2 BILLION New Acres of Farmland

Permaculture instructor Andrew Millison journeys to Spain to film the epic work of Seawater Solutions, a European company that is pioneering a whole new form of agriculture: growing productive plants in saltwater. They estimate that using plants called perennial halophytes, they can turn 2 billion acres of salty wasteland into productive farmland. This changes everything!
Seawater Solutions:
seawatersolutions.org/
Salarte:
salarte.org/en/salarte/
Flat Map animations:
www.pearlriverecodesign.com/
Spinning Globe animations:
[e-mail]
Oregon State University Online Permaculture Design Course:
workspace.oregonstate.edu/cou...
Andrew Millison’s links:
www.andrewmillison.com/
permaculturedesign.oregonstat...
JOIN THIS CHANNEL to get access to uncut video content:
https:/ / @amillison
SIGN UP FOR MY FREE NEWSLETTER:
share.hsforms.com/1X79TznHYRC...

[@amillison]

CARBON CREDITS: I'd like to address the critiques coming up in the comments section. Some say greenwashing, a money laundering scheme, a scam run by polluters. The truth is I see many negative impacts of the carbon credit system and am highly critical of it. I am not its defender. ..... AND...... The carbon market's value was nearly 1 trillion dollars last year. The fact that Seawater Solutions was able to tap into that capital to prototype saline agriculture at the commercial scale is a huge win for humanity in my opinion. Accessing carbon credit funds has allowed them to do the extensive R & D, plant selections, breeding, tests and trials to actually create an agricultural model that addresses the catastrophic problem of land salinization. Land salinization threatens agriculture worldwide, where rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers, and poor farming practices are destroying farmland and people's ability to survive at an alarming pace. So is this model perfect? No. This is a work in progress. But these people are not pulling some carbon credit scam. They are using the system to get the hard work done of figuring out how to do agriculture in saltwater using perennial polycultures that require no inputs. From my perspective this is a noble task and their hard work will benefit the people and ecosystems in salt affected lands. This could ultimately have a ripple effect all over, because people will not need to migrate away from salt affected lands when they have the means for productivity and survival in salty environments. For those who question the usefulness of these plants, there is much scientific research that affirms their value. Here is a good overview of Salicornia: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0098847221002367

[@itsrachelfish]

I'm a small scale farmer doing regenerative agroforestry restoring a wildfire burn scar in Colorado. It would be great if there were more ways small farms could tap into the carbon market. I've personally sequestered several hundred tons of CO2 on my farm in the past 3 years using dead logs from the wildfire to create hugelkultur terraces. Right now I have to rely on income from the crops I grow, but if I could get carbon credits for additional income, that would be a win! Also, it's been shown that creating wetlands is one of the best ways to store carbon long term. It raises the water table, helps prevent drought, helps mitigate and contain wildfires. Wetlands are great! People should get carbon credits for creating wetlands, not destroying native habitats to install solar panels.

[@colemurphy3585]

If we do it right, carbon credits can be a strong financial leverage for Permaculture transition ^^

[@SonicPhonic]

Great work. Considering the massive subsidy for corn in the USA, you shouldn't worry about producing a video about a potential win for carbon credits. Regarding carbon credits: I received a $140 carbon credit from the Canadian government. I have never had a car, I bike and take public transit and have produced multiple gardens for friends, family and my landlords. The WE Forum and insurance companies are concerned with the possibility that costs of climate change will exceed profits. We need massive changes in our approach to being on Earth. I'm wondering about this type of crop around desalination plants. Seems like a good fit.

[@Reese-wg7jb]

I've seen Neal Spackmans work in Regenerative Resource Co. on Regenerative Seawater Agroforestries and the Al Baydha project, and I believe that the productive saltwater marshes/mangroves themselves are not going to be making this saline landscape back into a freshwater landscape. The point is to make this current degraded saline landscape, into productive biodiverse ecosystems, which is way better than it was before. Especially if it's mostly on the coast, it's supposed to create freshwater lenses on the exterior of the project and restore lower salinity there. So it's clearly of major benefit, and I think you're response to the criticisms in the comments make perfect sense. Sometimes a stupid system can be hijacked by smart people to do some good like here. But I guess I still don't understand, why wouldn't evaporation mean that the salinity goes higher up over time on the land and make a hypersaline environment where even the halophytes couldn't grow? I have seen work by Geoff Lawton on his Greening the Desert sites, the first and second, and somehow he and his team were able to neutralize the salts so it wasn't a factor in plant growth. Is the same thing somehow happening here? - After reading a little bit more, as far as I know, the freshwater lenses will actually desalinize the surrounding exterior of these natural salt marshes, and because of the normal fresher ocean water that comes in, it should wash out the salt that builds up out and normalize it, like how normal saltwater mangrove forests and marshes function! That said, if there isn't enough water movement, it could salinize it, but with their automatic tide system set up, despite my doubts, it doesn't look like it should become a problem.

[@Nphen]

@@Reese-wg7jb As mentioned in the video, some of the plants take up salts themselves as nutrients. Some gets locked up in the root systems. Then there's always new seawater coming into the landscape. My guess is that animals & microorganisms may take up some salt, too. Any rainwater captured by the system helps reduce salinity. Crops being taken away may well remove all the salt ions locked into the plant harvest. The sun evaporates water with more than just heat; green wavelengths can evaporate water with low energy. The plants may well be able to capture that moisture which would otherwise be lost. The plants, micros, and animals; all parts of the ecosystem are contributing to salt intake. This can at the very least turn unproductive land into crops, which also act as a buffer against sea level rise & storm surges.

