PFAS — often called “forever chemicals” — are among the most stubborn pollutants on Earth. Used for decades in firefighting foams, industrial coatings, and consumer products, their carbon–fluorine bonds make them extraordinarily persistent in soil, water, and living organisms. Worse, PFAS don’t just stay put. Even at low concentrations, they can be taken up by crops and move through the food chain, with short-chain PFAS proving especially mobile.

A growing body of research suggests that biohacking soil chemistry, rather than removing contaminated soil entirely, may offer a practical way forward. One promising tool: biochar.

A study published in Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes (27 November 2025) by Jason C. White and colleagues at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station shows that iron-fortified biochar can significantly reduce PFAS uptake in food crops. In controlled soil–plant experiments, iron-modified biochar lowered total PFAS accumulation in radish plants by nearly 50%, and reduced PFAS concentrations in the edible bulb by more than 25%.

The researchers worked with PFAS-contaminated sandy loam soil impacted by legacy firefighting foams. They tested hemp-derived biochar produced at different temperatures, with and without iron fortification. While standard biochar showed mixed results, low-temperature (500 °C) biochar fortified with ~8% iron proved highly effective, immobilizing PFAS and preventing them from moving into plant tissue.

Why iron? Lab analysis revealed that iron fortification dramatically increased biochar’s surface area and pore volume, creating reactive sites that bind PFAS molecules through electrostatic and ligand-exchange interactions. Importantly, the biochar caused no phytotoxic effects and often improved plant growth — a critical factor for agricultural use.

The implications are significant. Instead of costly soil removal or long-term land abandonment, farmers could use iron-enhanced biochar as a soil amendment to lock PFAS in place, reducing human exposure through food. Because biochar can be made from agricultural waste like hemp and applied using existing farming practices, the approach fits neatly within circular-economy and climate-smart agriculture frameworks.

Biohacking soil won’t erase PFAS from the planet. But this research suggests it may help break the chain between polluted land and polluted food — a meaningful step toward safer agriculture in a contaminated world.

How Biochar Is Made

Biochar is produced by heating organic material in a low-oxygen environment so it does not burn. This process, known as pyrolysis, transforms plant matter into a stable, carbon-rich material.

The feedstock can include agricultural residues such as wood chips, crop waste, nutshells, hemp stalks, or manure. These materials are first dried, then heated to temperatures typically ranging from 350 to 700 degrees Celsius in a sealed kiln or reactor where oxygen is limited. Because oxygen is absent, the biomass does not combust; instead, volatile gases are driven off, and the remaining carbon reorganizes into a porous, charcoal-like structure.

Once the heating phase is complete, the material is cooled in low oxygen to prevent ignition. The resulting biochar contains a network of microscopic pores that give it a large surface area and unique chemical properties. These pores allow biochar to retain water, nutrients, and contaminants when added to soil.

Biochar can also be engineered after production. It may be steam-activated to increase surface area, fortified with minerals such as iron to bind pollutants, or “charged” with compost or nutrients before soil application. When applied correctly, biochar can persist in soil for hundreds to thousands of years.

How Biochar Is Different From Coal

Although biochar and coal may look similar, they are fundamentally different materials with very different roles in the carbon cycle.

Coal is a fossil fuel formed from ancient plant matter that was buried and transformed under heat and pressure over millions of years. It is mined from the ground and burned for energy, releasing carbon that has been locked away since prehistoric times. Coal often contains sulfur, heavy metals, and other impurities, and its primary purpose is combustion.

Biochar, by contrast, is made from recent plant material and produced intentionally in modern systems over hours or days. It is not designed to be burned. Instead, biochar is meant to remain stable in soil, where it can improve soil structure, retain nutrients, immobilize pollutants, and store carbon.

From a climate perspective, the distinction matters. Burning coal releases ancient carbon into the atmosphere, increasing net emissions. Biochar locks up carbon from the current biological cycle, helping reduce atmospheric carbon when used as a soil amendment.

