Several agents call for the suspension of the Tuesta greenhouse for the breeding of tomatoes "Frankenstein"
- Associations related to the sustainable food movement have asked the City of Valdegovía to stop the hydroponic tomato plantation project that the company Hispalus wants to launch in the industrial estate of Tuesta. They have ensured that the construction of these greenhouses will create "serious disadvantages" in the environment, society and economy.
Associations of the sustainable food support movement have denounced Cultivar Araba S.L., owned by the Hispalus almeriense. The project that the company intends to carry out in the industrial estate of Tuesta, according to Hala Bedi. Hispalus wants to create greenhouses and facilities equipped with the new technology more than 20 hectares wide for the massive production of hydroponic tomato. This tomato production will be marketed by Eroski and is expected to be exported to the French State in the future.
The associations that make up the sustainable food support movement believe that the implementation of this project would have "social, economic and ecological disadvantages" for both the municipality of Valdegovía and the Basque Country. There are many reasons that suggest that the construction of greenhouses is a serious problem. Among other issues, he referred to the "destruction of the ecosystem and biodiversity", as the project will cement several hectares. "Soil is a heritage that offers a wide range of ecosystem services and cannot be consumed through economic processes," they said.
The focus has also been placed on the production model and it has been concluded that this form of production generates “dependence and damage” taking into account the use of cutting-edge technology for the creation of the tomato “frankenstein”. Furthermore, they have announced that tomatoes will be marketed as “fraudulent” local products and will therefore not be marketed. The products will be sold in Eroski with the label "local" in the reserved area. However, its production “is far from nearby production”. from sustainability and permanent contact with the environment.
Hispalus wants to hire 60 employees in greenhouses. Associations opposed to the project have warned that workers affected by the environment will suffer from "precarious working conditions". It is suspected that, as in the greenhouses of Andalusia, Belgium and the Netherlands, the "health" of the people who work there will be "at risk". This has also been denounced by a number of agricultural organizations and trade unions. In the same vein, they have asked the City Hall to "immediately stop" the project presented by the platform. To this end, they considered it necessary to launch a process of citizen participation and citizen participation.
