I can’t resist inviting you to visit Matt’s weblog :
Reporting on environment solutions as they come in from across the globe.
Greening the desert - feeding the poor.
Jul 20th, 2007 by matt
Low artificial input desert greening, with rainwater harvesting and mulching produces magic results that even the locals can’t at first believe. There are solutions to desert greening without using huge amounts of artificial fertilisers, plastic poly tunnels and wasting precious water.
Watch this if you’re interested in how we can feed the starving, particularly in desert regions like the middle east and the Sahara.
Thanks to Willem for this.
on 20 Jul 2007 at 10:42 pm1
earthpal
Sounds too good to be true. Just think of what it could do for the people in African desert areas.
on 20 Jul 2007 at 10:48 pm2
earthpal
“You can solve all the world’s problems in a garden”
I love that. And I believe it.
on 21 Jul 2007 at 9:06 am3
matt
It does sound too good to be true but their belief in their results is infectious. It should certainly be tried in more areas. Tbh they’re probably just using ancient techniques long forgotten, with some modern technology thrown in. Sounds like a good recipe to me.
on 21 Jul 2007 at 10:44 am4
willem van cotthem
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Dear Matt, thanks for your positive reaction. That little video can difficultly be false : the greening of a small part of the desert is undeniably there. Of course, it should be repeated on different continents and under different conditions. But I believe in it, because it is founded on simple scientific laws.
Similarly, I believe that people in the drylands should supplement their traditional agricultural and horticultural practices with “container gardening” - see my blog
http://containergardening.wordpress.com
in particular my messages on gardening in plastic bottles and plastic bags.
My experiments showed a maximal water use efficiency for a maximal production of all kinds of food crops (food security and poverty alleviation). Moreover, kids and people could thereby avoid pollution of their environment by eliminating the continuous littering of plastic (it’s a real shame to see all that plastic flying around).
By the way, why don’t your readers personally contribute to the greening of the desert by sending me the seeds of all the melons, watermelons, papayas and other tropical fruits they are eating at home? Don’t throw them in your garbage bin, simply wash them a bit, let them dry, put them in an envelope and send them to me :
Prof. Dr. Willem Van Cotthem - Beeweg 36 - B9080 ZAFFELARE (Belgium). We will use them at our UNICEF projects for family gardens and school gardens in the Sahara. Thanks for your effective contribution !