In short, coal is an energy source. Biochar is a soil tool. And it’s an investable commodity.  A new fund manager in Texas has her eye on the growing demand for carbon credit projects that remove carbon from the atmosphere. Biochar, created through a process called pyrolysis that involves heating biomass and biowaste, is an emerging solution for trapping carbon. The biochar not only sequesters carbon, it can restore soil health and enable soil to store greater amounts of carbon. Founder Heather Stiles and her firm Kemet make debt and equity investments in companies supporting biochar production and use, waste-to-energy projects, and carbon trading. “The nascent biochar market lacks dominant players,” the company says. And now they have a new market: in agriculture.

Biochar companies in the US and Canada

NY Carbon – Large-scale biochar producer serving New York and New England markets

Finger Lakes Biochar – Regional biochar production for agriculture and remediation

Vermont Biochar – Farm- and soil-focused biochar production

The Biochar Company – Biochar for agriculture, remediation, and carbon storage

Integro Earth Fuels – Biomass pyrolysis and biochar production

Re:char – Mobile and modular biochar systems, soil and waste applications

Seattle Biochar – Biochar production from regional biomass waste

Whitfield Biochar – Biochar and carbon materials for soil and remediation

Carbonity (Airex Energy subsidiary) – Industrial-scale biochar and biocarbon production (Canada)

Canadian Biochar Investments (CBCI) – Modular biochar systems and carbon removal projects across Canada

The post Can biochar reduce ‘Forever Chemicals’ in food if it’s used in farms? appeared first on Green Prophet.

With the summer lull in Brussels drawing to an end, the EU is bracing for a showdown on the agri-food front. At stake is the Commission’s push to cap the amount of subsidies any single farmer can receive – a reform whose negotiations with the Council of the EU are slated to begin in the autumn. This bold move notably pits the EU executive against certain member-states and large agri-food producers. 

Indeed, while most European farmers would be spared by the rules proposed under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) proposal, the continent’s farming giants stand to lose significant sums. Anticipating their resistance, Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen has remained firm, reminding that “if we have to deal with the same amount of money and we want to better support young farmers, new farmers, small farmers,” this additional funding must come “from somewhere.”

Since taking office, Hansen has steered an encouraging pivot in EU agri-food policy, with the long-overdue CAP reform proposal aligned with a broader trend of farmer-friendly decisions. With EU producers facing rising international trade threats, staying on this course will be vital.

Setting CAP system straight 

Brussels’s past efforts to limit subsidy flows to the largest farms through “capping” have collapsed under pressure, and Hansen’s announcement of the reform in July has been met with similar hostility – hardly a surprise given it strikes Europe’s biggest landholders. Yet the proposal offers a much-needed correction to a subsidy system that has long disadvantaged small producers – the very farmers who underpin Europe’s food traditions and world-renowned GI exports.

In the 2023 financial year, just 20% of farms received 80% of direct CAP payments. Most of these are area-based subsidies, calculated per hectare regardless of actual production, allowing large landholders to draw enormous sums. To redress this imbalance, the Commission’s plan would set payments between €130 and €240 per hectare and cap overall income support at €100,000 per farmer, with progressive cuts above €20,000 – namely, a 25% reduction between €20,000 and €50,000, and a 50% reduction between €50,000 and €70,000.

Despite the uproar, the reality is that most farmers would escape unscathed. More than 90% of EU producers received less than €20,000 in decoupled payments in 2023, well below the level where cuts begin. What’s more, in every member state except France and Luxembourg, under a quarter of farms would even be affected. As Théo Paquet of the European Environmental Bureau has rightly posited, this reform should mark a first step toward “real redistribution” and the gradual phasing out of area-based payments detached from production results.

Moving past flawed Nutri-Score system 

Under Commissioner Hansen’s leadership, the CAP payment proposal marks the latest in a series of strong policy decisions that benefit the EU’s small local producers, who were utterly neglected by the last Commission’s ‘Farm to Fork’ policy agenda. One of F2F’s original pillars, the front-of-package (FOP) nutrition label is among the high-profile policies to get axed from the Commission’s agenda, with Hansen leaving it out of the new ‘Vision for Agriculture’ and work programme unveiled earlier this year.

The EU executive’s U-turn on the FOP label proposal has dealt a major blow to France’s Nutri-Score system, once considered the front-runner for EU-wide implementation before attracting an ever-growing coalition of member-states, farmers and researchers opposed to the label. For its critics, Nutri-Score epitomizes F2F’s shortcomings: a one-size-fits-all algorithm that penalises GI heritage products such as cheeses and cured meats, distorts consumer perception and threatens the livelihoods of the small producers Hansen aims to support.

