scholarly journals Potential for Food Self-Sufficiency Improvements through Indoor and Vertical Farming in the Gulf Cooperation Council: Challenges and Opportunities from the Case of Kuwait

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12553
Author(s):  
Meshal J. Abdullah ◽  
Zhengyang Zhang ◽  
Kazuyo Matsubae
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Gulf Cooperation Council ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Gcc Countries ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The State Of Kuwait ◽  
Imported Foods

The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are considered food secure due to their ability to import sufficient food to meet their populations’ demand, despite considerable environmental limitations to conventional agriculture. However, over-reliance on externally produced food leaves these countries vulnerable to food shortages during crises that disrupt international production and shipping. Advanced Controlled Environment Agriculture technology has the potential to improve food self-sufficiency by multiplying vegetable crop yields while optimizing efficiency of agricultural inputs and minimizing land requirements. This paper demonstrates how approximately 15 km2 of indoor farms or less than 0.1 km2 of vertical farms could reduce or eliminate the need to import six important vegetable crops in the State of Kuwait. If properly contextualized and supported by clear legislation and well-managed regulatory bodies, indoor agriculture initiatives may provide a pathway for GCC countries to reduce their dependence on imported foods and increase resilience to food supply disruption during disasters or conflict. This case study contextualizes the need for improved food self-sufficiency in light of vulnerabilities from regional and global threats, illuminates unique challenges faced by GCC countries considering adoption of the proposed technologies, and summarizes opportunities inherent in the current legal and policy framework.

scholarly journals Challenges and Prospects of Using Treated Wastewater to Manage Water Scarcity Crises in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1971
Author(s):  
Asad Sarwar Qureshi
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Gulf Cooperation Council ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Groundwater Levels ◽  
Gcc Countries ◽  
The World

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are located in the driest part of the world with an annual per capita water availability of 500 m3 compared to the world average of 6000 m3. Agricultural water demand, which is more than 80% of the total water consumption, is primarily met through the massive exploitation of groundwater. The enormous imbalance between groundwater discharge (27.8 billion m3) and recharge (5.3 billion m3) is causing the excessive lowering of groundwater levels. Therefore, GCC countries are investing heavily in the production of nonconventional water resources such as desalination of seawater and treated wastewater. Currently, 439 desalination plants are annually producing 5.75 billion m3 of desalinated water in the GCC countries. The annual wastewater collection is about 4.0 billion m3, of which 73% is treated with the help of 300 wastewater treatment plants. Despite extreme water poverty, only 39% of the treated wastewater is reused, and the remaining is discharged into the sea. The treated wastewater (TWW) is used for the landscape, forestry, and construction industries. However, its reuse to irrigate food and forage crops is restricted due to health, social, religious, and environmental concerns. Substantial research evidence exists that treated wastewater can safely be used to grow food and forage crops under the agroclimatic conditions of the GCC countries by adopting appropriate management measures. Therefore, GCC countries should work on increasing the use of TWW in the agriculture sector. Increased use of TWW in agriculture can significantly reduce the pressure on freshwater resources. For this purpose, a comprehensive awareness campaign needs to be initiated to address the social and religious concerns of farming communities and consumers. Several internal and external risks can jeopardize the sustainable use of treated wastewater in the GCC countries. These include climate change, increasing costs, technological and market-driven changes, and regional security issues. Therefore, effective response mechanisms should be developed to mitigate future risks and threats. For this purpose, an integrated approach involving all concerned local and regional stakeholders needs to be adopted.

scholarly journals A short-term comparison of organic v. conventional agriculture in a silty loam soil using two organic amendments

2008 ◽  
Vol 146 (6) ◽  
pp. 677-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. HERENCIA ◽  
J. C. RUIZ ◽  
S. MELERO ◽  
P. A. GARCIA GALAVÍS ◽  
C. MAQUEDA
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Organic Amendments ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Silty Loam ◽  
Loam Soil

SUMMARYThe transition from conventional to organic farming is accompanied by changes in soil chemical properties and processes that could affect soil fertility. The organic system is very complex and the present work carries out a short-term comparison of the effects of organic and conventional agriculture on the chemical properties of a silty loam soil (Xerofluvent) located in the Guadalquivir River Valley, Seville, Spain, through a succession of five crop cycles over a 3-year period. Crop rotation and varieties were compared in a conventional system using inorganic fertilizer and two organic systems using either plant compost or manure. At the end of the study, organic farming management resulted in higher soil organic carbon (OC), N and available P, K, Fe and Zn. The available Mn and especially Cu values did not show significant differences. In general, treatment with manure resulted in more rapid increases in soil nutrient values than did plant compost, which had an effect on several crop cycles later. The present study demonstrated that the use of organic composts results in an increase in OC and the storage of nutrients, which can provide long-term fertility benefits. Nevertheless, at least 2–3 years of organic management are necessary, depending on compost characteristics, to observe significant differences. Average crop yields were 23% lower in organic crops. Nevertheless, only two crops showed statistically significant differences.

