Gaza farmers grow lettuce without soil

Azzam Abu Daqqa and his sister Safia, both with engineering degrees, have built a greenhouse in Gaza which enables lettuce to grow without the need for soil [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Azzam Abu Daqqa and his sister Safia, both with engineering degrees, have built a greenhouse in Gaza which enables lettuce to grow without the need for soil [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Azzam Abu Daqqa and his sister Safia, both with engineering degrees, have built a greenhouse in Gaza which enables lettuce to grow without the need for soil [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Azzam Abu Daqqa and his sister Safia, both with engineering degrees, have built a greenhouse in Gaza which enables lettuce to grow without the need for soil [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Azzam Abu Daqqa and his sister Safia both graduated with engineering degrees in Gaza. Finding a lack of job opportunities the siblings decided to use their skills to build a greenhouse and grow lettuce.

The pair use the hydroponics method of agriculture which sees plants growing in mineral nutrient solutions in water with no soil.

This, they say, reduces the use of fertilisers and chemicals and ensures less agricultural land is needed to provide the necessary yield.

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In the besieged Gaza Strip, where the water desalination plant has been badly affected by the fuel shortage, this new technique of agriculture also allows the pair to use less water than would be necessary in traditional farming methods.

While the weather conditions in Gaza are now suitable for the growth of lettuce, the siblings are looking to introduce systems in which they can cultivate fruits and leaf crops for the local market, making this the first such project in the Gaza Strip.

Azzam Abu Daqqa and his sister Safia, both with engineering degrees, have built a greenhouse in Gaza which enables lettuce to grow without the need for soil [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Azzam Abu Daqqa and his sister Safia, both with engineering degrees, have built a greenhouse in Gaza which enables lettuce to grow without the need for soil [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Azzam Abu Daqqa and his sister Safia, both with engineering degrees, have built a greenhouse in Gaza which enables lettuce to grow without the need for soil [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]