Case Study: Thanet Earth
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 6.2.6
Thanet Earth
Thanet Earth is the largest complex of greenhouses in England. Thanet Earth is in Kent and it uses hydroponics (growing plants in a water solvent) instead of growing plants in soil.
Advantages of Thanet Earth
- Thanet Earth produces tomatoes every week of the year. This would not be possible outdoors in the UK.
- Thanet Earth produces 225 million tomatoes each year (12% of the UK's total production).
- Thanet Earth produces 13 million cucumbers each year (8% of the UK's total production).
- The Thanet Earth complex is environmentally-friendly and any excess power generated is put into the UK's National Grid.
- Over 250 people are employed at Thanet Earth.
- More of the UK's vegetables are grown in the UK, rather than imported, so the UK has better food security.
- Thanet Earth uses lower amounts of fertilisers and pesticides because of its greenhouses.
Disadvantages of Thanet Earth
- The greenhouses were developed on top of existing farmland, so the development has reduced the amount of greenbelt land and likely destroyed some wildlife's habitats.
- Heating, lighting, and running the greenhouses consume a lot of energy (although excesses are put back into the National Grid).
- The high levels of lighting needed to grow plants creates light pollution.
Test yourself on Case Study: Thanet Earth
Which of the following is the name of a large agricultural development in Kent, south-east England?
What are the advantages of the large scale agricultural development, Thanet Earth?
Which of the following is true of the agricultural development, Thanet Earth?