Over the past 15 years, the energy consumption in Danish greenhouse horticulture has been lowered by half. While the total greenhouse surface area was reduced by 23 percent, energy efficiency improved enormously. The fact that the energy consumption in 2017 was still 3.5 percent higher than in 2014, is because 2017 only had 1,512 hours of sunshine. In 2014 there were 1,727 hours of sunshine and the average temperature in 2017 was one degree lower than in 2014. A total of 6 percent fewer vegetables were grown in 2017 compared to 2014. In more than half of the greenhouse area, pot plants are grown.
Employment numbers
About 75,000 people are employed in the Danish agriculture and horticulture sector, of which 2,100 in greenhouse horticulture. 82 percent of Danish greenhouse workers are contracted, while for all agricultural workers that's just 30 percent. There, independent entrepreneurs and working family members are in the majority.
Source: www.dst.dk