Being oil-poor may be more of a blessing than a curse for both Israel and Jordan. A joint Israeli-Jordanian project-based on the production of biofuel from agricultural waste-will take center stage at Israel’s Water Technologies and Environmental Control Exhibition, WATEC this November.
Biofuels received a great deal of negative publicity last year after they were blamed for sparking the global food crisis.
This is in part due to the fact that farmers world-wide began growing crops solely dedicated for the production of bio-fuel, rather than food. This massive conversion of farm land – which left millions hungry and forced global food prices up by 75% -forced many governmental to rethink biofuel production.
What makes this particular project, run in cooperation with the Peres Center for Peace, so unique is that it not only produces alternative energy without harming food production, but it will also provide another answer for the removal and treatment of agricultural waste. According to the proposed project, 8 million liters of biofuel will be created naturally from over 15,000 tons of dry organic waste. In addition, the facility will exclusively run on its own independently produced energy, without emitting any pollutants whatsoever.
This project may very well demonstrate that biofuels-along with regional cooperation- are making a serious comeback. Israel and Jordan, with the help of German technology, are joining forces in the effort to find permanent, clean, and green alternative energy resources. Biofuels remain a rich subject for research as we’ve written about here on Green Prophet. Waste from diverse crops, including wheat and fruit trees, can be used to produce biofuels.
Author: Liat Racin
Liat Racin is passionate about initiating a ‘slow’ and organic food network, targeting both the Jewish and Muslim communities. Her aim is to help bridge the gap between these two communities via food; linking sustainable food production/distribution systems and religious dietary laws. She earned her B.A. in International Relations from the American University in Washington D.C., and her M.A. in International Development from the War Studies Department at King’s College, London. She is currently a PhD candidate at King’s College, where she researches the social factors impacting urban gardening and seed biodiversity. Liat has worked for several socio-ecological non-profit organizations including the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Environmental Change and Security Program, and the World Resources Institute. She has also volunteered for Israel’s Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and Friends of the Earth-Middle East. Liat can be reached at Liat (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
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