Last Wednesday, at Sainte-Bazeille in the Lot-et-Garonne region, Paysans de Rougeline growers Bruno Toppan and Rui Vilas Boas inaugurated a new "state-of-the-art" facility: 5.5 hectares of double-walled, inflatable, multi-chapel greenhouses, according to the LinkedIn page of the cooperative. Launched at the end of 2020, this project, dedicated to tomatoes and eggplants, took four years to develop (technical studies, environmental analyses, complex administrative procedures).
The insulating effect of air between two walls creates a temperate environment
What sets these greenhouses apart is their unheated design, which simply uses the insulating effect of the air between two walls to create a naturally temperate environment. This ingenious system allows for:
- natural thermal regulation, good for both crops and workers
- optimum protection against the vagaries of the weather
- a drastic reduction in carbon footprint
The project also incorporates other specific features
- Photovoltaic panels covering more than 50% of energy needs
- An optimized water recovery system
- An automated packaging unit to reduce hard labor
- A 4-day working week for the well-being of the teams
For Rougeline, this achievement makes it possible to reconcile "economic performance, agro-ecological transition, and human well-being. It illustrates our ability to innovate to meet the challenges of French food sovereignty, while responding to current climate issues."