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Throughout time, barren dry lands have held a significant influence within the lives of humans world wide; this is because of the inherent harsh weather conditions that lie within desert regions, such as high aridity and frequent droughts. Although there are many natural warrants as to why humans should advance crop growth outside of desert regions, there are equally beneficial opportunities for advancing the practice of specific agriculture methods, aimed towards specific low-water crops. This paper will expand into the theory that “low-water” crops can play a significant role in mitigating food insecurity in primarily desert regions and, later on in time, as a solution to food insecurity in a global context. This goal will be achieved by first introducing a specific definition of what a desert region is, this will be to hone into a practical area of implementation for the low-water crops & pointing out a few high at risk areas that are worth focusing on.This is important because it will contain information explaining the inherit agricultural difficulties and paradoxes that exist within the context of desert regions. After we introduce the inherent challenges of the desert regions we are aiming to help along the grounds of food insecurity, I will create an image by juxtaposing the benefits of the crops with the advantages they hold against the weather, and ultimately with the cultures, such as foods, ingredients ets., within said regions to create a holistic perspective for how to view attacking these climate based food insecurities with these at risk regions by using “low-water” plants to expand the production of crops further than previously possible. The analysis of the crops that should be used will be broken up based on a specific time of the year, summer, winter, fall, or spring and cross referenced with the nutritional value of each plant to show the unique advantages each crop holds against the season specific challenges of the desert. This will offer the blueprint for when to attack specific forms of food insecurity with the crops that hold an advantage during specific times of the year.
After the families of low-water plants that are well equipped to battle the year round environments of the desert are introduced we will analyze the associated health benefits of the crop families that will survive in the region, following this we will discuss a few agricultural methods that can be paired with these “low-water” crops to grow them efficiently within desert environments, which will entail describing a few agricultural methods that are suitable for starting the crop growth in the desert and some to pick up the process after the initial agricultural investment is done. Finally we will discuss some barriers to advancing the agricultural market in desert regions, current prospects for the future both; without interaction from low-water plant agriculture and the hopes for projections with low-water plants. This idea of re-cultivating barren desert lands with underground water infrastructure combined with efficient desert agriculture methods to grow low-water crops, is a theory that serves to solve the ongoing issue of food insecurity in the desert at the start, however, it is a theory that can serve to solve the problem of food insecurity in totality around the world and fight the paradox of intensification that come with expanding low-water crops.
Although this an project is an analysis on the role that low-water crops can play at solving food insecurity in desert regions, for comprehension purposes it is important to understand the general context of the desert region being analyzed to understand the challenges that not only the foods we grow face but also the challenges that we are exposed to as well. In a study done on the earth's surface, Eric Pianka from Texas university, found that, “33% of the earth's surface is desert regions with 24% being mountainous” (Para. 3); additionally deserts are generally agreed to be an area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year according (Para. 2). This is important because the amount of evaporation in a desert often greatly exceeds the annual rainfall which makes crop growth inherently difficult to support; as a result of this humans tend to inhabit the regions outside of these desert regions, and mountainous regions because they have yet to master these environments. This reality has led to a cycle of humans not developing infrastructure in these regions to support the agriculture of low-water plants, which later plays a large role in the incentivization to either start or develop infrastructure in regions that receive less rainfall than precipitation.
The regions in red have high levels of aridity.
This image is a chart depicting what areas are considered desert regions based on heat and aridity
The connection between food studies and geographical terrain lies in a terrains ability to determine the result of a crops lifecycle, in the end the influence food has on our cultures is undeniable, therefore the connection terrain has to our culture is just as vital as the food we eat, because in the end it is the catalyst of the ingredients we base our identities off of. For regions that receive less rainfall than precipitation annually lies two main inherent agricultural difficulties; the first being the combination of natural shortage of water and underground infrastructure, and the latter being high levels of aridity, because high water plants such as rice cannot grow in such conditions, thus the current options for food production are limited. Can the production of low-water plants on a mass scale help solve the problem of food insecurity that stems from harsh growing conditions?
As referenced prior, desert areas are regions that get under 10 inches of rain water per year, or less rainfall than precipitation; regions that fit well under these characteristics are Northern and Southern Africa, Australian, and areas within the Middle East. These regions are at risk of high aridity and desertification, both of which combat agricultural growth and create a reduction in crops which inadvertently bleeds into the amount and type of livestock available. Desertification is the process of turning arable lands to deserts by deforestation; for example, Brazil faces Desertification from the 1,695,700 hectares of deforestation. Following the trend of desertification is high aridity, which is the deficiency of moisture in the soil due to an absence of rainfall like in Atacama, Chile, which receives less than 1mm rain/yr, and North Africa along the equator.
