How Israel grows food in the desert
Posted on
They say need is the mother of invention, and there is no need more primal or natural than hunger. No country have completely conquered hunger yet, but, how do you even begin to approach the problem when you live in a desert?
Well, if you're a member of the Ramat Negev Agro-Research Center, the answer is "get creative.”
Walking through the greenhouses of the Ramat Negev Agro-Research Center, you'd never guess you were in an arid climate where water is scarce and the soil is mostly loose sand. All throughout the center things are growing, from plump gourds and peppers, to reaching vines of cherry tomatoes coiling towards the sun. It's a place of growth not just for vegetables, but for knowledge.
The Center's chief goal is the development of innovative farming techniques that allow them to do more with less. One of the Center's most famous innovations includes their method for irrigating soil with brackish water. They managed to find a way to take water that would normally be considered too saturated with sodium and other impurities to be used in farming by irrigating gardens directly underneath the plant. This way, the root system can soak up the moisture it craves while the more delicate leaves and stem of the plant are safe from the salt. A simple, but ingenious method that has applications in any arid climate.
"From waste to feed” is the motto of the center, with nothing taken for granted or left for scrap. The two guiding principles of the Center include the strict protection of nature and it's ecological systems, as well as the smart use of sustainable natural resources. The idea is to take what is available in their region and use it to maximum effect in a way that will not damage the local environment, but allow it to thrive and grow with the population in tandem. This doubly important considering the Center is located Negev, an area rich with delicate natural splendor.
As the population in the area increases and the number of tourists the country sees every year continues to rise, demands on the local climate also increase in step. It is the goal of the Ramat Negev Agro-Research Center to ensure that the local environment can meet those needs, but without diminishing or destroying what makes the area unique and beautiful. A tall order in a country with a hot, dry, climate and very little rainfall, but with ongoing research into energy conservation, farming techniques especially designed for arid climates, and infrastructure, they seem more than up to the task.
What's more, the Center isn't interested in keeping this knowledge to themselves. They see sustainable farming as a global goal and freely share their research with the rest of the world. In coordination with the CINDADCO (the Center for International Agricultural Development Cooperation ), Israeli farming experts and scientists regularly tour their findings in other arid nations. Demonstrations in Africa, Latin America, and Asia are common, helping to bolster Israel’s reputation as agricultural innovators.
While the techniques and technology employed may be cutting edge, the spirit is very old school Israel. The Center's emphasis on creative usage of what is available, self-reliability, and community responsibility comes straight from the nations history of Kibbutz. Modern technology and thought applied to a noble traditional spirit – that's how Israel grows food in the desert.