Experts argue its absence will hardly be felt. For example, food law specialist Katia Merten-Lentz has observed that existing labelling rules already protect consumers, while Nutri-Score’s withdrawal would bring “relief to most businesses.” Scientific opinion has also shifted, with researchers spotlighting issues with the independence of pro-Nutri-Score studies, as well as the label’s limited effect on healthier diets and evidence of negative impacts on consumer choices – as confirmed by a new Medical University of Warsaw study published in August.

Despite mounting political opposition, growing scientific criticism and even the retreat of many former industrial supporters like Nestlé and Danone, certain member-states and supermarket chains continue to prop up Nutri-Score. The Commission must therefore remain vigilant to ensure these attempts do not undermine farmers, distort fair competition or compromise the integrity of the single market – particularly as other pressing threats loom on the horizon.

Shielding farmers from unfair trade 

Looking ahead, the EU’s upcoming trade deals with major partners will test the Commission’s resolve to pursue a genuinely pro-farmer agenda. As Brussels juggles political complexity, it must ensure trade ambitions don’t override the needs of European agriculture. Tariff negotiations, market access and safeguard mechanisms must be crafted with one boosting agri-food exports and the other firmly on protecting local farm livelihoods and food sovereignty.

Mercosur looms as a critical litmus test. Though the political deal was struck in December 2024, final ratification is expected by December, with both Council and Parliament approval pending, and national parliaments still in play. To secure France’s support, Brussels has introduced “circuit-breaker” safeguards for sensitive products like beef and poultry to prevent sudden import surges. Recently, EU politicians and farm leaders have warned that the Mercosur deal could severely undermine the competitiveness of domestic agriculture unless these protections endure.

Getting Mercosur right has become all the more important in light of Brussels’s apparent capitulation to Trump’s demands in the US-EU trade deal, with new details confirming enhanced market access for US agri-food exports in the EU without meaningful concessions gained to protect European farmers. If Brussels allows such asymmetries to persist, its credibility in defending EU farming may unravel under international pressure.

From looming trade agreements to mounting global competition and environmental pressures, the EU faces a pivotal moment. In the crucial months to come, staying the course will mean keeping small and local farmers at the heart of the agri-food system – not as an afterthought, but as the foundation of resilience, fairness, and food security. Europe’s strength tomorrow depends on protecting the diversity and vitality of its farms today.

Photo by Bernd ? Dittrich on Unsplash

The post EU’s CAP reform continues trend of supporting small farmers in hour of need appeared first on Green Prophet.

Microplastics are now in our food, baby placentas, and in the brains of teens who use plastic aligners. They are blowing in the wind getting to our lungs, they are in the fish and plants and food we eat and the impact is just being noticed and understood in areas like cancer and dementia.

Microplastics are bits of plastic smaller than 5mm, and while we follow people like Boylan Slat and the Great Ocean Cleanup, the amount of plastics rolling around on farmland isn’t that well studied. These particles can disrupt soil structure, alter microbial communities that help transport soil nutrients to the plants, and even protect them. The plastic can be eaten by wheat and corn and beans, entering the food chain.

Conventional detection methods, such as sample taken and looking under a microscope to count the bits is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often ineffective at identifying small particles, making them impractical for large-scale monitoring.

But science to the rescue. Researchers at Clemson University and the USDA Agricultural Research Service have developed a new kind of space age glasses for seeing plastics in farms from above. The glasses “see” using what they call a hyperspectral imaging technique.

The scientists study tested two types of short-wave infrared sensors on soil samples spiked with microplastics and evaluated their performance using advanced machine learning models. This system stood out for its ability to detect both polyethylene and polyamide particles – even at extremely low levels of 0.01-0.1% – offering a fast, accurate, and field-adaptable method for identifying soil microplastic contamination.

Why is this important? Many farmlands rely on mulch that is full of plastic. Think about the organic recycling programs that accept adult and baby diapers in the compost. This goes back to farming fields. Think about irrigation pipes and plastic sheets put on strawberry fields. Knowing what’s in the ground can help science and policy makers figure out how to stop negative effects.