[@NeutroniummAlchemist]

Seems like the way that the flood gates work would concentrate more and more salt into the marsh over time. Eventually, even halophilic plants would be salted out. Do they have a way to deal with that?

[@gentleshark972]

Yeah, really feels like a major oversight as they never even discus this aspect. It such a simpel system it feels like they´re just rethreading historical mistakes.

[@yopyop3241]

My guess is that the system is naturally stagnant with the tides just pushing the same stale, depleted water back and forth. With the gate and canals, they can ensure that virgin seawater flows through the landscape, flushing out depleted water and bringing in ocean nutrients. Except what we’re calling “depleted” water is actually clean saltwater that we want in the ocean while the nutrients are the stuff that cause oxygen depletion and red tides.

[@EternallyGod]

@@yopyop3241 Did you not listen to the video? Most of the plants ignore the salt in the water....that means the salt doesnt disappear and it will build up over time to levels that will just 100% destroy the land FOREVER.

[@AsokaTw-mz3lr]

@@EternallyGod true. until they do something to do the salt that's accumulated over time in the land, the future is not so bright to that area. they should find a way to get rid the salt first at least.

[@alan2102X]

@@EternallyGod We don't know that. The video is not detailed enough. It seems that there is SOME efflux of water (not only influx), and hence of salt, but how much? Need more info. It is a good point, needs exploration and information.

[@user-lq4po4jd4f]

In this way of watering, where salty water goes in every time and does not come back out, the salinity in the soil increases with every watering. Over time the salinity will not allow the growth of plants. It will take years but it will be a problem over time.

[@dh8203]

Yep, I was wondering about this as well. With no salt removal mechanism the increasing salinity would eventually become a problem even for the salt tolerant plants.

[@madsam0320]

Perhaps it’s flushed from time to time by keeping the sluice gates open on low tides.

[@user-yp2sc1cy1n]

Yup. The human hubris. They'll eventually kill the habitat. In Egypt, they actually plan on flooding a desert with salt water...except they want it for the salt, hydroelectricity. It's called Qattara Depression Project. I think al-Sisi will run out of money, though, since he's building a new capital for his military junta.

[@TheNewMediaoftheDawn]

Yeah just like every other coastal mangrove that’s been around for millions maybe billions of years, hmmm

[@dh8203]

@@madsam0320 It looked like the design has gates that are automatically pushed closed when the tide starts going out, and someone would have to manually open it. Ideally it's a region with seasonal heavy rains that could turn the marsh into a rain water lake that would be drained at low tide each year flushing out a good amount of salt.

[@usernamehere5812]

Understand I haven't even finished the video yet. "Sell the roots as carbon credits." First major red flag

[@amillison]

That's just how they get the investment to start the projects. I'm not a huge fan, but it's how they are making these experimental projects happen

[@snapman218]

Gross

[@monkeymanwasd1239]

It's just empty advertising to take advantage of bad gov practices

[@coreytran7415]

I was hoping it wasn't one of those green initiatives. I was so wrong and disappointed.

[@Tamales21]

​@@amillison sucks that the world is like that.

[@Skaro90]

They keep talking about biodiversity, but have only shown one species they harvest. I am interested about how the harvest effects the rest of the plants, and wether or not after a while they will only cultivate that species of plant on most of the tractor accessible land.

[@geraldstone8396]

I'm in how they do the harvest. 😂

[@wayneduarte2917]

So how many hardy species can be grown on this land

[@AricGardnerMontreal]

they they were showing wildflowers, like where are those from? not the salt marsh

[@allanturpin2023]

After reading the comments and responses, I still have questions. These projects seem to be an alternative to restoring former natural salt marshes to their original state. I get that funding might be unavailable without the "yields" claimed, but wouldn't natural salt marshes without the gates, dikes, canals and farming be preferable? Seems like a compromise rather than a fix to our past errors. I've seen studies showing natural salt marshes benefit fisheries greatly, yet one way gates that only allow in tidal flows suggests that benefit is eliminated. I noticed fish weren't mentioned once. Was that due to time constraints or a shortcoming in the projects? There was also a brief mention that areas are dry for long periods, so these aren't really salt marshes at all, except for the channels? One way gates will keep increasing the salinity beyond the already existing level. Even halophites have their limits. Why can't these areas be productive with both tidal inflows and outflows? Seems like mangrove restoration is a completely different category of restoration project where gated channels and livestock fodder cropping play no role. Why were these two different types of project combined into this video? Thanks.

[@PaulAnderson777]

This project looks like it will eventually turn into barren salt flats. Sure, it’ll take a couple decades to get the salinity up, but I don’t see this lasting fifty years. And salt flats can last forever once established.

[@ericmaclaurin8525]

No. Nature doesn't recover from what we're doing just because we take out some dams.

[@joelshack85]

Humans doing unnatural things to our world is why we are in the situation we are in right now. Just more ways for Humans to profit off things they shouldn't

[@bassmouter4694]

I can’t believe that saltwater on ground is a profitable investment. I am Dutch, we conquered the seas 700 hundred years. See to the GDP difference between Spain and the Netherlands. This is just the result of poor watermanagment.

[@MrJuanmarin99]

Just looked into the project in the local page. The valves can be activated in both directions to regulate salt water or fresh water from rain or excessive irritation upstream. There used to be a depression of land that was filled by water but filled with dirt to turn into grazing land. It failed and now is dry saline marsh. So by digging trenches and with the valve is avoiding to be completely dried.

[@ultrasoft5555]

"You can sell the roots as carbon credits" - no need to bother with reality, you can simply write numbers on a paper and sell those as carbon credit.

[@geoms6263]

sounds grate

[@3komma141592653]

Sadly this carbon trades became a scam in 98 % of the time.

