The European promotion and information campaign “Es de Invernadero” held its closing event at the European Parliament in Brussels, marking the culmination of three years of work aimed at bringing citizens closer to the value of Southern Europe’s solar greenhouses, their sustainable and efficient model of family farming, and their contribution to the continent’s food sovereignty.
Driven by the Spanish Fruit and Vegetable Interprofessional Organization, HORTIESPAÑA, this initiative co‑funded by the European Union has carried out promotional, educational and communication activities in Spain and Germany.
The event opened with remarks by MEP Carmen Crespo and a speech by Juan Tomás Cano, president of HORTIESPAÑA.
MEP Carmen Crespo highlighted the significance of holding the campaign’s closing event “in an institution where much of the future of European agriculture is decided,” stressing that “solar greenhouses represent one of the most sustainable, innovative and efficient models in Europe, and it is essential that this message reaches precisely here, the heart of decision‑making.”
For his part, HORTIESPAÑA president Juan Tomás Cano offered a very positive assessment of the program’s three years of work, recalling that “we have succeeded in helping more consumers understand what a solar greenhouse is and how it works; knowledge has increased by 15% and the perception of sustainability by nearly 26%.” Cano added, “As a farmer, I am proud of the work of our producer families: our model is efficient, sustainable and generates employment, ensuring safe, high‑quality fruits and vegetables for Europe. That is the message we want to convey today from the European Parliament: the security and protection of our society begins with food. Producing quality food is one of the great challenges of our future, and from the solar greenhouses of southeastern Spain we work to ensure that fresh, high‑quality fruits and vegetables are available all year round.”
During the event, the moderator and member of HORTIESPAÑA’s Marketing Committee, David Baños, presented an overview of the global results of the “Esdeinvernadero.es” campaign, which over the past three years has carried out communication actions, professional meetings, educational activities, media outreach and promotional initiatives at points of sale across Spain and Germany. Baños emphasized the importance of ensuring that European institutions and citizens understand firsthand how this production system works, highlighting that “solar greenhouses are essential to guaranteeing Europe’s food self‑sufficiency; understanding how we produce and why we do it this way is key to valuing a model that provides sustainability, safety and year‑round food availability.” He also noted that “closing the campaign here at the European Parliament is an opportunity for decision‑makers to learn about a system that directly contributes to the continent’s well‑being and food stability.”
Attendees also viewed the campaign’s summary video and the teaser for the recipe book “Es de Invernadero,” one of the program’s initiatives.
This was followed by the presentation “The Solar Pantry of Europe – Sovereignty, Sustainability and Family Farming,” delivered by Esteban Baeza, researcher at CIT‑COEX. In his address, Baeza highlighted the value of the agricultural model of southeastern Spain and its strategic role in supplying the European market, noting that “solar greenhouses are a unique example of how to make efficient use of natural resources to produce more with less, reducing both water and energy footprints.” He also stressed that “this model, based on thousands of small family farms, not only ensures fresh fruits and vegetables for Europe, but does so with a level of sustainability that is internationally recognized.”
The event was closed by Miguel García, Head of the Wine, Spirits and Fruit and Vegetable Products Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate‑General for Agriculture, who underscored the importance of co‑funded campaigns in informing European consumers and bringing them closer to the realities of food production.
Three years of impact: figures from a consolidated European campaign
The Es de Invernadero campaign concludes three years of implementation with results far exceeding expectations, reaching more than 136 million media views and 14 million influencer content impacts in Spain and Germany. The website has surpassed 456,000 visits, while social media has generated more than 22.5 million views across both countries. The television spot has exceeded 86.5 million impressions, and in‑person activities have reached more than 115,300 consumers through tastings and 13.2 million shoppers in Spanish supermarkets.
Impact on consumer perception
Surveys conducted confirm a significant shift in the understanding and appreciation of the solar greenhouse model. Knowledge of the system has increased by 15.22%, and the perception of its sustainability by 25.94%. Recall of European fruit and vegetable campaigns has grown by 36.22%, while specific recognition of Es de Invernadero has risen by an impressive 109.30%. Product perception has also improved: sustainability attributed to fruits and vegetables from this model has increased by 32.36%, and overall valuation by 15.19%.
With these preliminary results, Es de Invernadero consolidates itself as one of the European promotion campaigns with the greatest reach and impact, reinforcing the leadership of the solar greenhouse model as a benchmark in sustainability and efficiency. HORTIESPAÑA will publish the final results next March, once the initiative has officially concluded.