This map shows the current levels of aridity within the world; levels closer to .05 are the areas at a larger risk than the areas above 2.0.
The end result of the the combination of high-aridity and desertification lead to the problem of desertization, which is the literal extension of desert lands to areas where they did not occur in a recent past; for example the Gobi Desert in Asia, which is the fastest expanding desert in relation to other deserts.
This image describes the process of a land going into a drought, the precipitation is connected to the carbon dioxide release of the carbon sink.
Before analyzing if low-water plants are the answer, it is important to analyze the unique challenges they’re aiming to overcome. The effects of harsh weather conditions on agriculture are; harsh weather conditions increase the frequency of droughts, which holds an immediate effect on crop life, additionally it also causes soil deficits, as a result of the decrease in carbon uptake, meaning the process of photosynthesis is not occurring and the carbon dioxide from that process that is trapped in the soil is not occurring, ultimately threatening the carbon sink.
This image describes the process of photosynthesis, this process is a function of the carbon sink
Ideal: Carbon is stored in the soil to improve the quality of the soil, extending crop life
Realistic: The carbon is being released into the atmosphere, ultimately harming the lifecycle of the crops.
Further than the guarantee that harsh weather conditions will hinder the process of agriculture of medium and high water plants; the people within these regions have a higher risk of collapsing according to the Malthusian theory, which claims a society will outgrow their ability to feed themselves naturally. Consequently this equation is sped up when the inputs of agriculture are limited because the inputs of human expansion naturally compound
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The Paradox that lives in this equation, and the warrant this history holds inside the conversation of food studies, is that a lack of previously installed infrastructure coupled on top of non-pleasurable weather conditions minimizes incentive to create new infrastructure which would create new incentives to make more investments that would upkeep the land within these arid conditions.
Observing the qualities these desert regions hold, is it possible that low-water plants can serve as a solution to the problem of food insecurity in desert climates? A break away from the general climate explanations of the desert shows that it experiences a variety of season based changes annually. For overview; summer time the desert is well above 100 degrees fahrenheit from may through september; this is accompanied by extremely low rainfall, in winter there are temperatures below freezing with low rain or even a chance of snowfall. in fall the air goes from warm and humid to hot and dry, decrease in carbon uptake, and finally in spring it is the season of bloom even in the desert.
The illustration above explains which foods will be effective in specific spurts of the year based on their tolerance to desert weather in a variety of different settings.
This chart categorizes different low-water crops based on their ability to resist specific seasons
Low-water crops that can fight hot seasons
Low-water crops that can survive the desert climates within the cold season can serve to increase crop production during cold seasons. The foods that would survive in cold climates are brassica, cold tolerant lettuce, onion family, carrots etc. Some examples of crops that belong to the onion family would be leeks, onions, and chives. Crops within the cold tolerant lettuce would be Flashy Tout Back, Winter Density green romaine, rouge d'hiver romaine, and Red Salad Bowl oak leaf. These crops are able to withstand the cold environment of the desert during the winter season. Brassica, peas, carrots etc, are all able to grow within cold and freezing conditions similarly to onions and cold tolerant lettuces; crops within the brassica family are kale, collards, cabbage, and broccoli.
Low-water crops that can fight cold seasons
On top of the low-water crops that can battle the environment of the cold, low-water crops that can battle the conditions of the heat have an unique angle at solving the problem of food insecurity because they are able to be experimented upon in larger quantities since they have a greater advantage at combating the issues that desert regions hold, for example, high aridity and reduced carbon uptake, which threatens carbon sink and therefore crop lifecycles. Low-water crops that can combat the heat are solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae; examples of the solanaceae family vary, seeing as there are over 2,000 species, but a few examples are tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and examples of cucurbitaceae are pumpkins and cucumbers.
Each of these low-water crops have a specific entry point to combating the environmental challenges of desert environments and hold specific characteristics that have been observed to improve overall quality of health.