Bridging the digital divide through ICT

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 358-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adboulaye Kaba ◽  
Raed Said
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Gulf Cooperation Council ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Global Information ◽  
Gcc Countries ◽  
Ict Infrastructure

Bridging the gap of the digital divide can play an important role in education, employment and economic growth of any country. The present study attempts to examine and analyze the digital divide status of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries compared with countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other Arab countries. It uses 19 indicators of four factors adapted from The Global Information Technology Report 2009–2010 to measure the digital divide. Findings of the study indicated that GCC countries have a better ICT infrastructure than the ASEAN and other Arab countries. Similarly, the results of the study revealed that GCC nations have more ICT users than the ASEAN and other Arab countries. However, the study found no significant differences among these groups of countries in regard to government support and usage of ICT. Findings of the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) show that, across the three groups of countries, the influence of ICT infrastructure is consistently significant in narrowing the digital divide. The regression results also prove a significant relationship between government support for ICT and government usage of ICT.

Board gender diversity and firms' social engagement in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Jizi ◽  
Rabih Nehme ◽  
Cynthia Melhem
Keyword(s):  
Social Engagement ◽  
Generalized Least Squares ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Gulf Cooperation Council ◽  
Foreign Direct Investments ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Female Representation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gcc Countries ◽  
Thomson Reuters

PurposeThe Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries form a unique socioeconomic environment that makes the conclusions of the prior literature not likely to be applicable. GCC countries have huge oil reserves, yet they are aiming at reducing oil dependency through enhancing transparency, increasing foreign direct investments and reforming their governance structure. Their firms are mainly family owned and have low female representation in leadership positions. The study seeks to fill a literature gap by providing a business case supporting the call for gender diverse boards for better governance.Design/methodology/approachThe study examines a sample of GCC-listed firms for the years 2009–2018. Three measures are used to proxy for firm social engagement, namely, CSR strategy score, environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure score and social pillar score. To ensure whether the presence of women on board or the number of women on board is influential on social engagements, the authors use the existence of women on board and the percentage of women on board variables. Data are collected using Thomson Reuters, and generalized least squares (GLS) panel data regression is used to estimate relationships.FindingsThe authors find that female representation on GCC corporate boards is increasing, yet in a slow path. The reported results support the role of women on boards in prompting firms' social agenda and enhancing the level of sustainability reporting. The results also show that female board representation supports the implementation of climate change policy, business ethics policy and health and safety policy.Originality/valueThe paper evidence the add value of women participation on GCC corporate boards in enhancing boards' functionality and governance. The empirical findings encourage firms and policymakers in the GCC countries to increase the share of females on corporate boards to improve firms' citizenship and facilitate attracting foreign investors.

scholarly journals Health Care in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Review of Challenges and Opportunities

Cureus ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tawfiq Khoja ◽  
Salman Rawaf ◽  
Waris Qidwai ◽  
David Rawaf ◽  
Kashmira Nanji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Gulf Cooperation Council ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

India’s Labour Agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: An Assessment

2021 ◽  
pp. 002088172110553
Author(s):  
Sameena Hameed
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Cooperation Council ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Bilateral Coordination ◽  
Gcc Countries ◽  
Return Home

Despite the Indian government's proactive initiatives and reforms in the labour laws in the host countries, the welfare of Indian workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries remains compromised. The Indian workers continue to face exploitation, often left stranded or forced to return home penniless. In line with best global practices, India’s Bilateral Labour Agreements (BLAs) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with all the GCC countries need to make specific reference to the host countries' labour laws and facilitate bilateral coordination in the governance of the full migration cycle. Special focus is needed in the construction sector, where a vast majority of low-skilled Indian workers are employed. The article examines the effectiveness of India’s BLAs and MoUs with the GCC countries in protecting the low-skilled Indian workers in the region.

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