We know about Chernobyl and Las Alamos: the lasting effects of radiation on the Saharan Tuareg in the desert

Between 1960 and 1966, seventeen nuclear detonations took place deep in Algeria’s Sahara Desert — first at Reggane and later in the Hoggar Mountains near In Ekker. Conducted under French supervision during the Cold War, these experiments were designed to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Their physical and political fallout is still with us.

The nuclear testing was not done in a vacuum and like at Las Alamos in New Mexico it affected the people nearby. In Algeria that was the Tuareg people. Others affected with the Berber-speaking nomadic group of the Sahara, whose territory spans large parts of southern Algeria; The Kel Ahaggar community which is a specific Tuareg confederation located in the Hoggar Mountains region off Algeria, and other local residents.

While less clearly documented in accessible sources, sites of the nuclear testing such as In Ekker and the surrounding desert zone indicate that French military, local manual workers, nomadic pastoralists, and their settlement communities were exposed.

A peer-reviewed study in Applied Radiation and Isotopes found measurable levels of plutonium and other radionuclides remaining at former test sites decades after the final detonation. A broader review of global weapons tests published in Environmental Sciences Europe confirms that radioactive contamination from Sahara tests persists in soils and fractured rock and can be re-mobilized by desert winds. If England gets locusts blown to its shores from Egypt, imagine how far radioactive dust can travel.

Algeria declared independence from France in 1962, but the Évian Accords that ended open conflict also granted France continued access to certain military and research sites in the Sahara for up to five years after independence. These terms were negotiated between the French state and Algeria’s provisional government (the FLN leadership at the time). This means the testing program after 1962 did not happen in a legal vacuum: it was authorized in writing by the Algerian Government, and it served strategic interests on both sides at the time. There was a power imbalance, giving the Algerians not much choice.

For France, the Sahara was a proving ground for weapons credibility as the Americans did in the deserts around the Los Alamos nuclear testing facility, established in 1943 as Project Y, a top-secret site for designing nuclear weapons under the Manhattan Project during World War II.  For Algeria’s new leadership, the agreement helped secure full political recognition, state continuity, and material support at a fragile moment of transition to their autonomy. The cost of that compromise was largely borne by remote southern communities, as is the case in many of today’s superpowers.

Some of the underground nuclear shots tested at In Ekker were supposed to be fully contained. In reality, not all of them were. One detonation, known as the Béryl Incident (1 May 1962), vented radioactive dust and hot debris into the open air when the test tunnel’s seal failed. French military personnel, engineers, and nearby residents were all exposed –– some highly contaminated. Decades later, radiation dose reconstructions and site surveys continue to document contamination in the blast zones and surrounding scrap fields.

People living downwind describe long-term health problems, loss of grazing land, restrictions around traditional water sources, and the normalization of sickness with no official acknowledgment. The same which happend in Love Canada, USA, a site I visited in the 90s. This happens in Turkey today where the government fails to recognize cancer clusters in industrialized zones outside the city. One scientist we interviewed was threatened to be put in jail if he continued his scientific research on the issue.

French veterans of the Sahara tests have in some cases received recognition and partial compensation under later French law, while Algerian civilians have struggled to access comparable review or support. Algeria, like most countries in North Africa and the Middle East are about 30 to 40 years behind on environmental issues and research. It’s not so easy to point a finger and find a villain. Algeria, 65 years on does not have a great environmental record.

Algeria faces a complex mix of environmental and pollution challenges that extend from its Mediterranean coast to its Saharan interior. The most pressing issue is air pollution in major cities such as Algiers, Oran, and Constantine, where outdated vehicles, industrial emissions, and open waste burning raise fine particulate (PM2.5) levels to more than three times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit.

Water contamination is another critical concern. Much of Algeria’s wastewater is released untreated into rivers and the sea, carrying agricultural runoff, heavy metals, and plastic debris. Coastal zones near industrial centers like Skikda and Annaba are among the most polluted in the southern Mediterranean, threatening fisheries and tourism. Groundwater in rural regions also suffers from nitrate and pesticide infiltration.

