By: Daniel Pedersen

Daniel Pedersen — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:21:15 +0000

Oranges are a very water-intensive crop, and by exporting oranges we are basically transferring our meager, subsidized water resources to water rich (but orange poor) countries. So although the trees capture carbon, they also require a big investment in water. The use of reclaimed water is better than drinking water, but is still a resource that needs to be managed properly.
Israel will always need to import food, since there is not enough water available to grow all the produce we need. We should focus on drought tolerant crops which use less water – at least we don’t grow rice!
Countries with limited water resources (like Israel) should reconsider subsidies of water for agriculture and decide whether this is the optimal use. Although the first task is to eliminate the waste in the system – it’s been reported that 10% of the water flowing through the distribution network is lost to leaks.

Comments on: Do Jaffa Oranges With Carbon Label Make Them Green Oranges from the Garden of Eden?

By: Daniel Pedersen