“This study marks a significant advance in our ability to track microplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems,” said Dr. Bosoon Park, “The ability to screen soils quickly and non-destructively holds great promise for agricultural sustainability and environmental protection.”

The post These glasses see microplastics on the farm 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.

Thousands of hectares of Chornobyl-affected farmland, long deemed too dangerous for cultivation in northern Ukraine can safely return to production, according to new research.

The study, led by the University of Portsmouth and the Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology, developed a method for the safe reassessment of farmland abandoned after the 1986 nuclear accident.

Published in the Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, the research opens the door to potentially reclaiming large areas land for agricultural use – land that has remained officially off-limits for over three decades due to radioactive contamination.

Since the Chornobyl disaster, large regions of northern Ukraine were designated as too hazardous for farming. The 4200 square kilometre “Chornobyl Exclusion Zone” around the nuclear site remains uninhabited and is now one of Europe’s largest nature reserves.

Related: The radioactive church in Japan

A second 2000 square km area – the “Zone of Obligatory Resettlement” – was never fully abandoned. The area is home to thousands of people, has schools and shops but no official investment or use of land is allowed.

Since the 1990’s scientists in Ukraine and overseas have been saying that the land can be safely used again despite contamination by radiocaesium and radiostrontium. But political complexities have meant that the land remains officially abandoned. That hasn’t stopped a few farmers taking matters into their own hands and beginning unofficial production in some areas. The new study has confirmed that the farmers were right – crops can be grown safely in most areas.

Using a 100-hectare test site in the Zhytomyr region, the researchers developed a simple yet robust protocol to evaluate contamination levels and predict the uptake of radioactive substances by common crops such as potatoes, cereals, maize, and sunflowers.

By analysing soil samples and measuring external gamma radiation, the researchers confirmed that the effective radiation dose to agricultural workers is well below Ukraine’s national safety threshold, and significantly lower than background radiation levels experienced naturally all over the world.

The findings show that, with proper monitoring and adherence to Ukrainian food safety regulations, many crops can be safely grown in these previously restricted zones.

Professor Jim Smith from the University of Portsmouth was lead author of the study. He said: “This research is important for communities affected by the Chornobyl disaster. Since 1986 there has been a lot of misinformation about radiation risks from Chornobyl which has negatively impacted on people still living in abandoned areas. We now have a validated, science-based approach for bringing valuable farmland back into official production while demonstrating safety for both consumers and workers.”

The team hopes this protocol can serve as a model for other regions worldwide dealing with long-term radioactive contamination. With careful implementation and community involvement, the researchers believe Ukraine could safely reclaim up to 20,000 hectares of agricultural land, contributing to food security and rural development.

“This isn’t just about Chornobyl”, said Professor Smith. “It’s about applying science and evidence to ensure people are protected, while making sure land isn’t needlessly left to waste.”

The post Bringing back the farm after a nuclear meltdown appeared first on Green Prophet.

? BEER: Did you know that beer can be greenified? Green ingredients such as matcha and spirulina have hit the international market. Spirulina, a blue-green algae superfood packed with protein, copper, and B vitamins, in particular is growing in popularity among international brewers. RedDot Brewhouse, located next to the Singapore Botanical Gardens, offers a spirulina-infused lager.

Japan’s Okhotsk Brewery created the highly popular Okhotsk Blye Ryuhyo Draft with unique local ingredients including spirulina.

? SLÁINTE!  Like so many people across the world, the Irish say “Health” to toast to one another’s well-being. Try this nutrient-packed six-seed soda bread to moderate your libations.

? SHAMROCK:  Four-leaf clovers are believed to occur every one in one thousand. For a shot at finding one of these rare shoots, consider cultivating a clover lawn. Decimated by the herbicide revolution in the mid-twentieth century, clover lawns are making a comeback as a sustainable alternative or addition to turfgrass. They are heat and drought-tolerant, able to thrive in partial shade, and attractive to pollinators.

? LEPRECHAUN:  Leprechauns are often depicted as cobblers. Ireland’s shoe-making traditions are increasingly innovative; Sampla is a sustainable Irish footwear brand pioneering designs made with vegan leather formed from apple waste.

? RAINBOW:  Check out these rainbow-wrapped pencils that are wood and plastic-free, using recycled paper instead. Eco-conscious retailer Friendsheep makes multicolor pom pom coasters out of natural wool.

