Moroccan company transforms desert into fertile land for planting trees.

Sand to Green uses desalinated water and organic mixtures to reclaim desert soil for growing fruit trees and herbs.

Sand to Green's desert plantation. Photo: Sand to Green — Sand to Green's desert plantation. Photo: *Sand to Green*

Climate change means desertification is becoming an increasingly serious problem, with 250 million people directly affected by the degradation of arable land. The issue impacts one-third of the Earth's land surface, according to the United Nations. Reclaiming barren land to create arable fields is key to ensuring food security for the world's population. Sand to Green is a Moroccan startup that has successfully transformed land in the middle of the desert into sustainable and profitable plantations over the past five years, according to CNN .

"Desertification is the future for many countries today. Our solution is to use agroforestry to create a sustainable form of agriculture that can withstand climate change," shared Wissal Ben Moussa, co-founder and agricultural director of Sand to Green.

The system can be deployed anywhere near a source of brackish water. Sand to Green desalinates brackish water using solar power technology. They then plant various fruit trees and herbs in the same spot using an intercropping method and directly irrigate the roots with the desalinated water to minimize evaporation. The soil is regenerated using a mixture Sand to Green calls green manure, which includes organic fertilizer, biochar, and microbial cultures. Biochar is a type of graphite that can help dry soil retain water. This allows some herbs to be ready for harvest within two years.

On a 5-hectare test site in southern Morocco, operating since 2017, Sand to Green is experimenting with a range of plant species to find the most suitable ones. "My three favorites are carob, fig, and pomegranate," says Ben Moussa. "They are endemic to the areas where we want to implement this, have high added value in production, and are also very resilient. Successful intercropping options include rosemary, geranium, vetiver, and Java citronella."

Currently, Sand to Green is looking to expand into a 20-hectare commercial trial area, also in southern Morocco. According to the company, such a large area costs $475,000 to establish and is expected to be financially profitable within five years. "With this system, we can create biodiversity with better soil, healthier crops, and higher yields. Our plantation can produce up to 1.5 times more than a monoculture plantation in the same area," said Ben Moussa.

When commercialized, each plot of land divided into plantations will become a green investment. According to Sand to Green, their technology can be used in countries including Mauritania, Senegal, Namibia, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, parts of the US, and coastal Mexico.

An Khang (According to CNN )

Source link