[@mjcortez2460]

who invented carbon credits?

[@victorhopper6774]

@@mjcortez2460 al gore invented everything

[@mjcortez2460]

@@victorhopper6774 tsk tsk. it's such a BS. Everything is a BS now, including this vid.

[@psarj]

While the goals are commendable, the obvious question is what happens over time as they bring in millions of litres of salt water, and let nothing out except through evaporation. These lands will rapidly get more and more saline, until absolutely nothing will grow...

[@andershejgaard3988]

My thought exactly

[@theboringchannel2027]

then new government funding to subsidize removing the salt to restore it to marsh/brackish again in its natural state. A whole ecosystem of dependence and grift so some educated people can have jobs.

[@sachamm]

Presumably there's some uptake into the plants, but this is an important question that wasn't addressed.

[@asperFromTG]

So that people are displaced Blackrock can buy the place for cheap. The displaced will be used by people like Barbara Specter. What a business! Stereotypes exist for a reason.

[@rjaquaponics9266]

Human blood, Ocean water and chlorophyll are nearly identical with chemical makeup. Maybe the saline won't increase as you believe. Just wondering~!

[@florinadrian5174]

So they let seawater in at each high tide. The water gets absorbed by plants or evaporates but where is all that salt going? Doesn't it build up until even those halophytes have enough of it?

[@sarsgarrs]

I wonder if you disable the gates in the off season allowing water to flow in and out like normal would be enough to protect against salt build up

[@florinadrian5174]

@@sarsgarrs Or if there is a rainy season where the flow through the gates is reversed, rainwater dissolving and taking the accumulated salt back to the sea. But it is worrying that they don't mention salt build-up at all, I fear they just don't care about its long-term consequences.

[@russiannpcbot6408]

Remember where they said some of these plants process the salt and some are able to block it from entering its cells? Check here at 1:25. Mix crops or do crop rotation between types to reduce salinity buildup. The average humidity of the region increases as more land becomes irrigated, even with salt water. There will be increased rains throughout the year as a result. Do it on a large regional scale and you'll get the fresh water to wash out the excess salinity back into the ocean that the plants can't keep up with. A supporting method could be to have all the canals connected to a single very deep well. Saltier water sinks and will find its way to this spot. They could then occasionally pump water from the bottom of there out to a salt basin to harvest cheap salt or back into the ocean.

[@florinadrian5174]

@@russiannpcbot6408 Nice nickname. Plants blocking the salt entering its cell is exactly why I am worried. Because if it doesn't enter the plants, it has to remain and accumulate in the water. The other ideas might help but why don't they even mention this big problem?

[@Dj992Music]

Okay at 2:17 you make the comparison with wheat and barley, I find it very misleading to compare the yield in mass to argue a benefit over wheat/barley. You even acknowledge that this crop has a larger water content, so it does not make sense to compare mass. It would be a lot more informative to compare calorie yield. Because the large water content is what actually makes it worse than wheat/barley, as it makes it less economical for transporting and indicates that it will likely spoil quicker during storage and handling.

[@TheMightyYak]

Also, is there enough demand in the market for it? what is the price per tonne compared to traditional crops? Is the demand & price enough to run these farms as a profitable business? You can grow as much as you like, but if there is not a big enough market for it, then it's never going to be sustainable.

[@ScottRagland]

glad to see someone other than myself caught that prima facie 'clickbait bs' flag. as for the 'why' herein, clickbait shills gonna clickbait shill, fren... ;-) -one more fat old farmer

[@pex3]

@@TheMightyYak I think this is a conservation project and experimental farm, more than it is a business model. This channel is less about profitable farms and more about ecological resilience.

[@jirislavicek9954]

Barley harvest is 5 tonne of GRAIN per hectare, that doesn't include the straw.

[@SeanOHanlon]

We looked into growing Salicornia for biofuels @ 15 years ago. I didn't realize that you can get 30 tons/hectare/year. That's because this plant can be harvested multiple times each year. Just FEI: I'm a Biological Systems Engineer and this project is a brilliant idea. 👏👏👏

[@kiteblaster]

Excellent comment. Sooo many "Chicken Littles" in comment section - since the comment section in YT is a therapeutic outlet for the frustrated folks.

[@victorygarden556]

Do you have recommendations for US stateside freshwater biofuel plants?

[@SeanOHanlon]

​@@victorygarden556 I'm not sure I understand your question. Could you please rephrase it?

[@victorygarden556]

@@SeanOHanlon do you know about any plants you would recommend to create biofuel in Ohio?

[@karenneill9109]

I think it could really be a paradigm shift. I think adding fishing to the system might be a real boon as well.

[@ingridpaula8871]

(Rhiannon Lynn here) I have heard that the use of Shepherd's Purse (forgot the Latin name!) can desalinate salt marsh, and its seeds kill mosquito larvae...and the roots taste like ginger. Very medicinal, too. Worth considering for those with interest...

[@cashwarior]

I'm looking forward to seeing an update on this in a few years! It'd be wonderful to see the vision come to fruition

[@marcelofernandez5380]

Salt water enters and the salt accumulates in the soil since the plants do not use it, everything remains just as bad

[@scratchy996]

You won't see anything about this in a few years. Best case scenario these guys land in jail. It's a scam and they are ruining that land forever.

[@user-jz7ny1qc6j]

This builds on market gardener Jim Kovaleski's experience farming on a small plot just above Tampa, Florida. The well that he used for irrigation became salt water intruded, and he kept using it. What he found was that certain vegetables thrived, such as beets, and Swiss Chard, while others struggled so he had to irrigate with regular city water. It's possible to do this, but it definitely depends on how much salt we're talking about

[@stevenevets8518]

So saltwater comes in and doesn't go out. How does the salinity not built up over time? Seems like you're making another Bonneville salt flat.