Health Benefits of Low-Water Crops
There are natural benefits of crops from the onion family such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, anticancer, anti-allergic, cardiovascular protective, neuroprotective, respiratory protective, and bacteriostatic properties (MDPI publisher). These functions improve internal organs by providing amino acids to a liver which is a process that detoxes it. According to the Journal of Human Health Research, crops within the brassica family have a direct effect on decreasing inflammation, reducing the proliferation of cancer cells, and overall stimulating the immune system (5). The characteristics that brassica contains that stimulate the immune system are important because of the general lack of infrastructure, i.e hospitals, to support consistent immune system support; on top of that they provide a high vitamin C and E, which are antioxidants, these qualities are especially important because of the high stakes culture of context that barren deserts provide. Cold lettuce, another winter tolerant crop that can provide a solution to food insecurity in the desert, provides the natural elements of sodium and potassium, along with a variety of dietary minerals for metabolism and overall health. Scholars generally agree that humans require a balance of various electrolytes combined with water in balance (Kim et al., 2016). The (Na) and (K) contained in cold lettuce have distinct effects; Na intake is reported to be a determinant of hypertension and reduced consumption has been widely recommended, and in contrast, (K) intake is associated with lowering of blood pressure.
The natural benefits of solanaceae are found within the effects of the main phenolics present in this genus are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, and anti-obesity (frontiers, para.3). These crops within the Solanaceae family are enriched with vitamin A,C,K magnesium etc, the vitamins and minerals within these crops aim at boosting the immune system, bone strength, and vision. The natural benefits of Cucurbitaceae lies in its antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Cucurbits are a source of polyphenols, tannins, and cucurbitacins. Cucurbits can be used as a potential solution for stomach intestinal disorders, as referenced by ScienceDirect Cucurbitaceas are a good source of proteins in a diet (Olas, Para.5). Cucurbits, much like most vegetables, are a good source of dietary fiber, which provides a lot of healthy properties and helps reduce cholesterol, insulinemic response.
Before analyzing the agricultural methods that can assist in producing these tenacious crops on desert regions, it is important to examine different ways in which these ingredients are currently used in meals; a juxtaposition of the ingredients of choice and the methods of preparation shows a practical method these low-water crops can be integrated into the lives of the communities in these barren regions. The Lancet Commission Brief for African Cities displays different traditional dishes from separate regions in Africa; this analysis is important for viewing the practicality of the low-water crops in barren lands, furthermore it will give examples to the connection between food and identity.
West Africa extends from the coast of Senegal to the edge of Nigeria; according to the EAT-Lancet Commision analysis, west african cities consistently involve cabbages, tomatoes, onions, green leaves and beans in their diets creating meals such as obe ata stew, or red pepper stew (Lancet, 6). Obe Ata stew consists of tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, spinach, pepper, and any choice of protein; this meal reflects the region's history with peppers, tomatoes and oils.
North African diets within places such as Egypt or Libya, hold similar consumption values as West Africa with the main differentiation being the use of spicy chickpeas in meals Lebleu, a chickpea stew. The similarities between the diets of West and North Africa support the connection between food identity and environment; although both of these regions are not in the same location they share a similar trait of being affected by the equator, and because of this, they adopted similar main components to their meals while still holding a slight distinction between themselves. The commission’s analysis of Southern African cities found that communities use; spinach, cabbage, cucumber, mongongo nuts and pepper tomatoes (Lancet, 6). Although these are not the only ingredients that are used to create meals, it is important to note the influence that positioning held on dietary access; the regions of South Africa experience high aridity, however, it is on a smaller scale than both North and West Africa. The influence weather had on the food culture of communities in barren regions warrants the reason that investments should be made to improve aridity zones agricultural reach, which ultimately increases the opportunity for the reach of the culture.
The greatest contingency against the implementation of low-water crops in desert zones is the paradox of incentivization mention prior; this paradox is fueled by the lack of incentivization, however, an implementation of natural agricultural solution combined with the creation of underground infrastructure can serve to severe the ongoing paradox of incentivization with desert agriculture. Agricultural solutions, along with underground infrastructure are not permanent solutions, rather, temporary solutions aimed at recultivating the land in desert regions restoring the carbon sink.
North Africa
West Africa
South Africa
What solutions do NIDS hold?
An agricultural solution that can be used in conjunction with underground pipes are natural infrastructure in dry land streams; (NIDS) consist of rock detention centers: a man made, dam like valley, that stores water within a flowing current within one place to restore the implicit functions of the ecosystem. Science Direct asserts that, “the rapid drainage of water from such environments can be reversed through the restoration of natural infrastructure that once existed” (Norman Para.1) which confirms the idea of re-cultivation mentioned prior; they also suggest exploring the role that KIDS can play in reviving a desert region. The idea of a NID is similar to the idea of a beaver dam, with regions that have access to water but it has no central body, a NID can create a man made center.
