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Like islands in the ocean, the Sierra de Gádor mountains rise above the Mar de Plástico, or sea of plastic, warmed by the sun of Andalusia, Spain. Nearly 128 square miles of greenhouses now form “the vegetable garden of Europe.” The first greenhouses were built in the 1960s in the arid Campo de Dalías, the coastal plain perched between the mountains and
the Mediterranean Sea. Intensive groundwater pumping in the region, along with innovations in greenhouse design and hydroponics, have created an economic boom for the traditionally poor area of Spain, which now provides much of Europe’s winter fruits and vegetables, particularly tomatoes and sweet peppers. But it’s come at a high social and environmental cost. The aquifer is now overexploited, while a 2020 report by the Guardian found the mostly migrant labor force struggling with harsh working and living conditions. Not to mention the sea of plastic waste the area creates, which amounts to more than 30,000 tons each year. To tackle the water issue, Spain built one of Europe’s largest desalination plants in the area in 2016.

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Like islands in the ocean, the Sierra de Gádor mountains rise above the Mar de Plástico, or sea of plastic, warmed by the sun of Andalusia, Spain. Nearly 128 square miles of greenhouses now form “the vegetable garden of Europe.” The first greenhouses were built in the 1960s in the arid Campo de Dalías, the coastal plain perched between the mountains and <br /> the Mediterranean Sea. Intensive groundwater pumping in the region, along with innovations in greenhouse design and hydroponics, have created an economic boom for the traditionally poor area of Spain, which now provides much of Europe’s winter fruits and vegetables, particularly tomatoes and sweet peppers. But it’s come at a high social and environmental cost. The aquifer is now overexploited, while a 2020 report by the Guardian found the mostly migrant labor force struggling with harsh working and living conditions. Not to mention the sea of plastic waste the area creates, which amounts to more than 30,000 tons each year. To tackle the water issue, Spain built one of Europe’s largest desalination plants in the area in 2016.

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