Israel’s water and agricultural technologies didn’t emerge from ideal conditions. They were developed under pressure: low rainfall, saline water, political isolation, lack of energy resources, and the constant need to feed a growing population with limited land. Over the years, I’ve written about many of these companies not as miracle-makers, but as problem-solvers. That’s what makes them relevant to places like Somaliland. Israel was the first country in the world to recognize Somaliland as an independent state although Ethiopia has been treating the nation as such for decades.

Below are 10 technologies, and the Israeli companies behind them, that could realistically support Somaliland’s long-term food, water, and energy resilience.

The first is drip irrigation, pioneered by Netafim, founded in the 1960s on Kibbutz Hatzerim after engineer Simcha Blass noticed that slow, targeted watering produced healthier plants. Netafim’s systems are now used worldwide to cut water use while increasing yields, especially in dry regions.

Closely related is low-pressure irrigation and fertigation, advanced by companies like NaanDanJain and Rivulis. These systems work well for smallholder farmers, allowing nutrients and water to be delivered together with minimal waste.

For water supply, desalination technology developed by IDE Technologies has transformed Israel’s water security. While IDE is best known for large plants, the company has also developed smaller-scale systems suitable for coastal communities, which could be relevant for Somaliland’s long shoreline.

In parallel, solar-powered water pumping systems—used widely in Israel’s peripheral regions—can replace diesel pumps. While not a single-company solution, Israeli integrators often combine solar technology from firms like SolarEdge with water systems to power wells, treatment units, and irrigation without fuel imports.

Another promising approach is wastewater reuse, an area where Israel leads globally. Municipal-scale treatment combined with agricultural reuse has been refined through decades of practice, with engineering firms and public utilities supporting reuse rates that reach nearly 90 percent. Scaled-down versions of these systems could help Somaliland’s towns reuse water safely rather than losing it entirely.

In agriculture, greenhouse and net-house farming has been advanced by Israeli companies such as Hishtil, which supplies seedlings and controlled-growing solutions designed for heat and water stress. These systems allow year-round production of vegetables with far less water than open-field farming.

Precision agriculture has also become more accessible through Israeli startups like CropX and Phytech, which use soil sensors and plant data to tell farmers exactly when to irrigate. Even basic versions of these tools can significantly reduce water waste.

On the seed side, Israeli breeders such as Hazera and Zeraim Gedera (now part of Syngenta) have developed heat- and drought-tolerant vegetable varieties suited for semi-arid climates. Crop genetics matter as much as irrigation in a warming world.

Food loss after harvest is another overlooked challenge. Israeli cold-chain innovations, including solar-powered cold rooms used across Africa, help reduce spoilage and increase farmer incomes. These systems don’t require a national grid and can be deployed at cooperative or village scale.

Finally, there is knowledge transfer, often the most underestimated technology of all. Israel’s international development agency MASHAV has trained tens of thousands of farmers and water managers worldwide through hands-on programs focused on dryland agriculture, water reuse, and cooperative farming. Technology adoption succeeds when training is local, practical, and gradual.

None of these tools promise instant prosperity. But together, they form a practical toolkit shaped by environments not unlike Somaliland’s own. In a region too often discussed only through politics or security, focusing on water, food, and energy systems offers a quieter, more durable path forward.

The post 10 Proven Israeli Technologies to Help Somaliland Build Food, Water, and Energy Security appeared first on Green Prophet.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a dominant force in the Middle East’s green-finance landscape, driven by strong government commitments, influential sovereign-wealth funds, and clear regulatory frameworks. The market continues to grow in sophistication and volume, reinforced by initiatives following COP28. The country first came on our radar in and around 2008 when it began developing Masdar City, which was to be a zero carbon city. It has become an innovation hub and poster for the country’s sovereign wealth that is investing in cleantech and innovation. As the UAE knows full well, the fossil fuel economy can’t grow innovation or a future once the world reaches peak oil, or peak tolerance for carbon emissions.

Market Leadership and Growth

How does the UAE lead in bond market resilience? The UAE remains a primary source of sustainable bond issuance in the Middle East. While regional issuance saw a slight dip in 2024 due to global economic factors, the market is expected to recover, with S&P Global Ratings projecting USD 18 to 23 billion in total regional sustainable-bond issuance for 2025.

Financial-institution dominance: Financial institutions drive a large portion of the sustainable-bond market in the UAE, while corporate issuances have been more volatile.

Green financing in the UAE focuses heavily on renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable real estate, and transportation.

The Catalytic Role of Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs)

Leading wealth funds: Abu Dhabi-based entities like Mubadala, ADQ, and Masdar are pivotal in driving the UAE’s green transition.