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Yep

[@kiteblaster]

Just research the term "halophyte" before you share your anxiety.

[@faustian_herne6241]

@@kiteblaster And what is your point? Temporarily growing salt tolerant plants while you convert wetlands into salt flats isn't a solution to anything.

[@kiteblaster]

@@faustian_herne6241 You are seeing in reverse. It's about converting salt flats to wetlands - better a mangrove swamp than a dry salt desert. Expand your thinking...your timeline. Mangrove swamps mitigate flooding and hurricanes..... which is our future.... perhaps more immediately than everyone is expecting.

[@iHeartFerenc]

I agree with the "carbon credit" red flag sentiment. Your channel is one of the most important on all of YT, but this seems like I don't know - a vanity project? Besides the carbon credit roots, he says the other parts of the plant can be used as building material, as a high value vegetable, as a high value seed oil.. but are they? Are they actually used for that purpose or is all this theoretical? Geoff Lawton's Greening the Desert videos showed the worksite in Jordan was desalinating the ground while building the soil. Is that less useful in this scenario than what Yanik's team is doing? PS not trying to denigrate your work in any way - not only is your work of vital global importance but your video editing and presentation skills are off the charts.

[@amillison]

The current crop is harvested and used primarily to feed cattle and create a pelletized fish food. Those are the current uses. The other yields will be realized as they scale up

[@marcovoetberg6618]

I don't agree it being a red flag at all. I fact I think that is what should have been done ever since we started using oil, coal and natural gas to produce goods. All those goods where basically produced and sold too cheaply by not accounting for the costs of cleaning up the CO2.

[@ramsaybolton9151]

@@marcovoetberg6618 how about no

[@marcovoetberg6618]

​@@ramsaybolton9151 How about you use complete sentences and explain what you mean?

[@ramsaybolton9151]

@@marcovoetberg6618 how about no 😎

[@RaniVeluNachar-kx4lu]

Andrew I expect to see you interviewing the Martian terraforming teams in about 65 or so years. So stay young. There's more work out there.

[@amillison]

🤣🤣🤣

[@robertfoster7807]

Your dreaming they will, never get a man alive to mars

[@chir0pter]

I hope you realize that these "highly salt tolerant" plants can also become invasive species if they are able to make it to existing marshes. Invasive marsh grasses are already a problem in some areas.

[@FliGuyRyan]

Absolutely incredible... this needs to be taught in every university.

[@NateLee-nc6tb]

A deep heartfelt thank you to Mr Millison for bringing awareness to the type of ideas that work with nature to benefit society.

[@thejoker7902]

Been waiting for new videos too long. Can you make a video on urban heart island effect and it's solutions?

[@amillison]

I am actually filming that exact video this summer. It's going to be a good one :-)

[@galeparker1067]

New here!! And can hardly wait!! 👃✌️♥️♥️♥️🇨🇦​@@amillison

[@SurNimJ2]

Brad Lancaster is a champion in this domain

[@amillison]

@@SurNimJ2 Yes, Brad Lancaster was my original permaculture teacher back in 1996!

[@sallyshipwreck4315]

white paint, trees

[@hanspeter5372]

Interesting project would have liked to see more about harvesting and using the “crops”

[@davidbruce5838]

I would, too. I get the idea behind the general biomatter. But I fail to see any commercial value in the produce.

[@aleenaprasannan2146]

I hope this is only done in salt marshes and not just any coastal wetlands. Many coastal ecosystems have a delicate balance with the surface brackish water and groundwater, and many field that stagnate rainwater and infiltrate it is a very important part in balancing that subsurface seawater - groundwater barrier. There is actually very important salinity differences between just sea water and coastal brackish water in which mangroves grow, which is why sea level rise also kills mangroves. That is what differentiates the environments between salt marshes which are often large tidal flats with salt loving halopytes, from estuaries with brackish water backwaters full of mangroves; and why mangroves and the other halophytes are not seen in the same place. You should make the distinction very clearly and emphasize it, rather than giving the impression that letting in sea water is safe in both environments. If you don't caution against it, and if saltwater is pumped into some fields near an estuary- bbackwater system, it will cause irreversible damage to the ecosystem and hydrogeology of thay area. Because it has in some places. Somebody in one such area in my state had this brilliant idea to let in salt water to farm shrimps sometime in the past. It contaminated the local groundwater reservoir and now people can't use the wells they had been using for drinking water and household activities. So the big limit of this idea should and must be that it is a safe distance away from any fresh groundwater reservoir.

[@Conus426]

I've grown the first plant shown myself. We call it saltplant, because it can be used as a substitute for cooking salt (basically a salt herb). Such a great plant, and its a perennial in our climate, no need to buy salt anymore. It also grows in soil that doesnt have high salt content, it just obviously tastes less salty then.

[@SeanOHanlon]

Salicornia (AKA: Glassworts)

[@nftforest951]

I just ate 3 brats, and 2 full potatoes. Very thankful to see this video to take the pressure off. Thank you Andrew 🙏🏻

[@amillison]

🤣🤣🤣

[@galeparker1067]

What is a brat? How is this on topic? ✌️✌️👃♥️🇨🇦 Yhanjs 4 commenting! ♥️

[@ArtemisRahl15]

@@galeparker1067bratwurst?

[@galeparker1067]

@@ArtemisRahl15 oh..... 🥰✌️🇨🇦

[@user-ck3uu8rj3x]

Bratwurst is such a long word..

