Category Archives: Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture in the Jordan Valley: Perspectives

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Sustainable agriculture development is one of the most important pillars of the EcoPeace Middle East’s Jordan Valley Master Plan as it provides livelihood and prosperity for all the people in the valley. The strategic agricultural objective for the study area is improving water use and irrigation efficiencies and economic outputs per unit of water used, and meanwhile stabilize, or even reduce the total water demands for the agricultural sector in the Jordan Valley. This will require adequate tariff policies on water used for irrigation, including enforcement, to stimulate more efficient use of water through for instance greenhouse drip irrigation. These … Continue reading →

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Gene Editing Technologies

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The use of biotechnology to genetically modify living organisms has garnered worldwide attention, as the application of biotechnology is linked to critical health, environmental, and commercial issues. One of the life sciences categories is molecular biology, which approaches the genetic information stored in DNA from a novel perspective. Gene editing is a technique that aims to extract specific genes carrying desirable traits from an organism (human, plant, animal, or microbe) and artificially attach them to the genes of another organism to transfer that desired trait to the receiving organism. Biotechnology differs from traditional hybridization in that it transfers genes at … Continue reading →

Biogas from Animal Wastes

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The Middle East and North Africa region has a strong animal population. The livestock sector, in particular sheep, goats and camels, plays an important role in the national economy of regional countries. Millions of animals are imported in MENA each year from around the world. In addition, the region has witnessed very rapid growth in the poultry sector. Animal Waste Management Animal waste is a valuable source of nutrients and renewable energy. However, most of the waste is collected in lagoons or left to decompose in the open which pose a significant environmental hazard. The air pollutants emitted from manure include … Continue reading →

السيناريوهات الزراعية في منطقة الشرق الأوسط

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الزراعة تلعب دورا هاما في اقتصادات معظم الدول في الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا . مساهمة القطاع الزراعي في الاقتصاد الكلي يختلف اختلافا كبيرا بين الدول في المنطقة، بدءا من حوالي 3.2 في المئة في المملكة العربية السعودية إلى 13.4 في المئة في مصر. يعتبر الري على نطاق واسع هو توسع ، تمكين الإنتاج المكثف من النقد و تصدير المحاصيل عالية القيمة، بما في ذلك الفواكه والخضراوات والحبوب، والسكر . تحتل مصر المركز الرابع عشر كأكبر منتج للأرز  والمركز الثامن كأكبر منتج للقطن  عالميا . أنتجت مصر ما يقارب  5670000 طن من الأرز و635000 طن من القطن في عام  2011 . … Continue reading →

Gaza Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Platform (GUPAP): Driving Agriculture in Gaza

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The Gaza Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Platform- GUPAP, launched in 2013, consists of a multi-stakeholder, interactive and participatory forum that brings together all key actors involved in the development of a resilient Palestinian agricultural sector in the Gaza Strip. GUPAP is currently made up of about 80 members, including national and local government Institutions; Non-Governmental Civil Institutions; the Private Sector; Research and Educational Institutions; Agricultural Value Chain Platforms and Agricultural Micro-Finance Institutions. Over the past years, GUPAP, by building institutional capacity and collaboration among GUPAP members this resulted in the design and adaptation of 5 policies relating to local market-oriented … Continue reading →

Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture in Gaza: Perspectives

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There are multiple constraints which limit the development of more sustainable and resilient urban agriculture in the Gaza Strip (and the West Bank). Current urban development policies, land use classification systems and planning have ignored to recognise urban agriculture as a land use category and urban development strategy. Furthermore, there is still a lack of research on participatory urban agricultural development, improved production techniques, urban policies and strategies related to agricultural land use. Policy and institutional reform initiatives will be significant to enhance the potential of urban agriculture for food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable urbanisation. Agricultural Land Availability and … Continue reading →

How Agricultural Sector Can Help the Renewable Energy Sector?