Masdar’s green bonds:

As a global clean-energy leader, Masdar uses its green bonds to finance greenfield projects in renewable energy, green hydrogen, and battery storage. In May 2025, Masdar’s third USD 1 billion green bond was oversubscribed by 6.6 times, attracting strong international and regional investor interest. The proceeds have been deployed globally, supporting solar, wind, and storage projects. Masdar releases 2024 Green Finance Report.

Masdar City never reached its projected population but it now houses thousands of students, residents, and businesses (e.g., Siemens, IRENA). It’s a functioning R&D and university hub, not abandoned.

The Alterra Fund:

Launched by the UAE at COP28 with a USD 30 billion commitment, Alterra aims to mobilise USD 250 billion by 2030 to finance the new climate economy. It includes a USD 5 billion arm focused on catalysing investment in underserved markets.

ADQ’s strategy:

ADQ embeds ESG principles across its portfolio and has a dedicated Sustainable Finance Framework to guide its investments toward creating a low-carbon economy.

Mubadala’s commitment:

Mubadala integrates sustainability across its investment lifecycle and has committed to achieving net-zero emissions across its global portfolio by 2050.

Regulatory Framework and Transparency

Financial regulators like the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), the Securities & Commodities Authority (SCA), Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) have established strong frameworks.

ADGM’s framework: In 2023, ADGM implemented a comprehensive sustainable-finance regulatory framework, including ESG disclosure requirements and regulatory designations for various green financial instruments.

Combating greenwashing: The ADGM framework and SCA regulations aim to mitigate greenwashing by requiring third-party verification, regular reporting and adherence to international standards like the ICMA Green Bond Principles. Because the UAE does not have a history or culture of free press, we cannot verify how those international standards will be monitored and supervised.

UAE Sustainable Finance Working Group: The SFWG, which includes federal regulators, is actively developing a nationwide taxonomy and pushing for enhanced sustainability disclosures. International third parties, without monetary stakes must be involved in supervision of policies and procedures.

Forced disappearances, the lack of worker rights, and lack of human rights questions how the UAE will be able to disclose, monitor and support green frameworks which include these standards at the core. Cross-dressing and homosexuality is illegal in the UAE.

Initiatives for a Sustainable Transition

The UAE continues to rollout frameworks such as the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 in support of its transition to a green economy.

Carbon market: In 2022, ADGM launched the world’s first regulated carbon-credit trading exchange, the AirCarbon Exchange (ACX).

Capacity building: Forums such as the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum and educational initiatives from ADGM are building awareness and expertise in sustainable finance.

Green Finance Mechanisms and Models in the UAE: A Strategic Blueprint for a Sustainable Economy

The UAE is rapidly cementing its position as a global leader in green finance, moving beyond its traditional role as an oil-dependent economy to become a hub for sustainable investment. A sophisticated mix of regulatory frameworks, strategic investments by sovereign wealth funds and innovative financial instruments is driving this transition. Backed by ambitious targets like the UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, the country has built a robust ecosystem for financing a green economy.

Sovereign Wealth Funds: The Primary Catalysts

At the heart of the UAE’s green finance strategy are its influential SWFs, which are transitioning from traditional capital allocators to strategic enablers of sustainable finance. Their long-term investment horizons make them ideal for funding large-scale, capital-intensive green projects.

The Alterra Fund, launched with a USD 30 billion seed at COP28, aims to mobilise USD 250 billion by 2030 for global climate action. It has a unique two-part structure, including a USD 5 billion arm dedicated to de-risking investments in the Global South.

Masdar, owned by ADNOC, TAQA and Mubadala, is a global catalyst for sustainable development. It has been instrumental in issuing green bonds and scaling clean-energy projects internationally.

Masdar is the the UAE’s flagship renewable energy company. Compare it to Neom in Saudi Arabia. Masdar has become one of the world’s most active clean energy investors, with projects in more than 40 countries across six continents. Established in 2006 and jointly owned by ADNOC, Mubadala, and TAQA, Masdar operates and develops solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects with a current portfolio exceeding 50 gigawatts of capacity. Masdar also buys companies, and bought a 50% stake in the US business Terra-Gen last year. While the sum was not disclosed, it’s estimated to be a deal worth $500 Mllion

The company’s ambition is to reach 100 GW of installed renewable capacity and produce one million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030. Its projects stretch from the deserts of Abu Dhabi to the steppes of Uzbekistan, where Masdar is developing multi-gigawatt wind farms, and to the Philippines, where it has signed a $15 billion deal for solar, wind, and battery storage projects.

In Europe, Masdar has expanded into Spain and Portugal through the acquisition of a large wind and solar portfolio, while in Africa and island nations like Seychelles it supports off-grid solar and microgrid systems. Domestically, its Shams 1 solar plant remains a regional landmark. Collectively, Masdar’s projects generate more than 26,000 GWh of clean power each year, offsetting around 14 million tonnes of carbon emissions, and symbolizing the UAE’s broader ambition to lead the global clean energy transition.