? GOLD:  E-waste is glittering on the economic horizon after Cornell University researchers developed a non-toxic method for extracting 99.9 percent of gold from recycled electronic waste. As an added bonus, the process catalyzes carboxylation, or converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds.

The post Going green with Saint Patrick’s Day iconography appeared first on Green Prophet.

Tea cultivation, beloved globally, thrives in fertile, acidic soils. However, the overuse of chemical fertilizers has led to soil degradation, negatively affecting both the yield and quality of tea. Intercropping—growing multiple crops together—has emerged as a potential solution to enhance soil health and mitigate environmental damage. This is also known as permaculture.

This practice has gained attention for its ability to restore soil fertility, but there remains a need for detailed research into its long-term benefits, especially when applied to tea plantations.

A collaborative study by Nanjing Agricultural University and Wilfrid Laurier University, published in Horticulture Research in 2024, explores how intercropping leguminous plants with tea influences soil health, microbial diversity, and tea quality. The study uncovers critical insights into sustainable tea cultivation practices, offering a viable path forward for the future of the industry.

The research specifically examined the effects of intercropping tea with leguminous crops such as soybean and Chinese milkvetch. The results were striking: during the flowering periods of these leguminous plants, soil nutrients saw remarkable increases—nitrate nitrogen rose by 77.84%, and available nitrogen by 48.90%. The soil fertility index improved by as much as 86.46% compared to monoculture tea plantations. These gains were attributed to increased soil enzyme activities and a more diverse microbial community.

The study highlighted significant improvements in tea quality. Amino acids and soluble sugars, both critical for the flavor and health benefits of tea, increased by up to 9.11% and 54.58%, respectively. The intercropping practice also fostered a richer microbial ecosystem, with higher bacterial and fungal diversity, further enhancing soil health. These findings suggest that intercropping can significantly boost both soil vitality and tea quality, making it a viable, sustainable agricultural strategy. Add in some regenerative agriculture practices like animal husbandry, and you are getting close to a perfect system.

Related: Islamic era agriculture

Xujun Zhu, a lead researcher from Nanjing Agricultural University, stated, “Our study clearly shows that intercropping leguminous plants with tea not only enriches the soil but also enhances tea quality. This practice offers a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers, fostering ecological balance and delivering economic benefits to growers.”
The findings of this study hold transformative potential for the tea industry.

By adopting intercropping practices, tea growers can reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers, improve soil health, and enhance tea quality. This sustainable strategy promises to reshape the future of tea plantations, offering long-term benefits for both the environment and the economy. Regenerative agriculture at its best. Woody Harrelson would approve.

The post Tea and beans are the best grow buddies appeared first on Green Prophet.

A prolonged drought in Morocco is causing serious problems for the agricultural sector. Local Authorities predict that the 2024 wheat harvest will be reduced by almost 50 per cent. The Arab Spring happened during a drought and raising wheat prices. Can we expect upheaval in the Magreb connected to this prolonged drought?

This image above, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 3 August 2024, shows the province of Sidi Kacem, once the heart of cereal production in Morocco, but largely uncultivated this year due to a lack of water to irrigate crops.

According to the UN unit to combat desertification, Morocco is facing a severe crisis that threatens its agriculture and food security. A six-year drought, exacerbated by climate change, has deeply impacted the country’s cereal farmers, whose fields of wheat, maize, and barley once sustained both human and livestock consumption.

The drought has not only reduced crop yields but has also transformed Morocco’s agricultural landscape, leading to significant economic and social challenges. As Morocco grapples with these difficulties, the government and agricultural sector are employing innovative strategies to combat the water crisis and safeguard the nation’s food supply.

Moroccan agricultural production consists of wheat, oranges, tomatoes, potatoes, olives, and olive oil. They also grow argan seeds for Moroccan oil.

The Impact of Drought on Morocco’s Agriculture

Morocco’s agriculture sector is highly vulnerable to changing climate patterns, especially the delayed and inconsistent rainfall that has plagued the country for years. Cereals, which occupy the majority of Morocco’s farmland, have seen a dramatic decline in both yield and acreage.

