TY - JOUR
T1 - Global area boom for greenhouse cultivation revealed by satellite mapping
AU - Tong, Xiaoye
AU - Zhang, Xiaoxin
AU - Fensholt, Rasmus
AU - Jensen, Peter Rosendal Dau
AU - Li, Sizhuo
AU - Larsen, Marianne Nylandsted
AU - Reiner, Florian
AU - Tian, Feng
AU - Brandt, Martin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2024.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Greenhouse cultivation has been expanding rapidly in recent years, yet little knowledge exists on its global extent and expansion. Using commercial and freely available satellite data combined with artificial intelligence techniques, we present a global assessment of greenhouse cultivation coverage and map 1.3 million hectares of greenhouse infrastructures in 2019, a much larger extent than previously estimated. Our analysis includes both large (61%) and small-scale (39%) greenhouse infrastructures. Examining the temporal development of the 65 largest clusters (>1,500 ha), we show a recent upsurge in greenhouse cultivation in the Global South since the 2000s, including a dramatic increase in China, accounting for 60% of the global coverage. We emphasize the potential of greenhouse infrastructures to enhance food security but raise awareness of the uncertain environmental and social implications that may arise from this expansion. We further highlight the gap in spatio-temporal datasets for supporting future research agendas on this critical topic.
AB - Greenhouse cultivation has been expanding rapidly in recent years, yet little knowledge exists on its global extent and expansion. Using commercial and freely available satellite data combined with artificial intelligence techniques, we present a global assessment of greenhouse cultivation coverage and map 1.3 million hectares of greenhouse infrastructures in 2019, a much larger extent than previously estimated. Our analysis includes both large (61%) and small-scale (39%) greenhouse infrastructures. Examining the temporal development of the 65 largest clusters (>1,500 ha), we show a recent upsurge in greenhouse cultivation in the Global South since the 2000s, including a dramatic increase in China, accounting for 60% of the global coverage. We emphasize the potential of greenhouse infrastructures to enhance food security but raise awareness of the uncertain environmental and social implications that may arise from this expansion. We further highlight the gap in spatio-temporal datasets for supporting future research agendas on this critical topic.
U2 - 10.1038/s43016-024-00985-0
DO - 10.1038/s43016-024-00985-0
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 38741004
AN - SCOPUS:85192868090
VL - 5
SP - 513
EP - 523
JO - Nature Food
JF - Nature Food
SN - 2662-1355
ER -