Almeria case study

• What is Almeria an example of?

  A large-scale agricultural development
• Location of Almeria:

  • Southeast of Spain
  • Covers over 31,000 hectares of land
• Climate of Almeria:

  • Arid area
  • 200 mm rain annually
  • dry, desolate landscape
• How do farmers try to reduce environmental damage?


  • Less water being used due to irrigation and hydroponics
  • new desalination plants supplying fresh water
• What is Almeria?

  A large-scale intensive greenhouse farming, largest concentration of greenhouses in the world
• Avantages of Almeria:

  • Social
  • large amounts of cheap labour from other countries
  • Additional jobs created in packing plants
  • Economic
  • Cheap fruit and veg provided all year round
  • low energy costs due to temperatures being warm all year round
  • Environmental
  • factories producing and recycling plastic for greenhouses
  • Strict regulations have reduced the use of chemicals
• Disadvantages of Almeria:

  • Social
  • None
  • Economic
  • Immigration labour is paid very low wages
  • Workers live and work in poor conditions
  • clashes between immigrants from different countries
  • Environmental
  • Plastic dumped into sea if affecting marine lifE
  • Large amounts of litter left around