern Europe, there is still a shortage of expertise on how to optimize greenhouse climate for individual crops and production conditions."
He noted that while Southern Europe has highly qualified specialists in irrigation, fertigation and integrated pest management, climate management expertise has not developed at the same pace.
"You can find excellent professionals advising on fertigation and pest management, but there are still too few specialists helping growers understand which climate technologies are the right investment and how to manage them effectively."
Gianmarco Rossi (Europrogress) and Esteban Baeza (Future Farms) during the roundtable discussion they organized at the Macfrut trade fair
Sensors becoming the first step
Rather than moving directly to sophisticated climate computers, Mediterranean growers are increasingly adopting sensors and digital monitoring systems.
"Growers are now installing sensors, something that many operations simply did not have in the past," Esteban adds. "Being able to visualize the greenhouse climate is the first step toward controlling it."
He notes that wireless Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, cloud-based monitoring and decision-support systems are helping growers make better operational decisions by recommending irrigation timing, ventilation adjustments and other management actions.
"In the Netherlands, many growers are already using AI to support climate control. In the Mediterranean region, we are at an earlier stage where sensors and decision-support systems are helping growers understand what is happening inside the greenhouse before moving toward more advanced automation."
Gianmarco confirms that Europrogress is also developing sensor-based solutions for lower-tech greenhouses.
"Many Mediterranean greenhouses do not require a full climate computer. However, growers do need practical tools that can suggest what actions should be taken and when, particularly as input costs continue to rise and every resource must be used more efficiently."
Photo left: A Mediterranean greenhouse with a low level of technology in central Italy. Photo right: A Gothic multispan greenhouse with a medium-to-high level of technology under construction in central Italy
Labour becomes the biggest constraint
Although energy and fertilizer prices remain important considerations, both speakers identifies labour as the most significant challenge for Mediterranean greenhouse production.
"Our production systems are based on relatively low investment and relatively low operating costs," Esteban says. "That means labour has become the biggest threat to profitability. Growers are increasingly struggling to find reliable workers who stay for the full production cycle."
Gianmarco agrees, noting that labour can account for around half of a greenhouse operation's total costs.
"Across Southern Europe there are fewer people willing to work in greenhouses, and finding skilled workers has become increasingly difficult. This is also affecting investment decisions, because expanding greenhouse area requires having people available to operate it."
Improving greenhouse climate can also benefit labour retention, he adds.
"When we improve the greenhouse microclimate, we are not only improving conditions for the crop. We are also improving the working environment. A few degrees lower inside the greenhouse can make a significant difference to worker comfort and productivity."
Source: www.flordalily.com
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