Over the past 12 months, the greenhouse market in Italy has shown solid growth as well as a qualitative transformation. "It is no longer just about building greenhouses to protect crops, but about investing in advanced, controlled production systems. There is a growing demand for technologically-advanced greenhouses where automation, climate control, sensor technology and management software are essential," says Maria Cipro, legal representative of CO.SER of Francolise (CE), a company specialising in the construction of greenhouses. "At the same time, structured companies are adopting an increasingly industrial approach oriented towards planning, production continuity and yield optimisation."
The market, therefore, is growing not so much in terms of volume, as in the value and complexity of investments, thereby confirming a profound transformation of the sector.
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The CO.SER team. Second row, left to right: Antonio Natale, Giacomo Di Girolamo, Roberto Guarino and Fabio Monfreda. Front row, left to right: Rosalia Munno, Maria Cipro and Alessandra Di Maio.
The international geopolitical context always has an impact on the greenhouse sector. "Right now, the biggest effect involves the price of steel, which has risen by around 10% since the start of the war in Iran, after years of stability. Clearly, rising steel and raw material prices are reflected in the cost of greenhouses. Luckily the impact is still minimal, and we have not yet noticed a drop in demand for our solutions. We are however worried about the war continuing, for humanitarian reasons as well as because of the effect it will have on our industry."
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It is impossible not to think back to the Covid-19 period and not make a comparison. "Unfortunately, the current situation reminds us of the pandemic. Even then, the impact was minimal at first, but we saw the effects the following year, with steel rising by more than 100% and doubled greenhouse prices. This led to a slow demand, due both to high prices and the uncertainty of the period."
According to Cipro, the sector had found a new balance in recent years: prices stabilised - albeit not to pre-Covid levels - and demand for greenhouses was lively again. "At the beginning of 2026, however, we find ourselves once again in a situation of uncertainty, with dynamics that are still evolving and require careful investment planning."
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In times of global instability, agriculture returns to the centre of strategic dynamics
With the conflicts, climate change and economic crises, access to food is no longer to be taken for granted. "In this scenario, greenhouses are a key asset. While they are already important in normal conditions to support growing demand, they become decisive when harvests fall due to extreme events or prices rise under the pressure of production costs. Food inflation is in fact often a reflection of a reduced availability of agricultural products due to the rising costs of seeds, fertilisers and transport. Greenhouses offer a concrete answer: continuous year-round production, higher yields per area, consistent quality and more efficient use of resources."
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In a context characterised by growing demand and an increasingly unpredictable climate, they are therefore a strategic lever for food sovereignty, helping to shorten supply chains and guarantee continuity for organised distribution and exports. "The path is clear for the more structured companies, as investing in greenhouses means transforming uncertainty into production stability and strengthening the ability to face future challenges."
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Participation at Macfrut 2026
"Our participation at Macfrut has a clear objective: to position CO.SER as an industrial partner for fruit and vegetable companies that want to grow. In particular, we want to present made-to-measure greenhouse solutions for structured companies, illustrate concrete cases of increased productivity and cost optimisation, and get in touch with companies that are making the leap towards more evolved production models. It is not just a trade fair, but an opportunity to talk to entrepreneurs who are planning important investments."
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"For us, Macfrut is a place where relationships are born and strengthened. It allows us not only to start and strengthen collaborations with large Italian fruit and vegetable companies, but also to get in touch with foreign companies interested in advanced production models. Now more than ever, greenhouses represent a strategic choice, and Macfrut is the place where this strategy takes shape," Cipro concludes.
CO.SER will exhibit at Macfrut 2026 (Rimini Fiera, 21-23 April) in Hall C1 - Stand 73.
For more information:
CO.SER. srl
Via Valle Annunziata, 77
81050 Francolise (CE) - Italy
+39 (0)823 884180
[email protected]
www.coseritalia.com