[@choui4]

Wait, so the native estuaries are destroyed for agriculture? It's possible I missed it, but I don't understand the synergistic effect of combining the native estuary with the large-scale agriculture and all its problems. In the video, it seems like there is no down side to the farming of that land, I just can't understand how that's possible.

[@amillison]

These are not healthy biodiverse wetlands that are being turned into agriculture. These are degraded salt marshes where people have tried to farm for a long time

[@choui4]

@@amillison ah, okay. Is that to say they're already "destroyed" and are lacking in any biodiversity? What's to stop Big Ag from using these wonderful techniques on non-destroyed land?

[@amillison]

@@choui4 This particular site where the video starts was just salty land that was used for cattle grazing. Theoretically someone could disturb an intact biodiverse ecosystem, but there's a whole lot of degraded coastal wetlands out there that would benefit from this system and would be easier to start with.

[@CaptainDickGs]

@@choui4Most likely the government will create incentives for businesses to use these even if it causes major price increases, lessening of product quality or longevity, similar to what they are doing currently.

[@MsAure]

No Farmers NO food.Simple.Great product presented.

[@samuelbarker780]

If seawater can only flow into the area and evaporate but never flow out won’t the marsh just gradually get saltier and saltier until not even these plants can survive?

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Yes. But it's good for a couple if decades of EU funding and regional government graft, so who's going to listen to ecologists who aren't on the take?

[@janbiel900]

Okay, but how do you get rid of the salt? The way you described it, you let in salt water and the plants use the water and a little bit of salt. Arent you just adding more and more salf over time to these systems? My guess is this doesnt happen in marshlands that get flodded because the high concentration of salt gets washed out by lower concentration sea water?

[@TardigradeSurviverofapocalypse]

There are variety of rice which grows in salt water...

[@drillerdev4624]

Arroz de albufera We do that in Spain as well, just a bit more to the northeast ;) However, that's a particular habitat with low salinity due to river and sea waters mixing in an extensive area Similar, but not quite the same

[@simontillson482]

There are some varieties that can tolerate a little salt, making them good for areas that get salt build up from evaporation or occasional river backwash, but those soils are a lot less salty than seawater - no rice can grow in soils flooded by that, unfortunately.

[@benjaminallisonii724]

This sounds pretty amazing. My question is does flooding the inland costal areas effect preexisting estuary life or is adding more salt water to these estuaries beneficial to biodiversity overall?

[@amillison]

They are not inundating lands that were not historically salty marshes. They may be lands that were drained in order to try and grow non-salty crops, which is a losing proposition in terms of sea level rise. Only in inland deserts where there is only salty groundwater are they bringing saltwater onto lands that are not already salted

[@benjaminallisonii724]

@@amillison Thank you for the response, this makes a lot more sense. It all sounded to good to be true so I had to ask some questions!

[@dandelano]

​@amillison Great video! Love the inspiration you bring. Were there any discussions around developing less invasive hydropower systems? Has anyone done the math at the rate these would need to expand to offset sea level rising? This will bring more rainwater to these regions. As you have noted, the water cycle may be the most impactful.

[@jannetteberends8730]

In the Netherlands we are developing normal vegetables that can grow on silted ground. Check salt farm Texel. It seems that especially potatoes taste better than the normal ones Of course we are also growing the original salt water crop. You can buy them in the supermarkets everywhere

[@robertlemoine3500]

I’m thankful 😊

[@woodonfire7406]

Just imagine... IMAGINE! All the desert countries that have access to the sea, can finally turn most of their landscapes to green

[@gerritvandenbosch4681]

That will be a bit more difficult as they don't have soil... And all the microbiome that is needed for the plants. But I guess it is doable.

[@davidchong4868]

it's just impossible. only things close to this (and very far in reality) is just grow fields of cactus and they doesn't provide much usefull material for anything. this is just a scam

[@etienne8110]

Right before rising sea levels destroys those... 😅 Short term thinking, and that s assuming this ever works.

[@gerritvandenbosch4681]

@@etienne8110 the sea levels are not rising, so that helps the long term prospects of the project... And even if they are.... The projected rise is far smaller than the height of that project too by the look of the ducts

[@alekto101]

yes, i do think that north african countries will greatly benefit from this development.

[@Tugedhel]

Again Dr. Millison: The key to being a great teacher is having a hunger to learn on a topic and the ability to digest and present. I look forward to talking with students who run into this content in class. :-)

[@prmichaelsamples]

But… where is the market for these products? Who or what is going to eat them?

[@shadeedmuhammad8107]

​@@prmichaelsamples Good question? Hope to hear the answer but also if no one use these products ever people can still benefit from the conversion of saltwater to just water. We have to stoping thinking profit to what is good for not just us the people or person but for the planet. Think what we could do with the saltwater once it is treated. More water to farm other crops with, to use to clean with and also we could direct this water back into the earth especially in place that does not rain alot. Also we could them start to use use lakes, rivers, ponds and underground water as a reserve and use treated saltwater as our main source of WAter instead. In this game you have to think outside of the box.

[@prmichaelsamples]

Without a market incentive it would require artificial incentives and won’t happen.

[@AlicedeTerre]

@@prmichaelsamplesthere are tons of agricultural goods now that require subsidies. Look up government cheese.

[@shadeedmuhammad8107]

@@prmichaelsamples with all due respect, if we are talking about going outer space, time travel, controlling weather, then it can happen. It is all about if you want it to or not. It is about a different mind set. It is about selfish vs selfishness. Receiving or giving. It can happen and will happen because people who want it to will get together and make it happen and people like yourself who may not believe in it will pass up on it and move to another concept to empower it. That's all. We have to stop thinking in business terms and think in terms of what is better for the earth and everything living on the earth. Put it like this....... Mine, body and soul vs money power and respect. But with that said I do respect your outlook and opinion because everyone is due that. I like what these men are doing because they are trying to empower something other than corporations, governments and foolish. They are changing the way we view our exist. God states honor thy mother and father......and we call the planet MOTHER earth because she takes care of us so why not try. Why not try.

