Rationale

ABSTRACT

This project proposal intends to design an entertainment center for people interested in plantations and would like to embrace a little garden in their home. The project will employ a hydroponic system to produce organic crops; the hydroponic system is growing plants without soil using water only. Despite that Closed water circuits encourage a kind of microbial activity that grows in water, the microbial activates when the water does not get cleaned which technology will take a part in maintaining the water. Technology will be Employed to control temperature, maintenance, light, and other preliminary factors of hydroponic agriculture. The purpose of this system is to stimulate organic production due to its nutritional benefits and lower the risk of exposure to toxic substances in the food. Organically grown crops are shown to be rich in phosphorous, magnesium, iron, and Vitamin C, and a lower concentration of pesticide residues and nitrates. Moreover, Even though organic livestock has access to outdoor food and organic feed, they are supplemented with animal by-products, growth hormones, and antibiotics. Axel Mie, Stefan, and Kahl (2017) note that inorganic farm products, both crop and animal, are concentrated with substances that harm the body. Due to it is economic environmental and health benefits Qatar should embrace organic cultivation methods. The project will support the Qatari government and people environmentally, health, and economically. Since the embargo on Qatar, the nation has had to overhaul its farming practices to fill the food gap, which is heavily dependent on imports. While this affected the economy of the nation, the adoption of organic farming has proved to be profitable to the economy. The nation spent significantly on importing organic food products which are very expensive. But studies show that organic agriculture is very cheap; however, the prices for organic products are high because of high demand. Abusin and Brian (2020) state that organic farming in Qatar is a more efficient economic system for profit as well as reducing the environmental impacts that end up increasing the total cost of production. Organic farming depends on low-input farming practices such as crop rotation and extensive hands-on input from a farmer. Such production methods ensure that the nation can invest very little capital to produce and maintain organic farms. On the national scale, organic farming in Qatar reduces the social costs associated with erosion, reduces the depletion of fossil fuels, and reduces the federal costs needed to support commodity prices. Furthermore, home gardens benefits exceed food security. Affording sustainable food from home garden uplift a huge financial burden from people; home garden can save money on groceries. people claiming that they have no time to take care of plants, however, the Hydroponic system does not require that much of care as conventional agriculture. One of the positive environmental effects of organic farming in Qatar is its sustainability over a long period of time. In the country, organic agriculture takes a proactive approach to ensure the hostile environment can sustain food production. As such, modern solutions, such as atmospheric water harvesting, are applied to make the environment suitable for farming . Airborne water is a renewable and sustainable source of water as the humidity is naturally renewed through evaporation from water bodies. Because of the environmental, health, and economic benefits of organic farming, Qatar should embrace and invest in organic methods of cultivation.

RATIONALE

Why Qatar Should Embrace Organic Cultivation Methods ?

Food is essential for all functions of the human body, and as such, we need food for breathing, growth, and repair, and for keeping our immune system strong. As Qatar’s population continues to rise rapidly, the necessity for a more reliable approach to food production has become more apparent. As a strategy for cultivating food and addressing its nutritional needs, organic practices and principles are crucial and, most importantly, critical for survival. Organic agriculture is practiced under the principles of health, ecology, and care, all of which promote human wellness. These were laid down by The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), a body that represents organic organizations worldwide. The thesis project will articulate an organic environment through architectural design, the design will implement greenhouse features in an urbanized way to reflect an organic environment. Due to the environmental, health and economic benefits of organic farming, Qatar should embrace organic methods of cultivation. It is important to note that the industrial agriculture and food system contributes a significant part in the rise of chronic illnesses, ecological crises, economic and social inequality, all of which can be attributed to monocultures of heavily sprayed genetically modified crops. The breeding associated with genetic modification of crops leads to an increase in the number of secondary metabolites, all of which have been reported to harm the human body. Such include celery psoralens, which are phototoxic and known to heighten the risk of getting skin cancer, cottonseed Gossypol associated with impairment of the reproductive, respiratory, and immune systems, triterpene saponins in legumes related to hemolytic anemia and canavanine, an amino acid in the alfalfa plant which is neurotoxic. Additionally, heavy pesticide use associated with genetic modification of crops poses numerous health risks to farmworkers and consumers of these products ranging from endocrine disruption( associated with sterility, retardation of growth, poor immune function, thyroid diseases) to poisoning, obesity, cancers like leukemia, testicular and cervical cancer among others. On the other hand, the hydroponic agriculture system optimizes on minimal use of chemical-free, fertilizers, and off-farm material and this way not only ensures productivity and health of the people but also enhances biodiversity and ecological balance. Research by the Organic Center established that organic foods have higher amounts of antioxidants, polyphenols, and flavonoids, and are 25% higher in nutrients than other foods. Another publication by Agricultural Food Chemistry confirmed that organic foods have higher phenolic content, which has antioxidant, anticancer, and inhibition of platelet clumping activity. In addition to producing fresh and better-tasting food, organic farming is environmentally friendly. It avoids the use of chemically derived nitrogen, which contributes mainly to climate change and water pollution. This type of agriculture can also be practiced at home, community farms and gardens, urban gardens, and even CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) for families with low-income earnings and this way resolve the unfairness and economic injustice in a system that provides meager incomes to crop farmers and lots of unhealthy junk to those who are poorer.1 The importance of producing food locally became apparent to Qatar after the economic blockade, which was imposed on June 5, 2017. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt amputated diplomatic associations with the country banning ships and airplanes from Qatar from using their sea routes, airspace along with Saudi Arabia stalling Qatar’s only land crossing( Al Jazeera). Three years down the line, Qatar still depends on imported foods for its food security. The Natural Marketing Institute has revealed the increased embrace of organic foods with yearly sales tripling worldwide. According to their predictions, organic produce is expected to keep rising in years to come by up to 20% annually. Concentrating on organic farming will provide Qatar with food security, provide ecological balance to its climate, and give it a substantial economic boost. It will need to import agricultural produce and export its products to the already available world market.