Edible Oil: Food Security in the Gulf 2/9/2014 Rob Bailey

For governments in the region, the most beguiling food security objective is that of self-sufficiency. However it remains elusive, as the Gulf countries’ long but inefficacious history of agricultural support demonstrates. ...more

Singapore, a city in a garden 2/9/2014 Meryl Haddad

Stepping into Singapore for the first time, you will encounter a sweltering wall of heat and humidity. Only fair, as this tiny island state is a lush, tropical city brimming with greenery. ...more

Counting the costs of energy, water and food consumption in the Gulf 30/4/2014 Glada Lahn

he Gulf region is a test case for one of the most serious questions of our time; how can we turn around damaging models of resource use when they are so ingrained in our economies and societies? The six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council are often painted as a miracle made possible by oil wealth: grand designs and profligate consumers in land scarce in fertile soil and rainfall. But the urban sprawl, leisure developments and industrial complexes that have sprung up in the last 40 years are devouring the resources below ground at an increasing rate. ...more

Water, water anywhere? A kingdom for a drop. 30/4/2014 Ashok Khosla

Mankind might well appear to be winning its battle with nature but, if the conflict continues for much longer, it is certain to lose the war. Long before we have managed to extinguish the other species that share this planet, the destruction of its fragile life support systems will surely have wiped out whatever we would consider as civilisation today. ...more

Insects to feed the world 7/4/2014 Arnold van Huis

The demand for meat is expected to grow by about 70% up to 2050. However, the land area used for livestock production is currently 80 percent of total agricultural land use. Increasing yields on existing agricultural land is a possibility, but there are limitations to further intensification of the use of croplands. Other mitigation measures possibilities are to increase the efficiency of the food chain from ‘field to fork”, to increase yield of pastures or to change diets towards food commodities requiring less land. One of the options is to use insects as food and feed. ...more

Renewable energy in India: a citizen report 7/4/2014 Chandra Bhushan

In matter of a decade, renewable energy (RE) has grown in India from a fringe player to a mainstream actor in the energy sector. Installed capacity of RE for electricity has grown at an annual rate of 25 per cent and reached 30,000 MW as of January 2014. During this period, wind power installation has grown ten times and solar energy has grown from nothing to 2,500 MW. ...more

Food Security Options in Saudi Arabia 9/2/2014 Ali Al-Tkhais

There are chances for developing agriculture in Saudi Arabia in tandem with plans to preserve groundwater sources ...more

Family farming: tips to operate and support a family farm 14/1/2014 Boghos Ghougassian

2014 is the UN International Year of Family Farming, to promote this sector and increase awareness about challenges facing family farmers who provide 70% of the world food production. ...more

Green tourism certification in the UAE – Why to Implement? 14/1/2014 Szilvia Bartalos and Dr Edith M Szivas, SeaStar Consultancy

Sustainability is on everybody’s mind and tourism professionals are searching for ways to develop their business in a way that is both competitive and sustainable. One of the questions often asked is whether to subscribe to a green certification scheme and if so which scheme to choose. ...more

Colors of Autumn 16/12/2013 Awni F. Sarrif

The founder of Winterthur estate, Henry Francis du Pont, remarked once: “ Color is the thing that counts more than any other." The Gardens at Winterthur indeed burst with color particularly in the seemingly never-ending spring and autumn months. ...more