A new source of food and clean energy from the desert sun
We promote environmental and social advancements through sustainable innovation that creates shared value.
Made of Sun – Sahara Forest Project
The results
Hectares of desert cultivated
Tons of product grown
Kg of vegetables used in Costa & Aida ships
People employed in the facility
2019/2021
Concluded
In collaboration with: Sahara Forest Project Foundation
THE CHALLENGE: sustainable agriculture and green jobs
Climate change is destroying the planet and the problem does not just concern emerging economies.
Land loss due to desertification and the depletion of water resources are issues that also affect Europe and the rest of the world.
Agriculture is one of those sectors in which the discrepancies of our time manifest most dramatically.
Production, transport, fertilisation, water usage and deforestation emit over 20% of total greenhouse gases, making agriculture one of the main culprits in the ongoing climate crisis, but also its first casualty.
In this context, and considering global population growth, developing new practices and new technologies that are highly productive with low environmental impacts, is paramount.
THE GOAL: to conserve our “environmental resource” for the future
The Made of Sun project supports the Sahara Forest Project Foundation in a sustainable farming challenge that could become a model of sustainable farming and a solution to the water crisis, for all areas experiencing water shortages.
The aim is to contribute to the natural regeneration project already underway in the Jordanian desert, to reach about 20 hectares of planted area and produce 34,000 tons of fruit and vegetables, leading to positive employment outcomes for the local communities.
OUR PROJECT: to adopt new farming methods
Transforming the desert into a green and luxuriant area for producing an abundance of food through a vast, ambitious and pioneering project in sustainable agriculture. This is the dream manifest in the desert of Jordan by the visionary and innovative capabilities of the Sahara Forest Project Foundation.
An idea that perfectly unites the Costa Crociere Foundation’s overarching commitment to promoting social and environmental gains, which has led to enthusiastically embrace and strongly support the future development of the project.
The principle is simple: use what you have in great supply to produce what you need.
Desert, saltwater and sunlight: these are the ingredients used in this area of Jordan to be converted into fresh water, food and clean energy according to an environmentally sustainable process, making this system a true model of sustainable farming.
We are in the region surrounding the port of Aqaba and characterised by very low rainfall and extreme summer temperatures. And this is where the innovative technology, unveiled at the UN Climate Change Conference and developed through an ongoing study process of data modelling, tests, pilot projects, research and development programmes, was born. All thanks to farming in hydroponic greenhouses, cooled with desalinated water and solar powered.
A futuristic project that has already garnered tangible results and exceeded all expectations, with 3 hectares of farmland reaping about 130 tons of vegetables and desalinating 10,000 litres of water daily.
It is a potential revolution in land use, which could mean extraordinary benefits for the climate, people and business.
An approach geared at maximising environmental sustainability and further supported by the involvement of the Costa and Aida ships, docking in the port of Aqaba.
By purchasing the produce grown in the desert and presenting it to our guests in dishes created ad hoc by our Chefs, it will become possible to savour the taste and quality produced by these new farming practices.