The rocks serve to hold water inside of a reservoir that can be used to grow crops
A trial of NIDS not only creates a centralized body, there has been a link identified between dryland desertification and the emission of carbon dioxide from the soil, suggesting that improvement to soil through continuous land upkeep can reverse the loss of a carbon sink via “creating a vegetative cover and water harvesting” (Norman, ch.2). Laura Normal explored this idea on arid zones and farmlands with composting, agrobiodiversity, winter cover crops, with an aim at supporting pedogenesis; pedogenesis is the idea that plants are the soil-forming force that speeds up the development of the soil via an accumulation of organic matter both at the surface and within the ground.
What Role can Vertical Farming Play
Along with the solution of NIDS, the agricultural method of vertical farming serves to assist the problem of food insecurity in desert regions, however, alone it will not be the sole savior to food insecurity in the desert. Professor Tara Luongo introduces the point, “although there are many different methods of vertical farming, the main components of a system are as follows: a physical structure, lighting, an energy source, water supply, a nutrient source, and climate control” (10) to express the practicality of the creation of a vertical farm, but he warns against the reliance on it within areas that have less room to operate. Modern vertical farms also utilize remote control and artificial intelligence to optimize their operations with little human contact; constant technological advancements ensure this is a form of farming that can assist a NID model by being able to source stored water, via underground infrastructure, to the vertical farms which can be controlled for the most part remotely
The final method of agriculture that can assist both NIDS and vertical farming is the concept of Agro-forestry, which is a method of agriculture that targets the soil rather than the water supply. Agro-forestry allows trees and shrubs to grow on cultivated tracks to reduce risk in uncertainty within crop production, and also Agro-forestry is used as a method of rehabilitation of land resources in a region. It is important to note, this method can be expanded with the use of animal cultivation because they add a component into the ecosystem that benefits the soil.
Seeing as this is a food project, it is understandable to wonder why the conversation is about how animals interact with soil; this point is only important because it offers a wider choice of ingredients for the meals within these regions. A wider variety of options adds to the incentivisation of restoring barren ecosystems. A main barrier to Agro-forestry in an arid environment is the problem of uncultivated soil, however as referenced by The Earthshot Prize, the process of desert soilization that evolves out Agro-forestry can be reproduced and according to professor Yi Zhijian, Chongqing Jiaotong University (para. 4), this reproduction will provide an essential step in revamping the carbon levels in the soil.
In Conclusion
It is reasonable to wonder, what does all of this mean for now and what are the prospects for the future? The answer to this question can be analyzed through the components at hand; the desert contains inherent weather challenges such as aridity or low carbon uptake, and within these harsh conditions is a cycle of season that affect the regions differently, all while in the background the theory of Malthusianism predicts that the progress humans will make in birth rates will increase at a faster rate than food production will. It has been seen through analysis into the specific characteristics each crop holds and their associated nutritional benefit, that low-water plants hold a special entrypoint in solving the problem of food insecurity within desert zones, however the scalability of this project allows for an opportunity to create a continuous investment that can eventually sustain the totality of the world. In either case, these crops along with these methods of agriculture will be needed in a more global context as global warming increases; as described by Lickely and Solomon, “the effects of global warming on aridity as to cause a 5 percent increase in aridity within 50 percent of arid land areas”, Other scholars put this number closer to 10 present, regardless, scholars agree the condition of aridity will only naturally increase in its severity. Seeing that, an investment into desert agriculture may serve as an early start aimed at combating the future issues of climate change and malthusian.
Work Cited
Elizalde-Romero, C. A., Montoya-Inzunza, L. A., Contreras-Angulo, L. A., Heredia, J. B., & Gutiérrez-Grijalva, E. P. (2021, October 31). Solanum fruits: Phytochemicals, bioaccessibility and bioavailability, and their relationship with their health-promoting effects. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.790582/full
Pianka, E. (n.d.). Desert. Education. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/desert/, Para 2,3
Ren, F.; Zhou, S. Phenolic Components and Health Beneficial Properties of Onions. Agriculture 2021, 11, 872. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11090872
N, S. (n.d.). The benefits of brassica vegetables on human health. Scholarena. https://article.scholarena.co/The-Benefits-of-Brassica-Vegetables-on-Human-Health.pdf
Norman , L. M., & Lal, R. (2022, August 4). Natural infrastructure in dryland streams (NIDS) can establish regenerative wetland sinks that reverse desertification and strengthen climate resilience. Science of The Total Environment. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722048379?via%3d Ihub
Owler, H. (2022, April 11). The eat-lancet commission brief for African cities. EAT. https://eatforum.org/learn-and-discover/brief-for-african-cities/
Luongo, T. (2023). Sustainable Urban Agriculture: Are Vertical Farms a Solution to Urban Food Deserts? https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/caad27d4-414b-49d0-a123-c93470d2a1c0/content
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