Food Security Constraints and Role of Biosaline Agriculture in Meeting Food Demand in the Gulf States

Abstract

The combination of limited fresh water supplies, poor soils and hyper-arid environment (dryland system), and climate change impact in Gulf States (GS) constrains the local economic agricultural production of many crops grown for food and fodder. The difference between the Ecological Footprint of Consumption and the Biocapacity of GS, suggests a net deficit between the eco-resources generated and those consumed and wasted. Given these existing and predicted challenges, it would be hard for the GS to achieve food security unless there are considerable technological innovations in agriculture and water research to boost local production. To meet food security, GS may be seeking options of acquiring land abroad for agriculture. Leasing prime land in poor developing countries is questioned by many actors, so the sensible option is to acquire marginal (saline) lands in these developing countries, over one billion ha available globally, or acquire prime land in countries where there are resources surpluses (abundant soil and water resources) concentrated in ecological creditors’ countries, which currently do not utilize their full biocapacity and the production cost is lower. In the former case, ICBA can significantly support GS in growing salt-tolerant crops (Biosaline Agriculture) in the marginal land acquired abroad and by bringing them into crop production through an integrated approach of reclamation of salt-affected lands, thus, paving the way forward for food security. Over the last 13 years ICBA has developed a world-wide reputation for its expertise in the development of salt-tolerant germplasm and applied research and development in many of the 57 IDB-member countries including the GS. The groundwater in the GS is mostly saline or brackish and biosaline agriculture is the best approach.