Inland, desertification and soil erosion are advancing due to overgrazing, deforestation, and a warming climate. The country loses thousands of hectares of forest annually to drought and wildfires, despite new reforestation and water-retention projects.

Finally, oil and gas extraction along with urban waste management gaps add to Algeria’s pollution load. While national plans now emphasize renewable energy, afforestation, and stricter environmental monitoring, progress remains uneven. The challenge is balancing economic growth with sustainable resource stewardship. With an estimated 2,400 billion cubic metres of proven conventional natural gas reserves, Algeria ranks 10th globally and first in Africa. It also has the third largest untapped unconventional gas resources in the world.

Algeria has 12.2 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, ranking it 15th in the world and third in Africa. Currently, all oil and gas reserves are located on land and it is a major contributor to oil pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. Algeria is exploring new possibilities for oil and gas extraction, including offshore and shale gas opportunities.

The legacy of Sahara nuclear testing is often framed as a simple one-direction story, but the reality is more entangled. France designed, managed, and detonated the devices. Oversight after 1966 has involved both governments and, at times, international agencies. What has not happened at scale is transparent, long-term medical screening for affected communities and a full clean-up of contaminated waste that was left in place.

But putting it in scale, Algeria has a lot of environmental accounting to do. Just blaming France or “colonial” powers is short-sighted and distracting, absolving locals from trying to better on its own locally-made problems due to extremely high levels of corruption. At Green Prophet we zoom out and try to show you the wider story to issues that affect every human on this planet.

Want to learn more about the environment in Algeria? Start here:

This stunning ancient citadel in the Sahara Desert has a mysterious past

How Islamic-era agriculture points way to sustainable farming methods

Algerian Judoka expected to defeat an Israeli player before match

Algeria’s Controversial Love Lock Bridge Rebrands Suicide

Aerodynamic ARPT Headquarters Diverts Algiers’ Hot Desert Winds Naturally

Oil fracking protestors in Algeria rise up against their regime, Total and Shell

Algeria to Invest $20 billion USD in renewable energy

Top wildlife destinations in North Africa (includes Algeria)

Climate Change Contributing to Mali-Algeria Conflict

Algeria Archives – all articles on Algeria

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The Rock Round Palace, a unique feature of Ksar Drâa in Algeria, is not only an architectural marvel but also a symbol of the diverse communities that once lived in this desert oasis. Built from locally sourced materials like adobe and stone, the palace reflects the traditional vernacular architecture of the region, blending harmoniously with the harsh Saharan landscape.

For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the ksar, including the Rock Round Palace, was home to a significant Jewish community.

Jews, alongside Berber and Arab families, lived in this fortified village, contributing to local trade and crafts. The Jewish presence in the ksar was an important part of the region’s cultural and social life.

However, after Algeria’s independence from France in 1962, the situation for Jews in the country changed dramatically. The new government, led by the FLN (National Liberation Front), sought to build a unified national identity, often at the expense of minority groups, including Jews.

The Jewish community, seen as linked to the French colonial period, became targets of violence and hostility. Attacks on Jewish homes and businesses, threats, and the desecration of synagogues and cemeteries forced many to flee to other countries.

This violent shift in the social and political landscape pushed many Jews to emigrate.

A significant number of Algerian Jews moved to France, where there was already a large Algerian Jewish community, while others moved to Israel, joining the broader migration of North African Jews who faced persecution in their homes.

The persecution, combined with the fear of further violence, led to the gradual abandonment of Ksar Drâa and other similar ksars.

Today, the Rock Round Palace stands as a historical site, a reminder of the diverse cultural heritage that once thrived in the region. Videos circulating on Youtube suggest that anyone off the street can wander inside and around the citadel suggesting it’s not being protected well for future generations.

The remnants of Jewish life, visible in old houses and synagogues, add to the richness of its story and highlight the multicultural history of Ksar Drâa. Let’s hope that one day people of all religions will find safety in any place they call home.

