For the second year in a row, Cultivators organized, with the support of GreenTech Americas in Mexico to help lead the conversation around hydroponic leafy greens in Latin America. Together with partners and speakers from across the value chain, the workshop Hydroponic Leafy Greens in Latin America: From Greenhouse Design to Commercial Success brought growers, investors, agronomists, facility designers, and supply-chain professionals into one room to discuss what it really takes to build a successful leafy greens business in the region. The workshop agenda focused on market reality, greenhouse design, automation, profitability, and commercial success, with contributions from Cultivators, Rijk Zwaan, VB, and Flier Systems.
The workshop combined perspectives from across the value chain. Rijk Zwaan shared insights on translating market demand into system design, highlighting the link between variety selection and commercial success. VB focused on high-tech greenhouse projects and the role of automation and climate control in delivering consistent, export-ready production. Flier Systems addressed how automation in post-harvest processes can significantly improve efficiency and profitability. Together, these contributions reinforced that success in leafy greens is built across the entire chain, from genetics and production to processing and delivery.
© Cultivators
This year's edition confirmed something important: the market is moving.
"Where last year's workshop welcomed around 40 participants, this year attendance grew to more than 60, drawing a broader mix of participants from across Latin America as well as the Netherlands and the United States. That increase is more than a positive turnout. It reflects a growing awareness that hydroponic leafy greens are no longer a niche topic in the region. Interest is becoming more serious, more strategic, and more urgent", the organizers say.
What stood out most during the workshop and throughout GreenTech Americas was the quality of the conversations. "More stakeholders are now asking the right questions: Which model fits the market? What level of technology is appropriate? How should companies approach labor, automation, post-harvest, and commercialization? How can investments be made with a clearer understanding of risk and return?"
That shift matters.
Latin America represents a major opportunity for hydroponic leafy greens, but opportunity alone is not enough. "The sector does not benefit from fast decisions made on incomplete assumptions. It benefits from informed decisions, grounded in data, analysis, and realistic planning. The region has the chance to accelerate, but it also has the responsibility to avoid repeating mistakes seen in other markets: overbuilding without a market strategy, underestimating operational complexity, or investing in systems that do not match business objectives."
That was one of the central themes brought forward by Cultivators during the workshop, where the focus was on aligning technology levels, cost structures, and business models with the realities of the Latin American market. "Technology can create opportunities, but commercial success depends on choosing the right model, at the right scale, for the right market. In leafy greens, profitability is shaped not only by production, but by the entire chain around it: crop planning, labor strategy, automation, post-harvest handling, packaging, logistics, and market alignment."
This year's workshop also showed that the ecosystem around leafy greens in Latin America is becoming more mature. Participants came not only to learn, but to compare approaches, challenge assumptions, and explore what successful projects in the region should look like. That level of engagement is a good sign for the future of the sector.
For Cultivators, GreenTech Americas was again an important platform to connect with professionals who are actively shaping the next phase of horticulture in Latin America.
© Cultivators
Sonny and Nicole were proud to represent the company during the workshop and throughout the exhibition, contributing to the dialogue on how to support the development of a stronger, smarter, and more resilient leafy greens industry.
The message coming out of Querétaro is clear: interest is rising, momentum is building, and this is the time for careful, informed decision-making. Latin America has the opportunity to lead in hydroponic leafy greens, but leadership will not come from copying what has been done elsewhere. It will come from building businesses that are locally relevant, commercially sound, and based on real knowledge.
Now is the time to make the right decisions.
"The next phase of growth in Latin America will not be defined by speed, but by the quality of decisions made today. For companies entering or expanding in hydroponic leafy greens, the priority should be clear: build on data, align technology with market realities, and design for long-term commercial success."
For more information:
Cultivators
[email protected]
cultivators.nl