Innovative financial instruments for foreign investment

The UAE has adopted and adapted a variety of financial instruments to channel capital toward sustainable projects, leveraging both conventional and Islamic finance models.

Sustainable bonds and sukuk: Issuances of green and sustainability-linked bonds and sukuk are foundational to the UAE’s green-finance market. For example, corporate green sukuk were used to fund green commercial buildings. Private sector green sukuk in UAE to incentivise green commercial buildings.

Blended finance: UAE financial institutions, supported by the UAE Banks Federation’s pledge of AED 1 trillion toward green finance by 2030, are increasingly applying blended finance models to attract private capital for sustainable projects.

Carbon-credit trading: The ADGM-based AirCarbon Exchange turns emissions reductions into tradable financial assets, creating a new frontier of green-finance innovation.

Regulatory frameworks

Robust and proactive regulation from both financial free zones and federal bodies is essential for building investor trust and mitigating green-washing risks.

ADGM: A free-zone regulator that now offers regulatory “labels” for Green, Climate Transition and Sustainability-Linked funds and mandates ESG disclosures.

DIFC: The Dubai International Financial Centre runs its own Sustainable Finance Framework and recently launched a Sustainable Finance Catalyst, an AI-driven platform to boost sustainable-finance investment flows.

Federal coordination: The Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) is finalising a national green taxonomy and enhancing ESG-reporting standards.

While the UAE’s green-finance landscape is advanced, significant challenges remain. A unified national green taxonomy is still in development, regulatory differences persist between mainland and free-zone jurisdictions, and data transparency and capacity building remain work-in-progress. Nevertheless, major growth opportunities lie ahead, including:

• Increased focus on green infrastructure beyond renewable energy—such as water and waste management.
• Green fintech platforms and climate-technology innovation environments.
• Improved ESG data-quality and disclosure frameworks, enabling more informed investment decisions.
• Investing in the UAE gives investors close access to Asian markets.

With its religious tolerance policy and a current embrace of western culture, despite practicing Sharia law, UAE’s green-finance model is dynamic and forward-looking — built on a foundation of sovereign wealth, regulatory sophistication and market-driven innovation. This multi-pronged approach not only underpins its own national climate ambition, but positions the UAE as a critical engine for mobilising global climate-finance flows into the sustainable economy of the next decade. It is certainly leading the green financing market by far in the Middle East, in practice and action.

Zakat, taxes and cultural surprises in the UAE

Beyond finance-instruments and regulation, investors and companies operating in the UAE should be aware of several cultural, religious and tax-related “surprises.”

Zakat is a Muslim duty: Though the UAE does not officially mandate zakat under federal law, many Muslim-owned businesses voluntarily observe it as a religious obligation. Typical calculation is about 2.5 % of eligible wealth (cash, inventory, receivables) after deducting liabilities. And of course, there are regulations, lawayers and advisers in this space: see Zakat advisory & compliance services in the UAE.

If you want to live in the UAE and raise a family there, it’s not easy to become a citizen: Non-Muslims can become citizens of the United Arab Emirates, but the process is highly selective and tightly controlled. Traditionally, UAE citizenship was reserved almost entirely for Emiratis by birth. However, since 2021, the UAE has introduced special pathways for foreigners with exceptional contributions to the country. Citizenship if granted, is mostly symbolic. They don’t have an open-immigration process for the millions of laborers who come there from Pakistan or India. Unlike, Canada.

Also, learn about why Muslims don’t drink alcohol. And how to behave as a foreigner in Dubai.

Taxes: While the UAE is known for having no personal income tax, and a certain kind of tax freedom, it does levy other taxes and fees:

• Value-Added Tax (VAT) at a standard rate of 5% on most goods and services. Official UAE taxation portal.
• Corporate Tax (CT): As of 1 June 2023 for qualifying businesses, a standard rate of 9% on taxable income exceeding AED 375 000. KPMG corporate tax overview.
• Additional levies: Municipal taxes on rental contracts, hotel services, and selective “excise” taxes on certain goods (e.g., energy drinks, tobacco). See: TAXATION OF INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVES – UAE guide.

Cultural surprises:

• Business relations in the UAE are still heavily influenced by personal trust, relationship-building, and local customs. Respect for Islamic tradition, Friday prayer schedules and Ramadan timing remain very important important if you are doing business there. Things which are normal at home, may not be acceptable in the UAE, like having cannabis in your blood or using CBD oil. If you come on an official visit, invited by a person of power of influence you should be fine.
• Operational licence regimes differ across emirates and free-zones: rules can vary between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other emirates so on-the-ground due diligence is critical.
• The regulatory framework for green finance is young and evolving — local interpretation of “green” or “sustainable” may still diverge from global norms, so verification and local partner-insight matter.