Love vernacular architecture? Read our review of Habitat, the bible of vernacular architecture.

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The Arab Energy Fund, previously known as the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), has announced a significant commitment of $1 billion to drive energy transition and decarbonization efforts. APICORP is wholly owned by the ten member states of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC).

The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries is a multi-governmental organization headquartered in Kuwait which coordinates energy policies among oil-producing Arab nations. Member countries include Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. (Egypt’s membership was suspended in 1979, but it was readmitted in 1989. Tunisia ceased to be a member in 1987.) The headquarters are in Kuwait.

This investment, revealed at COP28 in Dubai, is what the oil and gas companies say is part of a strategic shift towards environmentally and socially responsible initiatives, including technological advancements for enhanced energy efficiencies and developing new value chains in the region.

APICORP focused on the MENA energy sector  planned investment of up to US $1 billion over the next five years towards advancing energy transition with a focus on decarbonization and related technologies. These could include hydrogen energy and storage breakthroughs and carbon sequestration technologies.

The Arab Energy Fund will rebalance its overall portfolio with continued loan growth and an enhanced focus on equity investments while continuing to innovate to expand its range of financing and direct equity solutions and expert advisory services.

Khalid Ali Al-Ruwaigh, CEO of The Arab Energy Fund announced at COP28: “The Arab Energy Fund transformative strategy marks the institution’s next chapter, deeply rooted in our 50-year legacy and our distinctive role in the MENA energy sector.

“It highlights our commitment to impact-driven solutions, leveraging our deep industry expertise and regional access to enable the evolving energy landscape towards a net-zero world. Our strategy involves diversifying investments by championing technological advancements for enhanced energy efficiencies and driving sustained decarbonization efforts. Additionally, we are extending our investment scope beyond the core value chain, actively cultivating and shaping value chains within the region.”

He added: “Our new strategy and name signify not only our dedication to empowering the region’s energy ecosystem but also resonate with our mission to create a meaningful impact by promoting economic growth, boosting local value chains and local content, through skill development, and fostering knowledge creation.”

Following the establishment of its green bond framework in 2021, the institution set a precedent in sustainable finance by issuing the first-ever green bond issuance by an energy-focused financial institution in the MENA region. The US-denominated five-year benchmark issuance raised an impressive US $750 million, over US $610 million of which has already been allocated to 11 projects in the region.

Currently, 18% of the institution’s US $4.5 billion existing loan portfolio, is dedicated to supporting environmentally and socially responsible initiatives, fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors, and pioneering a path toward more sustainable financing.

The Arab Energy Fund is also in the process of enhancing its ESG Policy Framework, also introduced in 2021, demonstrating the institution’s strong commitment to incorporating responsible business practices into its operations. This effort reflects the institution’s leadership in shaping a more sustainable and responsible future for all.

As the MENA region’s only multilateral impact financial institution, The Arab Energy Fund is also committed to backing the 2050 net zero commitments made by its member countries. The institution has publicly affirmed the imperative need for collective climate action to align with the significant goals laid out in the UN Paris Agreement.

In line with this commitment, the institution introduced several innovative financial solutions that are considered regional firsts, including its pioneering US $75 million Murabaha facility for voluntary carbon offsets and financing of distributed power portfolios.

The Arab Energy Fund stands among the highest-rated financial institutions in the MENA region, boasting ‘AA’ rating from Fitch, alongside ‘Aa2’ from Moody’s and ‘AA-‘ from S&P. This strong endorsement from the rating agencies and the robust regional support from member countries, along with substantial backing from the region’s energy ministries, underpinned by strong liquidity and credit profiles, positions the institution as a key player in championing a pragmatic and sustainable energy future.

The Arab Energy Fund – formerly the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) – is a multilateral impact financial institution focused on the MENA energy sector established in 1974 by the ten Arab oil-exporting countries.

