Sand to Green is a Moroccan firm that, according to its co-founder and chief agricultural officer, Wissal Ben Moussa, can turn a desert area into a profitable and sustainable plantation in five years. "For many countries today, desertification is the way of the future," she asserts. "We can develop a new kind of agriculture that is resilient to climate change and sustainable by utilizing agroforestry as our solution."
Sand to Green uses solar technology to desalinate brackish water, therefore the system may be installed anyplace near one. After that, it engages in a technique called intercropping, planting a range of fruit-bearing trees and herbs in the same area and directly irrigating their roots with the desalinated water to reduce evaporation.
According to Ben Moussa, the soil is rejuvenated through the use of what Sand to Green refers to as "green manure," a concoction of compost, biochar, and microbes that aid in the soil's "wake up." A type of charcoal called biochar can aid in the retention of water in dry soils. Now, in southern Morocco, Sand to Green is attempting to expand to a 20-hectare commercial proof-of-concept site. According to the article, setting up a site that size would cost around €450,000 ($475,000), and it would begin to generate revenue in about five years.