Around 20% of all the arable land in the world is irrigated. And around 20% of all the irrigated land suffers from salinization. We lose 1.6 million hectares this way every year. Salt-resistant crops are key to adapting to this context. However, this requires a high degree of innovation and the willingness to break into non-traditional markets.
Dutch consultants MetaMeta and experimental farm Zilt Proefbedrijf have partnered to develop a variety of potatoes that grows well under irrigation with water of high salt-content, and to market it in areas of Pakistan that suffer from salinization of land and water resources. ‘Could this be the next big innovation?,’ asks BBC World in this news segment presented by Rajesh Mirchandani.
More info: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/oct/18/humble-potato-poised-to-launch-food-revolution
Produced by: BBC Worldwide
Year: 2014
Language: English
Region: The Netherlands, Europe, Pakistan, South Asia