[@user-xz9sk2ew3o]

Thank you Andrew for bringing to us these inspiring projects!

[@electrosyzygy]

This is truly transformative in potential. If mangroves are integrated into agriculture the benefits will be enormous. On top of all the benefits described in the video this will prevent lots of coastal erosion and put to productive and protective use land that would be otherwise lost to rising seas. From Bangladesh to Florida, this is huge.

[@philurbaniak1811]

👍 speaking with zero expertise here but this looks like it could be a very expensive net win or a very expensive net loss, my fingers are crossed for a good result 🤞!

[@tricky1992000]

I watched a video about using samphire in Eritrea years ago. I am surprised it never caught on.

[@fum2121]

I was wondering if this is a continuation project or a new startup in the same space.

[@tricky1992000]

@@fum2121 I did post a link to the project, but it's been removed.

[@Kaepora2]

This needs to start happening all around the world. This really does change everything

[@pigimiceli]

beyond amazing. This channel really gave me hope back

[@knottytoob]

All your drops are meaningfully timed and hence, very appreciated. Thanks Andrew and keep them 'flowing'.

[@hamid30nbl]

Great channel. Great project

[@user-li9om1op3x]

i hope they would look into introducing some bivalves and if appropriate and possible some kelp or marine life that would help support the bird population. There is also unique olive trees that survives salty areas and actually allows for olives to be picked and eaten straight off the branch. I feel like these olives would thrive in this area. Seeing as Southern Europe is having issues growing enough olive for production, this would be a good addition. The briquettes that are made from the olive pomice is also a great cooking source.

[@woodcraftable]

Awesome Andrew - Thank you for helping in spreading this important information. Nature is amazing. Hoping that more people around the world start this practice.

[@zacharymoss2994]

Ive been thinking about digging canals into the sahara from the medditerran sea and using African mangrove plants to green the Sahara.

[@amillison]

People have had that idea for a long time. Google "Qatara Depression" and you'll see the best spot

[@zacharymoss2994]

It's amazing and much easier than underground canals with rocks that filter salt out of the water, and with the plants native to the region along with the likely influx of marine Mediterranean wildlife and the African green wall, it could make any nearby land into destination fishing and safari spots, and thanks to easier conditions scientists and archeologists could have a easier time studying the Sahara's past. All that needs to be done is to convince Islamic leaders of those countries of the benefits to their peoples. I also found beavers have been greening desert landscapes for millions of years. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIOQZnlvrZKZo9Esi=zflrlXRlpgxK9Tuq

[@zacharymoss2994]

@@amillison I also saw this video on Saudi Arabia desalination and made a comment on how useful brine is, with brine being a product of desalination. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kF6papt-nZuqeqcsi=5qwf2XbsCvZcc29B

[@mouyat]

Success or failure, I think it’s vital we experiment like this. We need to find solutions to global problems.

[@jalitzaa.v4725]

Wow how cool is this!!

[@finnagin]

Babe wake up, new Andrew Millison video

[@inuiechoi193]

halophyte even sounds cool. halo

[@americanadreaming]

After that debate the other night, I needed some good news. Thanks, friend.

[@Jamiebrackenmusic]

really good video Andrew thanks for putting it together

[@harsectinal]

I have a massive salt cedar on my property and was just discussing how to property incorporate it into my permaculture inspired plans. Thanks Andrew!

[@divyamacsuedon3899]

The most stunning changes are happening because of you and others like you, Andrew. Thankyou!

[@codniggh1139]

This would create healthier cow meat or any meat with omega 3

[@juandelacruz1520]

Love this idea and I'd love to work also in this kind of project,, thank you for sharing this kind of activity.

[@Elysianism]

And all of sudden everyone's an expert!!

[@haraorganic_pk]

I am doing a project in nooriabad Pakistan. Please cover this

[@brandonzzz9924]

Harvesting that must be a pain in the ass. Separating out all the different plants and flowers, then separating each part of the plants without damaging them to sell every part, all over wet and uneven ground. I can't imagine this will be economically viable, but hopefully governments understand that there is value in healthy ecosystems and subsidize.

[@amillison]

They don't separate out all the plants. They process it all together into animal feed or pelletize it for aquaculture fish feed

[@ricos1497]

​@@amillison but the video implied that they used the seeds for oil, the fibrous stems for wood fibre and the greenery for animal feed. Is that not the case?

[@jmanfromthehills]

@@ricos1497no it clearly said that they “could be” used for those. But currently Andrew has been commenting they only use it for pelletized fish feed and fertilizer

[@ricos1497]

@@jmanfromthehills it didn't "clearly" say anything, hence why Andrew has had to clarify in the comments. He didn't use the word "could" in the video, he used the word "can", before discussing the high yields. "Could" being hypothetical, "can" being synonymised with "will" in general use. I don't think that anyone watching the video would come away thinking that they weren't separating the yields, it was completely implied in context and wordage. Why is it important? Because it takes the project from being a multi benefit permaculture style project, to essentially another monocrop. How long before they start having to spray for a particular "weed" that they don't appreciate? Of course, that's a hypothetical that could be raised against any organic model, so unfair, I'm merely making a point. It stands, though, that this project only produces to things. Carbon credits that allow large polluters to continue polluting, and feed for the meat farming industry, including all the dubious practices that entails (indeed, it was cattle farming that caused the land degradation in the first instance).

