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Iceland, bananas, and geothermal greenhouses

Iceland, bananas, and geothermal greenhouses Bananas in greenhouse, Iceland (source: flickr/ Dylan J C, creative commons)
Alexander Richter 4 Jun 2015

Geothermal heat has allowed Iceland to grow bananas since the 1930's!

Bananas near the arctic circle?

In a Lithuanian newspaper, they promise their readers that it is no joke. How can it be possible to grow tropical fruits in a country that very rarely has temperatures above 18°C? Simple. Geothermal power and heating. By utilizing the heat and water from the earth the small nation is able to grow varied produce despite of the harsh wether, like mushrooms, tomatoes, strawberries, flower and of course… Bananas.

According to the Lithuanian newspaper, the Island’s first geothermal was built in 1924 and caused “real euphoria among Icelandic farmers”. Today, there are ??more than 200 thousand square meters dedicated to greenhouses that supply the nations supermarkets’ allowing even some export sales.

To read the full article, please follow the link.

Source: Pasaulis Kiseneje