Further reading on Green Prophet:

1. Arab Energy Fund commits $1 billion to energy transition and decarbonization
2. World Green Economy Summit 2025: Sandeep Chandna’s mission to make sustainability core to business strategy
3. The history and promise of geological hydrogen for fuel
4. $100 million USD fund unites Arab Gulf and Israel (cleantech investments)
5. Abu Dhabi’s Masdar buys 50% stake in American renewables Terra-Gen
6. The Future of Energy: Nuclear Realism vs. Solar Idealism
7. The wind farms of the Middle East

The post UAE Green Finance Report 2025 appeared first on Green Prophet.

Here’s a caffeine-free coffee alternative that you can make yourself, from a surprising and inexpensive source: date seeds. Its color is blonder than traditional coffee, but it’s a rich brew with the coffee flavor you seek. And no caffeine crash or caffeine jitters attached. (While you’re enjoying your cuppa, read our review of Nawal Nasrallah’s fascinating  Dates, A Global History.)

So what’s date seed coffee taste like?

Roasted, ground date seeds yield satisfying coffee flavor without the bitterness that demands sweetener and milk to compensate. Many find nutty, chocolate notes in their date seed brew.

Of course, if you like milk in your hot drink, stir in some conventional or plant-based milk. And while you’re sipping your comforting cuppa, you can reflect you’ve made a delicious zero-waste product.

Keep in mind that large dates like Medjool have bigger seeds, so you’ll need only about 16 – approximately 1 cup – to yield two cups of drink. Using smaller seeds, count on 25-30 seeds – 1 cup altogether – to yield two brewed cups.

No need to worry about accumulating enough seeds to make roasting worthwhile. When you’re done eating the dates, scrub the seeds in a bowl of water with your hands to remove all clinging bits of fruit. Then roll them in a kitchen towel to dry. Freeze them, adding more over time until you have enough.

If you’re looking for ways to use up those dates and get at their seeds, here’s an easy, unusual, and delicious recipe: dates baked with goat cheese.

The post Brew A Cup of Delicious Date Seed Coffee appeared first on Green Prophet.

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Moving to Mars? He’s a new fungus-based sunscreen to protect you from gamma radiation

Planning on traveling aboard SpaceX on a trip to Mars? An American lab just found a new potential sunscreen that creates protective melanin, a low-cost alternative to squid ink. It can be grown on space labs and used on Mars.

Here is the story!

Several years ago, Erin Carr’s doctoral adviser Steven Harris handed her bags of soil collected from the soil crust of a cold British Columbian desert. She went to work on it, suspending it in liquid, plating it onto a growth medium and treating it with antibiotics and antifungals. Then, she replated the tiny black dots that emerged.

Those dots turned out to be a novel fungus — Exophiala viscosa, though Carr dubbed it Goopy — that may just be a resource for large-scale, cost-effective production of melanin, with applications in ultraviolet-protective products and advanced materials for aerospace and other industries.

Related: Mars found a way to store carbon, can we?

Melanin is a natural pigment that determines the color of human skin, hair and eyes. Humans produce it with specialized cells called melanocytes and its concentration directly impacts skin tone, with more melanin resulting in darker skin. Melanin also plays a crucial role in a number of human health concerns: It protects the skin from harmful UV radiation, helping prevent skin cancer and other cancers and reducing inflammation associated with diseases such as diabetes and fatty liver disease.

Acquiring large quantities of melanin is problematic. Its primary source is squid ink, which requires a squid’s death to obtain small amounts, at a cost of about $300 per gram, said Carr, a postdoctoral research associate at Rajib Saha’s Systems and Synthetic Biology Lab in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Related: she’s growing food on Mars 

Certain fungi in cold deserts also naturally produce melanin, incorporating it into cell walls and releasing it under certain conditions. That is where Goopy comes in, said Rajib Saha, Richard L. and Carol S. McNeel Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the principal investigator on a three-year, $1,032,070 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the fungi’s potential in melanin production.

The difference between E. viscosa’s production of melanin and other fungi’s is that it “not only produces melanin and not only stores melanin in the membrane, it transports it out,” Saha said.

It is an unusual behavior that could make E. viscosa useful in large-scale melanin production.

Other fungi produce and store melanin but do not excrete it.

One hypothesis is that E. viscosa is partnering with photosynthetic organisms also found in that cold desert crust environment, such as algae and cyanobacteria, and within that relationship, melanin is being exchanged for essential nutrients, Carr said.

Because melanin may be an essential biomolecule for the survival of E. viscosa, its production of the substance may function more as a primary metabolite rather than a secondary, non-essential metabolite, she added.

Saha said the research aims to investigate this symbiosis to uncover the triggers regulating melanin production.

Carr is growing the fungus in a triculture that includes algae and cyanobacteria. Saha and his grad students will run computer metabolic modeling to help optimize and manipulate melanin pathways in the fungus and identify transcription factors used to regulate melanin production.