[@rafaeldegiacomoaraujo8778]

Very interesting! Thank you

[@wesmann65]

Outstanding!

[@elizabethdavis1696]

Wouldn’t coconuts and breadfruit grow in salt marsh

[@rashidsabri7319]

I don't believe Spain is capable of producing coconut or breadfruit, I believe the winters get too cold. This is only my assumption though.

[@drillerdev4624]

​@@rashidsabri7319 we are already wrecking our agricultural equilibrium with massive avocado plantations, I'd rather we don't popularize another crop that can displace local ones We are currently emptying our subterranean aquifers in order to grow crops with bigger water demands

[@raclark2730]

Not sure about breadfruit but coconut is highly salt tolerant.

[@got2kittys]

Coconut needs some kind of fresh water source. Even a groundwater source, if they grow by the sea. They wont grow on only actual ocean water.

[@raclark2730]

@@got2kittys Yes indeed tolerant is not the same as fully marine.

[@RCas-wt7cj]

This is what the state of California needs to do with the Salton Sea.

[@undacuvabrotha]

Unfortunately, or fortunately, the Salton Sea is in the process of being “mined” for lithium if I’m not mistaken

[@melburn4596]

@@undacuvabrothayeah on a small scale. There is definitely enough space for experimentation

[@macmcleod1188]

The water of the Salton Sea has a salinity of 44 grams of salt per liter. Typical sea water is 33 to 37 grams of salt per liter. It's closer to brine than sea water. Many salt tolerant plants won't grow in the brine. Algae does grow in the water still tho.

[@itsrachelfish]

@@macmcleod1188 Exactly! If we filled it up with less salty ocean water it would help balance the lake so more of these plants could grow :)

[@WS-gw5ms]

This will be the exact same way, for the exact same reason. Bro is literally salting the earth. ​@@macmcleod1188

[@joannejohnson7006]

Glad you are doing the work and I am grateful to see us moving forward . Congratulations 👏

[@Hobnobble]

Saline Syntrophic Agroforestry; where everything feeds everything else pushing on the 'flywheel effect' to increase financial production, biodiversity, and ecological security. Bring in the nerds! We need lots of university level studies!

[@rosemarymcbride3419]

Jesus some of these comment 😵‍💫 we're not gunna just find ourselves walking away from the ways we presently do things, as terrible as they are. Carbon capture is a deeply flawed model to try and work towards the ways we want humanity to change, but its a fucking attempt. If thats the best we've got right now then I'll damnwell take it because that allows us the space to take the next step and the next one and the next one. Don't get stuck, nature doesn't. If you don't change you die, if you won't change then you suffer while you do it.

[@RaniVeluNachar-kx4lu]

Mangrove swamps in South Florida is a prime protector of the coastline and a key species for estuarine ecosystems. But development in coastal areas didn't put a value on Mangrove dominant coastal communities. So, we have suffered. The Indian River Estuary and the St. Lucie River is quite a dark tea colored tannic water body. It' was blue and clear like one can still find in the remote islands of the Bahamas. We use to have Bahamas Islands quality coastal waters right here in South Florida. Now we have quite spoiled and degraded filth water. It took about 60 years and that was it. From the 1920's to the 1980s was the beginning of the great loss of water quality and biodiversity. But I suspect with a few more destructive Hurricanes and the resulting huge cost to rebuild and insure coastal development, some areas will be abandoned and others will be replanted with Mangrove along the coasts. Florida, especially South Florida does NOT have to remain a cesspool. One can dream.

[@martinlogan8329]

Sorry, simple UK guy here, hoping to understand what you're saying a bit better. Are you saying that florida lost a lot of the mangroves in place of residential developments and that this has led to worsening water quality?

[@raclark2730]

Good thing about mangroves is they are easy to propagate and encourage. The hard part is convincing people of the value of doing so. There are a few mangrove projects starting to happen around the world. But like many things it is only going to make a real difference on a large scale. Sad to see what has been happening with the sawfish and other species over there. Lets hope things can be done better in the future and we don't just have to dream. 🤞👍. au

[@generalrendar7290]

So most of the food produced is for livestock, the stems used in plywood, and the seed tips can be used in cooking. Then we have timber and textile production for the mangroves. Certainly is interesting what they are doing.

[@gospelofchange]

This is the vibe

[@silasmortensen1129]

Im a little skeptical of the underlying intention here... does this project want to regenrate mangrove forests/create habitats in saltmarshes? or does it want to create farmland? It might be possible to do both but it seems to good to be true...

[@amillison]

They are doing restoration that is also agricultural. The main yields from a regenerative mangrove system would be farmed shrimp. That system is not built yet, but that is the vision

[@markd.9042]

The malthusians are gonna have a hard time justifying how this won't work

[@spikesmth]

I'm not a malthusian, and I have no doubt that the plant growth alone has some general benefit. What I'm skeptical of, however, is the demand/value of the products harvested from this operation. "Selling carbon credits" is not a fundamentally productive output. It seems like the greenery produced for animal feed would only be a fractional additive into some kind of processed feed, probably low prices if it doesn't serve as any other input. And plant fibers, also not really a high value-add product. This will probably hinge on the low cost of production/harvesting/transportation on whether it will break even as an overall project. (The carbon credits certainly help the viability!)

[@markd.9042]

@@spikesmth I can see that being the case, but it's like he said, it can also be turned into a cooking oil. I can see that combined with animal feed as a good boon for this model.

[@spikesmth]

@@markd.9042 Yes, my point is this depends, critically, on large scale and low costs. The fact they're scaling up is good, but there are a lot of exogenous factors that would impact the cost of operations and yields. I think this is (for now) a fragile enterprise that still has a high probability of failure.

