The sustainability of protected cultivation systems within the context of sustainable agriculture: Eco-serre

Protected cultivation is an essential production method, ensuring a year-round supply of fresh fruit and vegetables and ornamental plants to people in all regions and climates around the world. It is an intensive system with very strong interactions with the natural, social and economic environments, and one which offers undeniable advantages for sustainable agricultural development, whilst still requiring improvement in certain areas. The Eco-serre project aimed to examine the conditions under which this method of agricultural production could be both intensive and environmentally friendly, and, more generally, meet the requirements of sustainable development. Following an assessment of this agrosystem, innovative solutions were sought and compared with existing standards in vegetable production and ornamental horticulture. Specific tools, such as software for thermal calculations and climate control, were developed and validated, particularly with a view to reducing energy consumption. Various integrated pest management strategies and several production systems were also evaluated in terms of minimising inputs and waste.