$10 billion agricultural city to be built in Egypt

A deal between Egypt and South Korea aims at building a massive farming complex using sustainable technologies.

A massive 311,400 acres of land in Egypt have been earmarked for a new ‘agricultural city’, thanks to a deal struck between Egypt and the South Korean Korea-Arab Society (KAS). The farming complex could potentially consist of around 50,000 smart greenhouses, seawater desalination plants, solar power plants, fodder production facilities, as wells as specific cultivation areas for stevia (a plant grown as a healthy substitute for sugar).

The deal was signed on the 15th of August, and engineers estimate that the whole plant could be built within six months at a cost of around USD 10 billion. At a recent press conference, Egypt’s Prime Minister, Sherif Ismail, said that the latest technologies will be used to ensure that the development is as eco-friendly and efficient as possible.

The plant will be built in the Qattara Depression, which is an area well known for its salt pans and marches near to the Mediterranean shore. It’s also the second-lowest point in all of Africa, and was also chosen because of the renowned fertility of the soil in Egypt’s Nile Delta.

Other ecological innovations in farming include a farm in Australia that uses 23,000 mirrors to harness the sun’s energy to grow tomatoes more sustainably, and a low-energy, low-water vertical farm in Singapore. With increased in technology though, there are more and more inventions being developed to help those in dry areas grow crops. Can you think of any ways to help this?