“We want to figure out how to optimize and increase the melanin secreted out of the cell so that we can use that melanin to do a wide variety of beneficial things for humanity,” Carr said.

That could mean adding it to sunscreen or textiles for UV radiation protection. It could be useful for space travel since melanin has been known to protect against gamma radiation. Melanin also might be useful in bioremediation of so-called “forever chemicals” and toxic metals that linger in the environment.

The post Space travel sunscreen found in new fungus experiment appeared first on Green Prophet.

Once you’ve got a jar of verdurette in the fridge, you’ll never buy vegetable broth again .

Verdurette is a home-made seasoning mix originating in France: an umami-rich mix of vegetables and herbs  ground together and preserved in salt. The salt, which is 20% of the blend, is a preservative. A similar preserved food is our Middle-Eastern salt-preserved lemons.

A teaspoon or two of verdurette adds great flavor and character to soups, grains, sauces, even scrambled eggs. It’s always there in the fridge and lasts a year, unless you use it up sooner.

The late Leda Meredith confessed that she’d become lazy about making vegetable stock, because it’s so easy to stir a couple of teaspoons of the mix into hot water, simmer it 10 minutes, and voilà, broth. Or at least, a flavor base to go on from.

I often think of Leda when I dip a spoon into the verdurette jar, remembering her soft New York-accented voice and the flair she brought to all things culinary. I’m grateful to her memory for many life-enhancing things, and among them, this verdurette.

It’s easy to make this natural broth base yourself. Most or all of the ingredients are probably already lurking in your fridge and pantry. A food processor is the kitchen tool I recommend for making it; otherwise, be prepared to do some very fine chopping. I myself just feed everything into the food processor and let it whizz.

Verdurette consists of 5 parts:

1 part finely chopped alliums: onions, leeks, chives, shallots, garlic
1 part finely chopped root vegetables: carrots, celery root (celeriac), sweet potatoes – but not white potatoes, which discolor and go unpleasantly mushy, or turnips.
1 part finely chopped leafy greens: kale, spinach, nettles, cress, celery, lettuce, beet greens, etc.
1 part finely chopped aromatic herbs: parsley, thyme, oregano, sage, basil, etc.
1 part kosher or sea salt (non iodized)

Caution: go easy with strongly flavored ingredients like garlic, sage, cilantro and rosemary. Too much of any one may dominate the whole mix. Mild aromatic herbs such as thyme, marjoram, parsley and chives can be used freely.

Nothing from the cabbage family, including broccoli and cauliflower, should go into verdurette.

You may combine several kinds of the vegetable or herb in each category. For example, in the alliums part, use several of the ingredients listed above, or use just one: for example, only onions. If you’re like me, you’ll use whatever’s at hand in the kitchen. I like a complex mix, myself.

As long as you stick to the ratio of 1 part salt to 4 parts finely chopped vegetables and herbs, the verdurette will be fine.

How to Make Verdurette

You can make as little as a half cup of verdurette, using tablespoons to measure, and up to a gallon if you need to. But to make a reasonable first-time amount for ordinary cooking, go for 1-1/4 cup of verdurette. A digital scale helps, but cup measurements work too. The main thing is to keep the balance of 80% vegetables to 20% salt.

Finely chop or process each part before measuring. This might mean there will be surplus veg to use up some other way.

Measure 1/4 cup (40 grams)  of each pre-processed or chopped vegetable part. Note: Leafy greens should be packed in well when using cups. Altogether, there will be 1 cup mixed vegetables and herbs.

Add 1/4 cup (40 grams) non-iodized salt. 

Stir everything up thoroughly. Pour the slightly fluid mass into a clean glass jar.

Cover the jar and store it in the fridge. Now you have vegetable bouillon at hand whenever you need it.

You can start using your fresh batch right away. But you’ll notice that verdurette’s flavor becomes more complex as it continues to mature in the fridge.

You may also preserve one ingredient only, if you wish. Leda Meredith used to preserve a favorite wild edible, daylily flowers, this way.

How To Use Verdurette

When cooking with verdurette, leave out any other salt called for in the recipe.

* Add 2 teaspoons verdurette to a quart of water for a simple vegetable broth.
* Mix a little verdurette into marinade ingredients, for extra umami. Omit other salt in the marinade.
* Sauté verdurette in a little oil before adding the main ingredients for rice, soup, sauce, a braise, or stew. It goes wonderfully in a tomato-based pasta sauce. And in mushroom soup.  You get the idea.
* It’s fine to add more during the cooking, but a little at a time – verdurette is salty! Keep tasting, and stop adding verdurette when the flavor is right.
* Verdurette may be cautiously added to salad dressings, but let the mixed dressing sit 10 minutes for the vegetables to release their flavors and soften.

Top photo of green verdurette via  the garturstichfarm blog

The post Make Verdurette, Natural Vegetable Bouillon appeared first on Green Prophet.