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The continuous rise in fossil energy prices, combined with climate change concerns and progress in renewable energy sector, has catalyzed interest in clean energy systems across the MENA region, especially in the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean region has abundant renewable resources, such as wind, solar, and biomass, which makes it a fertile zone for renewable energy developments. The agricultural sector has played a key role in the progress of renewable energy sector around the world as it provides large areas where renewable energy projects are built and is also the predominant feedstock source for biomass energy projects. For example, agricultural sector … Continue reading →

Bridging the Gap: Empowering Farmers with Accessible Patented Technologies

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Mixing cutting-edge technology with good old dirt-under-the-fingernails farming is one of the perfect ways to grow not just plants but the whole industry. We’re talking about bridging the big old gap between high-flying patented tech and the everyday heroes who feed us—our farmers. So, it is only natural for farm enthusiasts to look out for methods to sprinkle some innovation across those fields like it’s fertilizer for progress. The good news is that there are some super cool ways to implement tech upgrades in farming, and here are some of them. Sharing the Tech Wealth with Open Source Imagine if … Continue reading →

مياه الصرف الصحي في لبنان: مضرة ام فرصة؟

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من المرجح أن تأثر التغيرات المناخية على إعادة تغذية الأنهار والمياه الجوفية وتوافر المياه خلال الصيف ومواسم الجفاف يشير التقريرالوطني الثاني للأمم المتحدة (وزارة البيئة, 2011) أنه من المتوقع انخفاض إجمالي الموارد المائية في لبنان ، المقدر حاليًا بـ 2800 إلى 4700 مليون متر مكعب ، إلى 2.550 إلى 4400 مليون متر مكعب و 2350 إلى 4100 مليون متر مكعب إذا ارتفعت درجات الحرارة بمقدار 1 درجة مئوية و 2 درجة مئوية على التوالي. مع تزايد الضغط الناجم عن التوسع الحضري والنمو السكاني إلى جانب محدودية توافر موارد المياه والأراضي ، تعد الزراعة أكثر القطاعات ضعفاً مع تعرض المحاصيل الزراعية … Continue reading →

Can The UAE Implement a More Localised Food System? Why That Matters Amid COP28.

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If you’ve ever been to or lived in the United Arab Emirates, you might be as surprised as those who haven’t to know that the UAE does produce its own crops. Local produce is a rare sight in UAE’s supermarket, as more than 90% of its food products are imported from across the globe. Such a phenomenon is present in numerous other countries- where imports are unreasonably high or even worse, at an equal rate as exports. This begs the question: can a small desert land such as the UAE reduce its reliance on importing if it really tried? And … Continue reading →

زراعة الأسطح لمواجهة التغير المناخي في قطاع غزة

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نملك مساحة محددة من الأرض لكن النمو السكاني لا يتوقف، حيث يزداد عدد السكان يوماً بعد يوم بصورة جعلت الكثير من الأراضي الزراعية تتحول إلى مبانٍ سكنية لكي تستوعب تلك الزيادة ، يقدر عدد سكان قطاع غزة في عام 2005 ب 1.390 مليون نسمة و حاليا يقدر ب 1.82 مليون نسمة ، و هذا يوضح تزدايد مستمر بدرجة كبيرة في عدد السكان ، مما أثر على توزيعة المساحات السكانية و الزراعية في قطاع غزة بشكل واضح ، ، حيث  تعتبر مساحة قطاع غزة الكلية 365 كم2 و مساحة الاراضي الزراعية 75.2 كم2 ،بنسبة20.6% من مساحة قطاع غزة الكلية لعام 2011 … Continue reading →

Boosting Fruit Crop Productivity: A Guide To Irrigation Systems

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In agriculture, the health of fruit crops is paramount to a bountiful harvest. For fruit crops, consistent hydration is vital. Irrigation systems supplement natural rainfall and ensure balanced moisture levels, which is key to preventing drought or disease from overwatering. But before you install an irrigation system and discover how to maximize your fruit crop’s potential, read the guide below. What is an Irrigation System? An irrigation system is a man-made installation designed to deliver water to crops or landscapes. Its purpose is to aid in the growth of agricultural crops, maintain landscapes, and revegetate disturbed soils in dry areas … Continue reading →