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According to experts, climate change and rising food insecurity are major contributors to the recent destabilization of Mali and southern Algeria

Over the last couple of years, there has been a growing link between climate change and political issues in the Middle East. During the Arab Spring there was a real recognition that rising food prices caused by droughts in Russia and the US brought ordinary people to the streets in protests like never before. In Syria, poor water policies were held up as a major contribution to the drought which forced 500,000 Syrians to flee their homes. Now, experts state that global warming is also playing a role in the destabilization of Mali and southern Algeria which has hit the news.

Writing at ‘Informed Comment’, Juan Cole states that although the conflict erupting in Mali is complex politically and socially, changing ecology caused by climate change is a major contributor to the region’s problems. The climate of the Sahel, which Mali is a part of, has fluctuated significantly over the last 100 years:

“In the first 7 decades of the twentieth century, the region got a fair amount of rainfall, and lower Mali where the capital of Bamako is could raise livestock, making Malians agriculturally relatively well off. The consequent rise in population (Mali is now about 15 million) probably made the country overpopulated for what it could sustain in the more arid decades after 1980, when the warming waters of the Indian Ocean produced dry conditions in the Sahel.”

As more and more carbon was (and still is) pumped out by countries all over the world, the climate of the Sahel has become drier. According to a report released October 2012 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on food security in Mali, things look set to get worse. Based on the worst case scenarios that they have evaluated, it is estimated that global warming could reduce the amount of food produced in Mali by as much as 16% by 2050. The report also found that the population sustained by agricultural production may encounter a reduced standard of living with an additional 1,130,000 people in rural areas falling below the poverty line by 2050.

Even more worrying, climate change is expected to pose an additional threat to 12% of the population who are currently food insecure and more broadly, to small marginal farmers in many sub-Saharan countries. And all this will no doubt have huge social and political implications.

As Cole points out in his article, climate change factors have already contributed to the political situation which Mali finds itself: “The weakness of the Mali government likely is related to the drought years of the past decade, during which hundreds of thousands of Malians were forced to emigrate to other countries and the agricultural productivity and tax base of the more fertile south was devastated…The drought of the 1970s caused thousands of northern Mali Tuaregs to go to Libya. Col. Muammar Qaddafi organized them as a mercenary unit. Qaddafi, however, dissolved it in the late 1980s, at which time many Tuareg came back to Mali and participated in the 1990 coup.”

For more on the politics and environment connection in MENA see:

Unsustainable Water Policies Crippled The Assad Regime (INTERVIEW)

Climate Change Could be as Dangerous to Syria as Bashar al-Assad

500,000 Syrians Flee Drought-Stricken Zone

#Occupy Climate Change: The Arab Spring & Occupy Wall St

: Image of young girl watering vegetables in Mali via abossuet/flickr.

: Informed Comment

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The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is alerting North Africa to prepare people and food producers about a damaging swarm of locusts expected to move in over the coming weeks. A small swarm of locusts can eat the food of 35,000 people but they can also eradicate a wheat field in no time.

The UN organization is alerting North Africa’s Algeria, Libya, Mauritania and Morocco to prepare for the likely arrival of Desert Locust swarms from the Sahel in West Africa in the coming weeks. It won’t be the first swarm of this year to move into North Africa.

The four countries are being urged to stand by to mobilize their field teams to detect the arrival of the swarms and control them. Good summe rains in other parts of Africa are to blame.

Summer rains raise swarms

Swarms of adult locusts are currently forming in Chad and are about to form in Mali and Niger following good summer rains that provided favourable conditions for two generations of breeding and which triggered a 250-fold increase in locust populations in those countries.

Prevailing winds and historical precedents make it likely the swarms, once formed, will fly to Algeria, Libya, southern Morocco and northwestern Mauritania,” said Keith Cressman, FAO Senior Locust Forecasting Officer. “Once there, they could damage pastures and subsistence rain-fed crops. They could also pose a threat to harvests in Chad, Mali and Niger.”

