Policy context
Regulations on greenhouse structures (Alento)
| Authors: | Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia |
| Coordinating authors: | Constantinos Kosmas, Agostino Ferrara, Ruta Landgrebe, Sandra Nauman, Marit de Vries |
| Editors: | Alexandros Kandelapas, Jane Brandt |
Editor's note 6Jun14: Sources D142-4
The legislation governing greenhouses in the Campania includes several regional laws. Greenhouses are structures suited to creating optimal agronomic conditions for the development and production of vegetable and fruit crops and flowers in seasonal or continuous cycles. Such structures are considered as land improvement investments.
The use of stone walls or the use of prefabricated panels, whose assembly requires building works or technical installation and cannot be immediately and easily dismantled are strictly prohibited. The side covers and roofs of the greenhouses must be made from materials which allow for a clear visibility of the crops inside. Greenhouse structures must be equipped with suitable drainage systems for rainfall, rainfall collection systems, and irrigation water that the structure uses.
The construction of greenhouses in areas is subject to constraints imposed directly or indirectly by state and regional laws or requirements of urban planning instruments.
Actors involved in policy implementation
| Actors | |
| The State | Directs and coordinates regulation. |
| The Regions | Define the general regulatory frame work for their territory, through the emission of regional laws, and coordinates lower administrative levels. |
| Local Town Councils | Manage land use in accordance with their own local Urban Plan |
| Authorities | In charge of putting safeguards in place and Consorzio di Bonifica – Land Management Authorities (if the area is subject to constraints). |
| Farmers | Benefit from legislation regulating the construction of greenhouses. |
Source: Authors
The Campania region sets out the areas where greenhouse construction is permitted and decides the technical character and prerequisites of greenhouses based on the following parameters: anchorage, materials used, collection of rainwater, and typology of greenhouse construction.
In 2010, the Alento area included 13 farms with greenhouses, which were mainly used for vegetable crops. These greenhouses covered a total surface area of 17.36 hectares (source Istay, 6th Agricultural Census). The majority of greenhouses are concentrated in Castelnuovo Cilento and on the low-lying plains bordering the township of Velina.
The funding provided for the construction, re-structuring, or modernization of greenhouses for agricultural use under measure 121 of the Campania Region’s Rural Development Plan 2007-2013 is dependent on local farmers putting interventions into place to help improve the environment (hedges, wooded paths, etc.) and/or to save water or energy resources through the use of renewable energy sources. As such, the potentially damaging environmental impacts of the construction of greenhouses has been somewhat alleviated.
Laws governing greenhouse construction are aimed towards the safe-guarding and valorization of agricultural areas. In Campania, legislation allows for a maximum greenhouse coverage of 70% of a farm’s surface has functioned as safeguard against increased soil sealing.