[@TheNewYear75]

40% of the global arable land is used for crops for animal feed (which continues to shock me). Any shift in the direction of a more cyclic relationships with natural resources is a good and important one.

[@rschiwal]

What is needed is a market for those plants. For decades, policies to introduce drought-resistant crops into Africa and other arid regions have failed because the crops produced were disgusting and nobody would eat them.

[@09conrado]

Looks like one of the things you could learn at Wageningen University, with this Dutch-looking water management system

[@arialblack87]

Done completely without the community. Big founds, investors, carbon market... not the change I wish to see in my area. Sad greetings fron Southern Spain

[@RaniVeluNachar-kx4lu]

Here's a thought As salt water levels rise, coastal communities may turn to desalinization for drinking water. Desalinization produces salty waste water. Why not spread the waste water from Desalinization onto barren coastal lands to replicate more of such Halophyte zones?

[@andrewparry1474]

It's too salty. But maybe they could bring the salt content down with cleanish waste water from sewerage etc. No idea if how often that's a good idea - if at all.

[@FoxyfloofJumps]

@@andrewparry1474 Depends on how many layers that sewage passes thru. A biofilter ecosystem can have just 3 or 4 layers, or up to 100+ It depends on volume, speed of flow, and the local topography of the land, as well as the geology of the underlying landmass too. There is no single solution, but there are enough different keys to open all locks. You just have to find them. And the internet makes that easier than ever.

[@aleenaprasannan2146]

Its not 'may have to' they will have to. There was project like this to let in sea water into fields gor cultivating prawns and it wrecked the groundwater table there. The wells used for drinking water and household use in those areas became unusable because of saltwater contamination of groundwater. This kind of project should only ever be implemented in areas that are already too far contaminated with salt water in soil and groundwater reservoir that people cannot settle there without bringing in freshwater from somewhere else.

[@supremepartydude]

All you Doom and Gloom types want to ignore this guy because he is far too positive. Great stuff Dude

[@katherandefy]

I wish so much that this project were in the Southern US which is hard pressed to find a way out of climate woes and is one of the worst places to be in that regard. I mean that is why it is cheapest to live there because it is so hot and getting weirder weather all the time. Amazingly people think we are going backwards but this project brings back so much that we have “progressively” lost due to direct land use for industries. Of course it was real progress for a time. But now that same land use is the center of what such use has cost not only the land but the people who live there. It is the poorest region and it is populous and really the least invested back into. It was the textile nexus of the world at one time. Now the soils no longer can grow those textile crops. The negativity in the comments really kills me. This restoration project would create a much better place to live. It would restore ecological balance so that natural predators can keep invasive species to a low roar, like mosquitos. I mean as much as it rains now, the quality is not at all what a wetlands ecosystem is. Instead it is just destructive flooding with little to no amp to biodiversity. Water is not just water. The difference in nutrients is staggering between sea water and fresh water. This is why the original land was so good for agriculture in the first place. And it has not been replenished not even by Monsanto chemistry. I don’t know why people are moaning about this project in Spain.

[@dantepieperify]

first off, enjoyed the video! But I think comparing the yield to something like wheat isn't fair. he even says that the succulents contain more water. why not compare it to something with similar water content. I know that you want to make it sound more attractive but the fact that you can grow useful crops on soil that would otherwise have little use (excluding mangroves) is a great development on its own. I think the unfair comparisons takes away from the positive educational message and turns it into a sales pitch.

[@lephtovermeet]

You're literally saving the world.

[@lisadoetsch5618]

Soo smart! Love it!

[@pongop]

Wow, this is amazing and inspiring and there are so many opportunities! Amazing video!

[@_yonas]

Dedicating even more land to the industrial farming of livestock doesn't seem to be the right thing to do at the moment...

[@lilyyoung1673]

Salinating soil artificially is such a red flag how could you advertise this?

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Because clicks = views = ad revenue

[@gpayneinc]

You work is very good.

[@remedypath5941]

Love you guys !!!!!!

[@jarilyden]

Please quit putting music on top of the discussion. Makes following the videos really difficult and does not add anything positive.

[@brunodharma8149]

Great video !

[@jesswatt5824]

Your videos are always so packed with info and so well done. And the illustrations are ridiculous.

[@user-de3ez9lf3e]

Excellent

[@ScalerWave]

Amazing

[@VeganYeshua]

This is amazing! 💪

[@stevec404]

Brilliant.

[@leelindsay5618]

Perhaps cover some of the greening going on in the Chihuahuan Desert and how there are also regreening areas starting in New Mexico and Arizona.

[@leelindsay5618]

I needed some good news today. Thanks.

[@davdua1991]

it's not really salt water, it's diluted by the river water, it only works around river deltas, not everywhere

[@leroyessel2010]

Besides halophytes Carl Hodges in Ethiopia encouraged shrimp and mangrove trees irrigated by gravity fed ocean water comparable to aquaponics in desert sand.

[@panpawedunker3870]

Your course looks very nice, i might be interested next time. I'm sure you'll let us know.

[@ThatOneAccount931]

Omg. Something positive in this hellhole of a world. Thank u. Really, thank u

[@gabrielvdenton]

Very cool!

[@juliamarsh2077]

This is great thinking outside the box.... with some buts of course. For example, you have to be very very certain about the benefits before allowing salt water to spread further. Once land is salty very little grows on it and you don't need to wait long at all for this to happen.... I also wonder what such regular cutting does to insect biodiversity.

[@SamsonOhsem]

What a great initiative.

[@raclark2730]

This is really cool. 😎👍