After becoming airborne, swarms of tens of millions of locusts can fly up to 150 km a day with the wind. Female locusts can lay 300 eggs within their lifetime while a Desert Locust adult can consume roughly its own weight in fresh food per day — about two grams every day. A very small swarm eats the same amount of food in one day as about 35 000 people.

Locusts cripple food security

While not sound and “green” advice the FAO has brokered agreements with countries that have available appropriate pesticide stocks – Algeria, Morocco and Senegal – to donate them to Mali, Niger and Chad. This will avoid increasing stockpiles of hazardous chemicals in the region. The supplies are being airlifted with the support of the World Food Programme.

Frontline countries in the Sahel such as Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and Chad have trained locust survey and control teams but they need external assistance, especially vehicles, equipment and pesticides, to respond effectively to a full-scale emergency. Mali is particularly short of equipment after more than 30 pickup trucks were looted in the northern part of the country.

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Find out how Middle Eastern and North African nations fared in the recent global Ocean Health Index (I’ll give you a clue – not very well)

With a recent Greenpeace report urging action to tackle the toxicity of Lebanon’s waters due to trash, now seems the perfect time to look into the health of the region’s oceans. The Ocean Health Index is the first comprehensive global measurement of ocean health that includes people as part of the ocean ecosystem. The 2012 global index had been released and I’ve gone through the stats to dish the dirt on the MENA region’s oceans.

First, a little about how the index works. The index scientifically compares and combines all dimensions of ocean health – biological, physical, economic and social, in order to generate an objective and accurate snapshot of the health of the ocean controlled by every coastal country. It then puts all those scores together and the overall scores are used for the index.

As such, a country may score really well on say biodiversity but still end up low on the index if they do badly on everything else. For example, Syria is in the top ten for biodiversity scoring an impressive 92 out of a 100 but overall the country is in the lowest 20 with an overall score of 45 out of a 100.

Drumroll please. The top scorers from the region are Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Israel – they all scored 63 out of a hundred and were ranked at 26 on the global index. Egypt was next with 61/100 and was ranked at 38. Tunisia and Jordan both scored 59 and were ranked at 57. In the interest of clarity the rest of the countries are listed below by rank. You can click on the country to get the data breakdown and the a full profile of the country.

Saudi Arabia (69)

Turkey (94)

Bahrain (105)

Kuwait (114)

Lebanon (114)

Morocco (122)

Qatar (122)

Iraq (122)

Libya (142)

Syria (147)

Iran (147)

Yemen (157)

Algeria (162)

So rather unsurprisingly, countries such as Yemen, Iran, Libya and Iraq were at the very end of list and all scored around mid-40 out of a possible 100. Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo had the least healthiest oceans with them all score less than 40 out a 100. Top global scorers were Seychelles, Jarvis and Clipperton Island and the USA Pacific Uninhabited Territories. For the full breakdown of all the data for each country (as illustrated by the last two images) just click on the links . The index assessed 171 countries and territorial regions.

: Image of boats in Morocco via Shutterstock.com

For more information on the region’s oceans see:

6 Tips to Clean The Sea

June 8 is World Oceans Day – Be A Changemaker

Underwater Hotel Plans Revived In Dubai

The post The State of The Middle East’s Oceans – A Report appeared first on Green Prophet.

As an avid “world music” listener – although I don’t like this term but I still haven’t found a better one- it is always an immense pleasure to discover hidden musical gems. One organization that feeds you with just these jewels is radio Groovalizacion.  Greenprophet interviews founder Toni Polo to find out why and how radio Groovalization and its music is a successful medium through which people from the Middle East and North Africa can express, communicate and continue traditions.

Convinced that art and culture can raise social awareness, Ton Polo has been coordinating various intercultural schemes since 2006, either as a film director, radio journalist, DJ or cultural manager of his project “Migratory Music ”. He has been involved in various activities in relation with music, immigration, identities and integration collaborating with several NGOs and associations in Argentina, Spain, Senegal, Morocco, Turkey, Portugal and Mali.