Image by Raygar He via Unsplash

Summer in the northern hemisphere, and this thalassophile is here for it—quite literally, as my location is coastal.

Heading seaside during the off-season has its own kind of charm, but there’s nothing quite like a quintessential, sun-soaked summer beach day—the kind that leaves you exhausted from the heat and exasperated with the sand but rejuvenates your soul for the days ahead.

Salt and sand in your hair, but you don’t care? Aggravating for your scalp, but otherwise not a big deal. Don’t care about prepping your beachcapades with earth-approved products? Houston—or in this case, Miami, Nice, Seychelles, etc.—we have a problem.

To refresh my beach bag this year, I curated a shortlist of eco-conscious companies that don’t skimp on style. By implementing green practices, they inspire consumers—and each other—to do better for themselves and the planet.

Embrace a sustainable summer by putting these brands on your vacay radar:

Skincare:

Earth Harbor

Founded by a professional herbalist and toxicologist, Earth Harbor is committed to using bio-based ingredients boosted by minerals and other nutrients in their bath and body goods, and recyclable and biodegradable materials in their packaging. Ocean inspiration flows through product names: “mermaid milk” moisturizer, “mystic waters” mist, “nymph nectar” facial balm, “sea kiss” lip balm, and many more.

Through Thrive Market, I’ve tried and loved some of these products at a discounted price, and once scored the “beach waves” hair texturizer as a gift with purchase. Visit the website!

Urban Hydration

The clean skincare products by Urban Hydration are widely accessible in the U.S., stocking shelves at more than 30,000 retail locations across the country, from pharmacies such as CVS to beauty-focused outlets such as Ulta. Many of their cleansers, moisturizers, creams and oils incorporate fruit extracts and other plant-based, natural ingredients, giving skin a taste of the tropics.

Try the algae line to “sea the glow” and target blemishes, or the aloe vera collection to soothe the beatings of the sun. Visit the website!

Swimwear:

Vitamin A Swim

As the first swimwear company to use recycled fibers, Vitamin A holds sustainability at its core. Expanding from nylon and polyester, their newest all-recycled material combines 80% ghost fishing nets with 20% spandex. Besides swimsuits, the brand offers a wide variety of other beachwear, such as sarongs, caftans, and loose-fitting trousers.

Collections heavily utilize organic and recycled cotton, high-quality flax linen, and TENCEL™, made from sustainably sourced wood fibers processed in a nontoxic organic solvent. Visit the website!

Rhyle Swim

These bathing suits are responsibly made in Brazil and live up to sexy bikini expectations. Designs are boldly cheeky yet subtly unique, with small cutout features and a range of textures. The details are thoughtful but not over the top, fashioning a girl-next-door vibe. Pieces are luxuriously soft, with a growing focus on using recycled fibers and minimizing textile waste.

And they are delivered in a reusable laundry bag, extending their longevity. Visit the website!

Footwear:

Teva

Going strong after more than 40 years in business, Teva has become a household name in functional footwear. Founded by a Grand Canyon river guide, the company pioneered the modern sport sandal. Specializing in strappy architecture constructed with 100% recycled polyester, “Teva’s,” as the kids call them, provide secure grip, in and out of the water. Water conservation drives minimal packaging goals. Visit the website!

Fleks Footwear

Founded in 2024, Fleks Footwear boldly burst onto the market with a future-focused agenda, offering a curated collection of popular styles in ultra-comfortable, ultra-sustainable form. Slides (platform optional), flip-flops, double-strap sandals, and clogs are proudly made with 85% high-performance foam waste.

The remainder of materials are either salvaged or recycled, and no solvents are necessary. I picked up the East Beach Slide in Coconut Milk and, because I couldn’t resist another pair, which I mainly wear as house slippers, the San Ysidro Slide in Morning Coffee, featuring a fluffy shearling strap. Visit the website!

And there you have it: A handful of brands to help you look and feel your best as you head out to shore.

Add a sunhat—preferably made from raffia, wheat straw, or seagrass—and a pair of upcycled shades, and you’re golden! Just like the sun intended.

The post Head-to-toe sustainable beach style appeared first on Green Prophet.

With food prices rising, many of us are thinking of ways to save money and still eat well. Try some of these lesser-known ways.

Go shopping in your pantry. Sometimes we’re so used to seeing something that we don’t even see it anymore. What’s with that pasta, that can of tuna, that jar of olives lurking in the pantry? Plug those ingredients into a recipe developer tool. There are many online. You’ll find recipes like pasta al tonno, which is served hot. With a drizzle of olive oil or mayonnaise, the same ingredients could make a cool summer pasta salad.

Respect your leftovers. It’s tried but true advice. Shred leftover chicken, meat, hardboiled eggs, or fish to use as filling for a sandwich. Stash leftover salad in the fridge right away and pick on it soon, before it gets too sad. Leftovers are simply food.

