Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
4 min of reading 
0 comments 
NASA Confirms: This Structure Is So Extensive It Rivals Entire States of Brazil — But Most Have Never Heard of It
The largest covered plantation in the world is not in China or the United States — it is in Spain and covers an area larger than the city of Recife. There are over 40,000 hectares of white greenhouses that, seen from above, form what experts and astronauts now call a “sea of plastic.” So immense and bright, this artificial carpet can be seen from space, according to images from NASA. But what exactly is hidden under these tarps covering the Almería desert?
How the Sea of Plastic Was Born
It all started in the 1950s when Spanish researchers began testing ways to grow food in one of the driest regions of Europe: southeastern Andalusia. The idea was to use plastic as protection against the wind and heat, as well as to retain moisture in the soil. The experiment was so successful that, within a few decades, the area transformed into a high-yield agricultural hub.
What was once a rocky desert became an agricultural powerhouse that supplies a large part of Europe with fresh fruits and vegetables. Today, over 30,000 tons of plastic cover greenhouses in the Almería region, especially in the cities of El Ejido, Roquetas de Mar, and La Mojonera.
-
12,000-year-old rock art in Arabia reveals 176 engravings and signs of a lost culture in the Saudi Arabian desert
-
Lost temple in Egypt resurfaces after 2,200 years and reveals a 35-meter circular basin dedicated to the mud god Pelusium in Pelusium
-
10 shocking facts about alcohol that experts want to turn into a global warning before millions continue to fall ill silently
-
U.S. state wants to install a system in cars that makes it difficult or even prevents the driver from speeding too much.
An Invisible City That Feeds the Continent
The scale is hard to imagine. There are over 400 square kilometers of greenhouses — equivalent to about four times the size of Paris or almost the entire city of Recife covered in white plastic. Viewed from space, the region appears as a bright spot amidst the brown soil of the desert.
These structures house highly technified crops, with intensive use of drip irrigation, artificial substrates, and climate control. More than 3 million tons of food are produced there each year, including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, and strawberries.
NASA’s View: Visual and Climatic Effects
NASA recorded the phenomenon via satellite and published studies on the visual and environmental impact of the sea of greenhouses. According to the agency, plastic reflects sunlight so intensely that it helps reduce the average temperature of the region by up to 0.3 °C per decade — a rare effect on a warming planet.
The images captured by the Landsat 8 satellite reveal a white spot so extensive that it rivals large metropolises. It is one of the few human structures clearly visible from space, not due to height or volume, but because of its brightness and uniformity.
Environmental and Social Impacts Under the Plastic
Behind the agricultural efficiency, there are serious challenges. The sea of plastic produces about 30,000 tons of waste per year, including old tarps, damaged structures, and packaging materials. While much of it is recycled, there is still irregular disposal and burning of waste, which affects soil and air quality.
The intensive use of pesticides and fertilizers also raises concerns. The region’s naturally poor soil relies on chemical additives and constant irrigation, with up to 80% of the water used being imported from other watersheds.
Moreover, a large part of the workforce consists of immigrants, many in vulnerable situations. Reports of poor working conditions, makeshift housing, and low wages are common, especially during peak harvest months.
The Future: Between Innovation and Sustainability
The sea of plastic has become a symbol of agricultural innovation, but also a warning about the limits of intensive exploitation of natural resources. Local authorities, universities, and environmental organizations have been seeking more sustainable alternatives, such as:
- Use of biodegradable or reusable plastics;
- Monitoring water consumption through smart sensors;
- Organic farming with biological pest control;
- Reusing agricultural waste for energy generation.
The challenge, however, is balancing European demand for food with the ecological and social limitations of the region.
A Structure That Awakens the World
The grandeur of the sea of plastic has already been the subject of documentaries, scientific articles, reports from the BBC, DW, RTVE, and even fiction series like Sea of Plastic, aired on Spanish television. The production used the real setting of the greenhouses as a backdrop for a police thriller that addresses racism, immigration, and environmental degradation.
In 2017, the location was the setting for the film Blade Runner 2049, reinforcing its futuristic and unsettling aesthetic. A white, geometric desert that resembles a colony on Mars — but it is here, in southern Europe, shaping the future of intensive agriculture.
Be the first to react!