Emigration from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to Europe has been an important political and economic topic in the past ten to fifteen years- in 2010 the stock of documented migrants was 18.1 million or 5.3% of the MENA region population. However little is discussed on the cultural, traditional and artistic impact migration is having on the country of origin and departure.

In terms of music, what does emigration mean for the MENA region, particularly the Maghreb countries such as Morocco, Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia – where many young people are leaving their homeland and perhaps foregoing their own traditional lifestyles, practices and rituals for more “westernized” ones?  

Music is always an interesting way to analyze what is going on in terms of politics, demography or economics. Nowadays with the Internet; migration, exchange and the influence across the Mediterranean are stronger than ever. The way young people in these countries consume have changed rapidly in the last 30 years and consequently so have the artistic and cultural tendencies.  In these transformative processes there is always an initial period of imitation, in which artists tend to copy what is seen or heard from the TV, radio, press and internet. However, interestingly, there is a second period where artists and musicians try to recuperate and rediscover their own roots.

I believe in the last ten years, there has been a new generation of artists in many of the MENA countries who are more conscious of their origins and try to build on their local musical roots by blending in global influences such as Hip-Hop, Jazz, Reggae, Funk. Typically these are the artist who migrated or lived abroad, while those that have not migrated tend to copy western musıc because they appreciate their own wealth less.

At the same time, the concept of emigration in the MENA has been changing in the past 5 years. In 2007, when I was shooting a documentary “The colors of Tea” about young musicians in Morocco such as Darga, Zazz Band, Style Souss, Amarg Fusion or Ganga Vibes, many of the musicians we met told to us they didn’t want to leave theır country, instead they want to fight against the problems that exist in their own country such as corruption, Woman’s Rights and democracy. I think this feeling of pride and responsibility has increased with the crisis as we can see from the “Arab Spring”, this also means that many of the themes of the songs are also changing.

How does radio groovalizacion “give a voice” to different cultures and social issues across the MENA region specifically?

I founded Groovalizacion with a French friend who has origins from Morocco, since the beginning we gave special attention to artists in this region because we wanted to provide Europeans with a contemporary vision of the  MENA while demystifying stereotypes. Since then we broadcast regularly albums and artist from this region such as Dhafer Youssef from Tunisia, Darga from Morocco, Aziza Brahim from Sahraoui (Western Sahara)  or Ibrahim Maalouf from Lebanon.

Aziza Brahim has transformed some poems of Ljarda Mint Mabroc, a poet known amongst the Sahraouis, into music. They all evoke the struggle for independence of the Sahraoui people, the difficulty of living in exile and the heroic deaths at the Polisario Front.

Personally, I have made some research on the MENA region as part of my project “Migratory Music”, with “The colors of tea” and another project in 2010 and 2011 called “Bosphoroads” about the blend between tradition and modernity in contemporary Turkish music. But also in one of my latest projects about music from Valencia called “Mediterraquis” . I like to speak about the connections between music from several parts of the Mediterranean sea to show that in all these regıons from Spain to Syria, or from Greece to Algeria,  are more connected than we  think in cultural terms.

With this in mind, one of the main ideas of Groovalzaicon is to create a global platform which focuses on music in terms of content but also in terms of the creators, the people. This way we are not only “giving a voice” to social and political issues but also we are “giving a voice” to specific people and populations.  We are now trying to expand to include journalist, musicians, visual artists or filmmakers from these countries in order to include a wider variety of creativity from this area.

In your experience, are the themes that migrant musicians cover in their songs different from those that non-migrants cover in the same region?  

For me is hard to speak about the lyrics and the themes of this music because many times the songs are in Arabic or other local languages. But I think that in general, between the artists who live abroad it’s more common to find lyrics about the local government or the political situation because in many MENA countries there is still a strong censorship. Even in a country that we consider democratic such as Turkey, I remember an interview with the band Babazula where they spoke about the strong censorship suffered by Turkish musicians nowadays. I think the voice and the work of these migrant artists have been pivotal in changing the mentality of the local people, who start to become more conscientious about the responsibilities of their own governments.