Check your local grocery store’s website for flash sales or overstock discounts. These opportunities aren’t always announced on the app or flyer.

Take time to compare unit prices (price per ounce, liter, etc.) between brands or sizes. Is that extra-size pack of toilet paper really cheaper, or does it cost the same as buying two? For online shopping, a quick glance at the unit prices under the ads answers that. In supermarkets, the unit price is often seen on a red tag next to the retail price.

Will you waste it in the end? If your purchase of, say, broccoli is too great for your immediate needs, cook it all but freeze the excess rather than letting it sit in the fridge waiting to get cooked sometime.

If your market offers unattractive produce at a reduced rate, snap it up. Take it home, pare away anything unsightly, and cook it. Our recipe for lettuce soup was born of a wilted lettuce whose heart was still sound. I recently made excellent apricot jam from a basket of soft, but unspoiled apricots that was going cheap.

Markets often lower prices on perishables just before restocking. Ask when your local place does this; often it’s on Tuesday or Wednesday evening.

Look in on ethnic stores. If you’re lucky enough to shop where an local ethnic population goes, you might find better prices on grains, canned goods, and kitchenware.

There may not be a co-op shop nearby, but you can still buy in bulk. Keep an eye on stores, markets, and even individual manufacturers that advertise foods sold in bulk for a good price. Some shops are happy to discount a product sold in quantity if you approach them first. Be bold: ask them.

Maybe you’re on your own, or too few in the house to make a bulk purchase seem worthwhile. Think again. Get together with friends or with work colleagues and split the purchase. That way you get only as much as you need, instead of having too much product around for too long.

Make your own co-op?

An informal co-op takes a little organization. Every participant states how much they want to take home from the purchase; this is written down and shared to prevent misunderstandings later on. Then, someone must receive or pick up the goods and weigh them out. A scale or other way of measuring is needed. Then, everyone brings their own container to take their part away. The manager of the purchase shouldn’t have to deal with getting containers.

As for payment, it’s best that everyone pay their part upfront, but an equitable agreement should be worked out among trustworthy people.

I did this kind of group purchase when a local olive oil press offered a bulk discount. A jerry can containing 20 liters (5.28 gallons) came to the door. I had a scale for measuring, but a clean pitcher with the quantities marked off would have done as well. With a cheap hand siphon to draw the olive oil out, it all went quickly and everyone was happy.

I’ve also bought flour in bulk through a similar informal co-op. Luckily the flour mill delivered it in neat kilo-sized packages; I’m not sure I would have tackled measuring and packing flour in my own kitchen.

You can also split a case of wine or beer from the liquor store with friends, if the manager allows a bulk discount. Booze bought from the brewery is still cheaper, of course.

Avoid Over-Shopping and Waste

Skip recipes that call for one-time-use ingredients. If a recipe calls for an expensive special ingredient, consider if you’ll likely use it again. No point keeping a jar or can of a specialty item around once it’s been opened, unless you’re sure you’ll repeat the dish or use the item in some other recipe. Ask me: I once kept a jar of capers languishing in the fridge until they gave up.

Don’t linger in the center of the shop, where the packaged goods aisles are. There’s where looms the temptation to do some impulse buying. First head for the fresh produce sections, which are deliberately placed at the edges and at the end of the shop, so you have to walk through the more expensive packaged goods first. If your list includes something from the packaged food aisles, pick up what you need and ignore what’s beckoning to you from the other shelves.

Be wise with sales. If the price is down because the product’s expiry date is coming up, consider if you’ll be using it soon. However, you might buy it anyway and freeze it for later.

Do you really need that? An item might look tempting, but if you don’t really need the product, walk on by. Even if it’s on sale. Disregard the junk so temptingly set out by the check point. Just unfocus your eyes.

Forget pre-shredded salads, packaged soups, industrially produced condiments and other convenience foods. Buy fresh ingredients and make these foods yourself. Yes, it takes time. No, it’s not as convenient. But nothing beats DIY for freshness, flavor, and money saved.

Even coffee is cheapest and most delicious brewed at home. It’s faster to percolate your own, then pour it into a thermos for drinking on the go, than to stand in line at the local coffee chain and wait for them to call your name. Not to mention: cheaper.

Following that thought, consider setting time aside for meal prep and condiments. Instead of scrolling through social media, make soup. Bake muffins. Cook up tomato sauce; it takes 20 minutes to put hot pasta on the table if you have tomato sauce at hand. Whizz up some pesto.

Freeze surplus in single- or double-serving portions. It’s easy to thaw them out in the microwave or on the stovetop. You’ll thank yourself later.

Lastly: cook what you buy, and eat what you cook.

The post Lesser Known Ways To Economize On Groceries appeared first on Green Prophet.

