Is hydroponic farming the future of agriculture? Egypt’s cultivable land is onthedecline per capita due to urbanization, water scarcity, climate change, and rising population, putting the country’s food production system under strain. This raises the need for innovative agricultural methods like hydroponic farming, which can mitigate the effects of climate change, conserve water, and support food security.

Conventional farming in Egypt is under threat: Conventional farming in Egypt is becomingincreasingly unsustainable due to climate change, urbanization, and the overuse of chemical fertilizers. The World Bank predicts that by 2050, Egypt’s food production could decline by 5.7% due to climate-related issues like droughts, which are expected to reduce irrigated land by 22%. The reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides further degrades soil health, leading to declining yields and increased input costs.

Hydroponic farming? Hydroponic farming is a method of growing crops without soil. Instead, nutrient rich water provides the plants with the needed nutrients and minerals. Hydroponics systems can be set up both inside and outside and offers the option of controlling the precise amounts of light and nutrients the plants get. This method of farming uses much less water than traditional farming, can be set up in urban areas, and produces greater yields.

Hydroponic farming means a whole lot of water savings: Hydroponic farming can reduce water usage by up to 70-80% compared to soil-based systems, according to a study published in Materials Today. “Because there is no water loss through the bacteria and other microorganisms present in water, there is less evaporation of water when compared to its counterpart,” the study says.

SOUND SMART- Over 99% of the water absorbed by plants is lost by transpiration and evaporation from the plant surface.

Egypt has a water scarcity problem: Egypt faces an annual water deficit of around 7 bn cubic meters and could see its water resources run out by 2025. By 2030, Egypt is expected to import more freshwater — through virtual water trade — than the volume of locally supplied water from the Nile.

It’s a lot more than just a greener alternative to traditional farming: Hydroponic farming allows farmers to grow their plants vertically by stacking them in layers — a method known as vertical hydroponics. Vertical farms can produce 3x to 10x more crops in the same amount of space compared to traditional farms, according to a piece published by the Princeton Student Climate Initiative (PSCI). We are expected to witness a “593 mn-hectare land gap (an area nearly twice the size of India) between global agricultural land area in 2010 and expected agricultural expansion by 2050,” when Earth’s population is expected to reach some 10 bn, according to the World Resources Institute.

It will also help us farm in urban areas: Hydroponic farms can also be set up in abandoned or unused urban spaces, turning otherwise unproductive land into agricultural hubs.

The need for pesticides is likewise reduced: Traditional farming often requires the use of pesticides and herbicides to protect crops from diseases and weeds. However, hydroponic systems operate in a controlled environment, reducing the need for chemical interventions, resulting in cleaner, healthier crops with a lower environmental impact. They also help eliminate soil-borne diseases and pests.

Enter Plug’n’Grow: Homegrown startup Plug’n’Grow offers hydroponic solutions and services to large agribusinesses and new growers. The startup is actively working to make hydroponic systems more accessible to local farmers by developing low-tech, low-cost solutions, particularly for farmers in desert and saltwater regions, co-founder Nouan El Said told Enterprise.

The road to spreading hydroponic solutions across Egypt: Plug’n’Grow works with international organizations to provide training programs focused on promoting hydroponic farming and improving water and fertilizer efficiency. These programs aim to educate farmers and young people on the economic and environmental benefits of hydroponics, El Said tells us.

Not an immediate solution, but a step forward: While Egypt's economy will continue to rely heavily on traditional agriculture, hydroponic systems, particularly in desert farming, offer a viable path towards more sustainable and profitable farming practices, El Said says. She added that while it may not be a complete solution to climate change, it effectively reduces water consumption and eliminates the need for pesticides.

It also offers a solution to unpredictable weather conditions: Commercial crops like leafy greens, tomatoes, strawberries, and potatoes — key income generators for Egypt — could benefit from hydroponic systems, which offer semi-controlled environments that are more resilient to unpredictable climate changes affecting traditional farming, she added.

Implementation doesn’t come without challenges: One of the primary obstacles in the face of implementing hydroponic systems is its high cost — the bill associated with setting up a hydroponic farm is hefty taking into account “renting the space, mortgage payments, the renovation of a building or space to accommodate the hydroponic structures, initial costs for materials, and costs of the labor and electricity to keep the farm up and running,” according to PSCI. However, the integration of renewable energy can help offset these costs, making hydroponic farming more financially viable in the long run.

Your top green economy stories for the week:

  • El Dawlia wants to issue carbon certificates: Local fertilizers manufacturer El Dawlia Fertilizers and Chemicals is planning to issue carbon certificates this year as part of its efforts toward sustainable development. (Al Borsa)
  • Mauritius mulls e-waste recycling project in Egypt: A group of Mauritian investors are exploring the possibility of constructing a large-scale electronic waste recycling facility in Egypt, with the facility to extract gold, platinum, silver, palladium, and copper from the electronic devices and convert plastic waste into fuel.
  • Saudi renewables player ACWA Power is considering investing USD 1.5 bn in a new project in Egypt, the company’s vice chairman, Raad Al Saady, said during a meeting with Investment Minister Hassan El Khatib. No further details were disclosed about what type of project was in the cards.
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