Many have suggested that a new form of sustainable agricultural productivism is needed in response to the challenges to food security posed by climate change and population growth. We interrogate the potential of the intensive horticultural industry located in the Spanish province of Almería, to represent sustainable productivism. The Almerían horticultural industry has been lauded as an example of neo-endogenous growth and manifests a range of sustainable technologies addressing environmental impacts. This paper employs elements of ecological modernisation theory and emerging theorisations of sustainable productivism to analyse the sustainability of production, including farmers' decision-making rationale and knowledge networks. We argue that Almerían horticulture represents 'weak ecological modernisation' and its main sustainability challenges are posed by water use, a demand led production rationale and the precarious situation of family farms that at present provide a degree of economic embeddedness in this highly industrialised production model. The competitive imperative yields marketing organisations huge sway in production decision-making, and while a cost-price squeeze has driven efficiency in the use of farm inputs and product innovation, it has paradoxically made further advances in sustainable water management very difficult to achieve. Transforming the Almerían horticultural industry into a truly sustainable model of productivism would require the concerted efforts of not only individual farmers and marketing organisations but also regional and local water governance institutions and land use planning. The main obstacle to this remains the dominant normative perception that justifies groundwater over-abstraction on the grounds of its high economic returns and the perceived inability of small farmers to invest in desalinated water or further technological solutions. Highlights:Ecological modernisation theory is applied to assess the Almerían horticultural sector.Despite many environmental measures, resource use and production methods do not yet measure up to sustainable productivism.While water poses the main sustainability challenge, concerted effort of farmers, marketing organisations, land use planning and energy and water governance institutions is required to realise the sustainability potential.Deliberative governance institutions are not able to overcome deep seated normative perceptions about legitimate water use, but a decisive governance push is required for change to emerge.2