If you think of the Middle East, sand, not soil comes to mind. But the complex ecosystem which includes Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Iran and the United Arab Emirates has a rich soil tradition, the Levant especially as it is once considered the bread basket of the planet, and it’s where emmer wheat was first cultivated.

Now the United Arab Emirates has declared they will build a soil museum of the Middle East. Like seed banks, dispersed in underground vaults and fridges throughout the world, a soil bank can help us know more about the complex and rich ecosystems of the east.

Designed to promote soil conservation and responsible resource management in arid environments, the guide will serve as a blueprint for institutions across the region. Backed by ADFD funding, the guide will be transformed into a practical training and capacity-building programme featuring technical workshops and scientific mentoring. ICBA will lead the technical delivery, drawing on its expertise in sustainable agriculture and its success in launching and operating the Emirates Soil Museum.

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) will fund and develop the Middle East and North Africa’s first comprehensive guide for establishing and operating soil museums.

Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD, said: “This initiative reflects our unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and knowledge partnerships. We believe science-backed solutions like this museum guide can shape regional resilience and inform effective policies for generations to come.”

The agreement also outlines the organization of an international scientific symposium on 5 December 2025 to coincide with World Soil Day, with the participation of over 200 experts, researchers, and decision-makers from around the world to discuss soil, salinity, and climate change issues in arid regions.

Established in December 2016 with support from ADFD, Emirates Soil Museum is the first specialized soil museum in the region. Located at ICBA’s headquarters in Dubai, the museum aims to raise awareness about the role of soil in the environment, agriculture, and food security, while showcasing the diversity of soil types in the UAE.

Since its launch, the museum has welcomed more than 13,500 visitors from various sectors of society and has become a reference center for environmental awareness and non-traditional education. Time for a wider understanding of soil and how it sustains life.

::Emirates Soil Museum

The post A museum for Middle East soil appeared first on Green Prophet.

It had been hundreds of years since a non-motorized vessel had traveled such a distance, guided only by the stars. Last weekend, a historic 18-day double-hulled canoe voyage was completed from the archipelago of Palau to Orchid Island, a remote feature in southeastern Taiwan.

The GPS-free team of eleven was led by Sesario Sewralur, who inherited the love of sailing from his father, legendary navigator Mau Piailug. The journey was co-sponsored by the Taitung County Government and the Micronesian Voyaging Society, as a cross-cultural exchange to honor shared regional conservation values and seafaring techniques.

Image retrieved from Taipei Times.

In Palau, living in harmony with the environment is at society’s core. The customary practice of bul empowers the Council of Chiefs, Palau’s highest-ranking group of traditional leaders, to place and maintain moratoriums on the harvest of natural resources to prevent overconsumption. Local fishing is generally prohibited based on these measures.

The island nation established the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009. In 2015, it designated 80 percent of its waters as a national marine sanctuary. Earth Day is expanded to the entire month of April.

While Palau is known for its lush land and seascapes, impressive biodiversity lies in particular within marine ecosystems. A paradise for snorkelers and divers, Palau is home to some of the Indo-Pacific’s most thriving reefs, which constitute one of the “seven underwater wonders of the world.” Now say that five times fast.

Image retrieved from Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Palau is a prime tropical destination—but it’s just about in the middle of nowhere. Widespread sustainability efforts aim to offset the carbon footprint intensified by tourism. Many eco-tourism experiences involve nature excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences drawing on traditional knowledge and practices in such realms as culinary arts or handicrafts.

For visitors to Palau looking to gamify their stay in-country, Ol’au Palau is an app rewarding environmental stewardship with special access to local heritage sites. Though the transaction happens on a screen, it promotes on-site engagement for fuller meaning-making.

As of 2017, Palau also requires visitors to sign the Palau Pledge, a code of conduct stamped into their passports at international arrivals. Entry into the country hinges on signing on the line, promising to the Children of Palau to exercise awareness and shared responsibility for Palau’s ecological and cultural preservation.

Image retrieved from Palau Pledge website.

The Palau Pledge goes like this:

“Children of Palau, I take this pledge, as your guest,

To preserve and protect your beautiful and unique island home.

I vow to treat lightly, act kindly and explore mindfully.

I shall not take what is not given.

I shall not harm what does not harm me.

The only footprints I shall leave are those that will wash away.”

According to Palauan legend, a two-headed eel grew with one head on either side of a rock, each unaware of the other. The snakes starved as they pulled each other to go after prey, before realizing they were linked. Only then did they put their heads together, working together to thrive.

We are already aware we are linked. Palau may be one of the most isolated countries on earth, but we are all connected by the waters which lap at its shores.

The Palau Pledge is a refreshingly humanitarian immigration policy, inspiring us to respect and protect our surroundings both near and far. Should other countries follow Palau’s lead?

The post Palau: The place, the pledge, the legends appeared first on Green Prophet.