In recent years, how much “voice” are marginalized or “minority” groups such as the Tuareg, Berbers, Bedouins and Druze gaining through music? Is radio groovalizacion providing a platform for them?

For Groovalizacion it is very important to give a voice to minorities all over the world because we really believe that the power and the health of a society depend of the diversity and tolerance it has. Personally I have developed several projects trying to reinforce the cultural diversity in some of these countries. For example, in Mali I started a radio-show called “Mundo Mali” in partnership with a communitarian radio called Radio Kayira , and a video-series called Bamakosmos. In both I interview many of the ethnic groups that are present in Mali, some of them with deep problems of integration and tolerance, like the Tuaregs. And as we are seeing now with the current situation in Northern Mali, tolerance, integration and respect has to be supported by the politicians because if not fights, radicalism and conflict could appear everywhere, in Mali, Syria or France. Music plays an important role in diffusing messages of tolerance and unity. Radio Groovalizacion has provided a platform of podcasts, articles, live events and more for  many “minority” artists especially from  Western Sahara.

If you had to describe radio groovalizacion with 1 adjective, 1 verb, 1 noun and 1 goal what would they be?

Nomad, travel, journey, share sounds to connect people.

:: Radio Groovalizacion

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Middle Eastern olive oil producers are baring the brunt of falling oil prices

Olive oil prices have hit a 10 year low, severely impacting producers in Spain, Italy , Greece and Protugal- which produce more than 60 percent of the world’s olive oil. However, Middle Eastern Farmers in Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Libya, Israel and Palestine will also be severely affected. Part of the recent olive oil price crises is as a result of surplus production due to heavy olive oil subsidizing in the EU and the subsequent unsuccessful attempt by the EU commission to maintain prices relatively high and stable by paying farmers to stockpile olives.

The resulting overstock of olive oil is leading to producers in the EU to dump huge amounts of olive oil in foreign markets at prices below what is being sold domestically. This is forcing domestic producers in the Middle East to sell their olive oil at below production cost in order to remain relatively competitive with the cheaply imported European olive oil.

Several Middle Eastern farmers are paying the price of EU subsidies, and finding it hard to export their own produce.

Nasser Abu Farha, the director of Canaan Fair Trade that works with 1,500 Palestinian farmers, worries that the catastrophic flood of cheap oil from Europe will threaten some 200, 000 families that are directly involved in the 200 million dollar olive oil business in the Palestinian authority.

Farmers on several kibbutzim and organic olive mills are also at risk in Israel, as major Israeli food chains are importing cheap olive from abroad rather than selling local olive oil.  Other countries such as Tunisia, the largest Middle Eastern olive oil producer which exports 18.5% of the world’s olive oil,  followed by Syria (3.6% of world exports- and growing notwithstanding tensions) and Morocco 1.8% of world exports will also suffer.

However Nasser believes that there is hope for farmers that are producing higher quality connoisseur-type specialty oils, or farmers that organize into fair trade and organic production in the Middle East.

Adi Naali, olive oil division manager of Israel’s Plant Council, explains how opening up to Asian markets (such as Japan, China and India) where there is a large and increasing consumer base , could also be an important move for the Middle East.

According to the International Olive Council (and The Media Line), Chinese imports of olive oil have increased 375% in aggregate terms since 2006. Although 92% of it came from the EU, 3% came from Syria; the highest non-EU olive oil exporter to China!

Free market economists would probably scold the EU and advise Middle Eastern oil producers to focus either on quality (niche markets) or quantity (sell to Asia) to remain competitive.

However, environmentally speaking, importing less and producing for the domestic market in the Middle East is also not a bad idea and would reduce the carbon footprint of olive oil.

The demand would certainly be there given olive oil is very much at the base of Lebanese, Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian and Syrian cuisine.