Visit a Moroccan farm:

In 2023, Morocco’s wheat harvest is projected to yield only 3.4 million tons, compared to the 6.1 million tons harvested the previous year. This decline has forced many farmers to leave their fields fallow, reducing both productivity and income.

The ongoing drought has also led to a reliance on wheat imports to meet domestic demand. Between January and June 2023, Morocco imported nearly 2.5 million tons of wheat, primarily from France.

However, this solution may not be sustainable, as France itself faces declining harvests due to similar climate challenges. The Food and Agriculture Organization ranked Morocco as the sixth-largest wheat importer in the world in 2023, highlighting the growing dependence on external sources for staple foods.

Recognizing the severity of the drought, the Moroccan government has intensified its efforts to address the country’s water scarcity. One key initiative is the implementation of a national water management strategy, aligned with guidelines set out by King Mohammed VI. This comprehensive strategy aims to mitigate the impact of the drought through water conservation measures and the diversification of water sources.

Seawater desalination has emerged as a cornerstone of Morocco’s water management efforts. Currently, the country operates 12 desalination plants with a total capacity of 179.3 million cubic meters of water per year. Morocco is also building desalination plants with France.

Plans are in place to construct seven additional desalination plants by 2027, which will increase capacity by another 143 million cubic meters. This ambitious plan reflects Morocco’s commitment to addressing its annual water demand, which exceeds 16 billion cubic meters—87% of which is used for agriculture. Yet, over the past five years, available water resources have not surpassed 5 million cubic meters annually, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

Early studies suggest that better water management practices such as water metering can help stop the quick decline of aquifers.

The post Morocco loses half its wheat crop this year from drought appeared first on Green Prophet.

Want to learn about organic agriculture and how it’s done in the Middle East? Maybe you’re interested in making cheese from goat’s milk? Or perhaps letting come what may — being the assistant to an eccentric Kibbutznik’s experiment or mindless work on the production line.

A number of Israeli kibbutzes are now privatized, leaving no opportunities for foreign volunteers to come and work. Despite the fact that fewer jobs are on offer, managers at the Kibbutz Program Center in Israel, the national center that coordinates volunteer experiences in Israel, are seeing a surge of volunteers from all over the world this year. There is even a waiting list.

And today it’s not just for the globetrotting hippy: “It’s a great experience for young people, who come to Israel for over half a year,” says Rina Keren, manager of volunteers at the center.

“Of course there are students in the field of agriculture who come; there are also the ones who are specifically looking for the real organic farms too,” she says. Like at Kibbutz Lotan, the only true organic kibbutz in Israel: “But most of the people are not coming for something special – just a unique way to visit and get to know Israel,” says Keren.

With an abundance of kibbutz volunteers from all over the world — the United States, Europe (England and Germany especially), South Africa and Korea, the kibbutz volunteer experience is also an enjoyable international one, Keren points out. Today about 30 kibbutzes in Israel are accepting volunteers and this past year some 500 people submitted applications.

Kibbutz tracks of Bob Dylan and Seinfeld

Bob Dylan did it. So did Jerry Seinfeld who was only 17 when he came to the kibbutz. He told the Associated Press: “I would be in the fields, and nobody wanted my autograph and nobody wanted to take their picture with me,” he said, joking. “They just let me hack away at those banana leaves, and no, I didn’t meet the prime minister even once.”

Like Seinfeld once did, in exchange for several hours work a day, volunteers get free lodging, meals and some pocket money amounting to about $100 a month. But anyone who has ever lived or volunteered on a kibbutz will know, there is really no need for money. The kibbutz is truly a communal space, where services such as laundry and entertainment come as part of the package.

In recent years the kibbutz volunteer experience is seeing a revival, because it’s an authentic way for Jews and non-Jews to experience the Holy Land. It’s also a good way to get to know Israelis firsthand and to learn Hebrew.

The first kibbutzim in Israel were founded decades before Israel became a state. Groups of new immigrants came to settle Israel with an ideal that they would develop and work the land in a communal style.

Kibbutz Lotan is a good starting home

“It’s a great idea that helped make the kibbutz and Israel itself a home away from home,” says Rebecca Fiala who volunteered at Kibbutz Lotan in the south. In a local newspaper she said, “I felt as if I could finally break through the tourist route and meet the people, as well as know that I always have a place to stay.”