Image of AFP – Hassan Ammar from alakhbar

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The CEO of Renault–Nissan alliance Carlos Ghosn and Moroccan King Mohammed VI inaugerated French automaker’s one-billion-euro plant in Tangier which is set to boost Morocco’s automobile industry.The plant will build several new ‘low cost’ vehicles with an annual capacity that could reach ups 400,000 units.

Morocco has only one car plant in Casablanca and seeks to develop its car industry further with Renault Group which will be exempt from both corporate and export taxes for five years.

The 300-hectare plant, which is located 30 kilometres from the new Tanger Med port and only few kilometres away from the Spanish coast, will reach a production capacity of up to 170,000 vehicles per year at first. This capacity is then set to rise to 340,000 units in 2013 or 400,000 units if the plant operates in weekends.

The plant will start assembling two new models. The first is the Lodgy family car which will be sold in Europe under the Dacia name starting in June and a utility vehicle that will be launched towards the end of this year.

Morocco’s Caisse de Depots et de Gestion (CDG) took over after Renault’s Japanese partner Nissan pulled out from the joint project in February 2009 due to the global financial meltdown.

The mega project is expected to generate 6000 direct jobs and some 30000 indirect jobs in the northern region of Morocco.

Other major groups such as Ford, Indian and Chinese manufacturers are currently prospecting the Moroccan market.

Neighbouring Algeria wants to emulate Morocco by holding talks with the French automobile giant to set up a factory in the north African country.

Environmentally friendly

The Tangier plant emits zero carbon and zero industrial liquid discharges thanks to joint efforts of Morocco, Renault and Veolia Environnement. These staggering results are achieved through the latest innovative manufacturing processes, the use of renewable energy and the optimization of the water cycle, according to Renault’s website.

CO2 emissions from the Tangier plant are cut by 98%, a figure that represents 135,000 fewer tons of CO2 every year, by optimizing energy consumption and using renewable energies. The few remaining tons of CO2are offset either by buying carbon credits or by generating renewable energy on site.

The plant does not discharge any industrial liquids and cuts its water consumption for manufacturing processes by 70% in comparison with a plant with equivalent output capacity.

::NY Times

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Interested in knowing more about renewable energy opportunities in North Africa and the Arab world? Then head to Algeria this May to meet a high profile group of decision makers and companies targeting the growing Algerian energy sector. In step with the Algerian Government’s “Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program” penned in March 2011, meet the Algerian Ministry of Energy and Mines along with market leaders and suppliers from 10 countries already confirmed.

Algeria’s leading international renewable energy trade show is organized by the fairtrade Messe and will take place at the Palais des Expositions d’Alger – Safex.

According to Algeria’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program some 22,000 MW of power generating capacity will be installed from renewable sources by 2030.

To reach this ambitious target, exhibiting international market leaders like ABB, Centrotherm, Eurosol, Siemens and WEG are already realizing large scale investments in the Algerian energy market.

Agreements amounting to billions of Euros were signed during the past year with Sonelgaz, Socièté Nationale de l’Electricité et du Gaz, National Society for Electricity and Gas, a state-owned utility in charge of electricity and gas distribution in Algeria: “Algeria aims to be a major actor in the production of electricity from photovoltaic and solar power as it considers this source of energy as an opportunity and a lever for economic and social development, particularly through the establishment of wealth and job-creating industries,” says Kahina Behloul, manager with Eurl fairtrade expo.

The event will include seminars on renewables and energy efficiency, while further value comes via the active participation and possibility of networking with Sonelgaz, NEAL-New Energy Algeria and APRUE-The Algerian National Agency for the Promotion and Rationalization of the Use of.

The German trade fair specialists fairtrade Messe and its Algerian-German team have recognized the potential and the need for the North African energy industry. After the resounding success of elec expo & EneR Event in November 2011 in Morocco, with 213 exhibitors and 5,246 visitors, the 16th elcomUkraine in April 2012 and now the 6th electro, automation & energy also address these topics.

::electro, automation & energy, Algeria

Image of Algeria sign from Shutterstock

The post Meet 22,000 Megawatts of Clean Energy in Algeria this May appeared first on Green Prophet.