Finding a great kibbutz is often a matter of luck. And while the volunteers have come and gone over the years (there are those who do stay and marry Israelis), to further enhance the experience, some kibbutzim organize special trips to further enrich their volunteers’ time in Israel.

Most volunteers, at the end of their trip will usually agree, that the six short months at a kibbutz leaves them wanting more.

For more green volunteering opportunities in Israel see:
WWOOF: Organic Farm opportunities in Israel
Study Abroad at Kibbutz Lotan
Adam and Eve: An Eco-Farm Paradise in Modiin

The post The Kibbutz Movement from Israel Revival appeared first on Green Prophet.

A new UN report shows that nearly 1.4 billion hectares of land (just over 10 percent of the total global land area) are already impacted by salinity, with an additional one billion hectares at risk due to the climate crisis and human mismanagement. Soils became saline from water overuse. Aquifers become brackish and precipitation that is lacking cannot replenish the natural balance back to the soil, making them unsuitable for farming. This Saudi Arabian company Iyris is working to solve agriculture on brackish (salty aquifers and land).

So who are the worst-affected?

Today, 10 countries: Afghanistan, Australia, Argentina, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, the United States, Iran, Sudan, and Uzbekistan account for 70 percent of the world’s salt-affected soils.

The Global Status of Salt-Affected Soils report was presented today during the International Soil and Water Forum 2024 in Bangkok. The event discussed an action plan for halting and reversing soil degradation and water scarcity.

Excessive salinity reduces the fertility of soils and severely impacts environmental sustainability. In the countries most affected by this issue, salinity stress can lead to crops yield losses – such as rice or beans – of up to 70 percent.

Related: are US aquifers damaged beyond repair?

This comes at a time when there is an urgent need to boost food production to feed a growing global population.

The report estimates the area of salt-affected soils at 1 381 million ha (Mha), or 10.7 percent of the total global land area. It further estimates that 10 percent of irrigated cropland and 10 percent of rainfed cropland are affected by salinity, although uncertainty remains high due to limited data availability.

Models of global aridity trends indicate that, under the existing trend of temperature increase, the affected area may increase to between 24 and 32 percent of the total land surface. The vast majority of aridification is expected to occur in developing countries.

The drivers of salinisation are both natural and induced by humans

The climate crisis is increasing aridity and freshwater scarcity. Rising sea levels are projected to place more than one billion people in coastal zones at risk of progressive flooding and salinisation by the end of the century. Additionallly, global warming is contributing to salinisation through the thawing of permafrost.

Inadequate agricultural practices also play a significant role. These include irrigating crops with poor-quality water, inadequate drainage, deforestation and the removal of deep-rooted vegetation, excessive water pumping in coastal and inland areas, the overuse of fertilisers, de-icing agents, and mining activity.

Global freshwater use, in particular, has increased sixfold during the last century, contributing to groundwater salinisation due to the overexploitation of aquifers for irrigation purposes.

Call for action

Since salt-affected soils account for at least 10 percent of land, their sustainable management is crucial to meet growing food demands. The report offers a series of strategies for managing salt-affected soils sustainably. Mitigation strategies include mulching, using interlayers of loose material, installing drainage systems and improving crop rotations.

Related: This sweet pea is smart when choosing a bacterial partner

Adaptation strategies include breeding salt-tolerant plants (such as halophytes, which flourish in mangrove swamps, tropical sand and cliff shorelines, and even salt deserts) and bioremediation – using bacteria, fungi, plants or animals to remove, destroy or sequester hazardous substances from the environment.

By highlighting the critical link between sustainable soil management, water quality, and food production, “the report outlines strategies for the recovery of agricultural salt-affected soils, including emerging fields like saline agriculture and salinity bioremediation,” Lifeng Li, Director of FAO’s Land and Water Division, and Jorge Batlle-Sales, Chair of the International Network of Salt-affected Soils (INSAS), wrote in its Forward.

The report also calls for a legal framework at the national and international levels to safeguard natural saline ecosystems and ensure the sustainable management of agricultural soils under irrigation, particularly in areas at risk of salinisation. The main goal is to protect productivity, quality, and overall soil health, ensuring food quality and quantity for future generations.

The post These countries have the saltiest soil and include the US, China and Iran appeared first on Green Prophet.