A large part of our planet is undergoing desertification, primarily because of increasing temperatures and prolonged droughts driven by climate change. And with land degradation intensified by harmful agricultural practices such as monoculture and overgrazing, the earth’s rising population is facing less and less arable land. Yet, this effect can be countered with commitment, knowledge, community spirit, and a lot of vision.
Planting hope in the Sinai Peninsula
Community spirit and vision is precisely what Habiba Community embodies. Started by an Egyptian man and an Italian woman, this initiative found a way to regreen Egypt’s harsh Sinai Peninsula. And it holds the promise of revitalizing livelihoods across the entire region.
In 1994, Maged and Lorena moved from Cairo to Nuweiba to establish Habiba Beach Lodge, relaxed accommodation on the coastline overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba. They were troubled to find that the local indigenous Bedouin community was living in extreme poverty. The tourism industry on the Red Sea, which provided employment for many, had come under pressure, particularly from terrorist attacks. And living off the land was not an option on this desertified terrain.
Habiba Beach Lodge on the Red Sea
From tourism to organic farming: A new beginning
Determined to take a more responsible, ecotourism approach to their operation to mitigate its impact on the surrounding environment and provide food and nutrition for the struggling local community, Maged and Lorena set up Habiba Organic Farm in 2007 as an extension of Habiba Beach Lodge. This initiative started providing a consistent supply of nutritious food for the community and reduced reliance on imported goods, making healthy food more accessible and affordable. The farm also became a source of employment and education, as community members actively participated in farming activities and were eager to learn sustainable agricultural practices to replicate elsewhere in the region. This empowerment fostered a sense of pride and ownership within the community, further strengthening local support for the farm and its mission.
The entrance to Habiba Organic Farm
Bridging the desert
In 2018, news of Habiba Organic Farm’s success in the South Sinai Peninsula reached Charling Tao, an academic researcher, environmental activist, and co-founder of Ecosystem Restoration Communities. At the time, Charling was actively involved in the Lake Bardawil and Sinai Regeneration Initiative Project in the North Sinai Peninsula, a proposal by The Weather Makers, and was seeking nearby collaborators.
Charling was excited to learn that Habiba’s efforts to involve the local Bedouin people in ecosystem restoration included women and children. This inspired her to connect with Maged and Lorena, leading her to visit the farm, a moment which marked the beginning of a new chapter in Habiba’s journey.
Charling Tao with Maged El Said at Habiba Organic Farm
Embracing a new approach to farming
With the encouragement of Charling and John D. Liu, founder of the ERC movement, Maged and Lorena joined the Ecosystem Restoration Communities movement in 2019 with the goal of establishing a regenerative farm and education center: Habiba Community. Having led their local community in organic farming for more than ten years, they decided to first experiment with regenerative farming, to ensure it was feasible and effective in Nuweiba’s unique environment, before shifting the community to this new practice. They bought a 6,000 square meter piece of land and, together with Charling, started practicing regenerative agriculture and water recycling methods to enhance farming techniques and build long-term resilience against the impacts of climate change on food security.
Regenerative what?
Regenerative agriculture is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems. The term and practice have been around since the 1980s, however, many of its principles—such as crop rotation, cover cropping, and organic farming techniques—have been practiced by traditional and indigenous cultures for centuries. The approach focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, and strengthening the health and vitality of the land, leaving it in better shape for the future.
Creating a living, learning laboratory
Practicing regenerative farming at Habiba Community involved much “unlearning” by the team, as it meant eliminating several practices used in organic farming. For example, they had previously used organic pesticides and NPK fertilizer imported from France in addition to traditional compost, but a regenerative farming approach avoids using any nutrients or pest control apart from natural substances. Finding workable, regenerative alternatives they started placing layers of seaweed around the plants, along with mud from the flood plains, organic leftovers from the restaurant kitchen at Habiba Lodge, and animal manure obtained from their Bedouin neighbours. They learned how to water the manure and let it decompose for 18 months to remove harmful components like ammonia, lactic acid bacteria and pathogens. They also left the endemic vegetation intact having learned that it, too, plays a role in creating a healthy ecosystem. Five years on, Habiba Community continues to experiment on their regenerative farm, from testing soil building and irrigation techniques to using non-native plant species and different vegetable varieties and trying permaculture growing methods.
The regenerative farm in its early stages
“When I discovered the importance of regenerative farming, its role in conservation of the ecosystem, and the importance of this holistic approach, we worked out that the simplest way to implement it was to just mimic nature.”
Maged El Said
Spreading the knowledge (and goodness)
Having refined the basic techniques and proved the viability of regenerative farming during the initial experimental phase, Maged and Lorena were ready to invite the Bedouin community to visit the pilot project. They explained the difference between regenerative and organic farming practices and the long-term benefits of regenerative farming. The Bedouins witnessed how crops at the regenerative farm were more robust and the soil more fertile compared to the organic farm. Habiba Community also offered training for the local community on how to adopt this alternative farming practice and take advantage of its long-term benefits.
As a result, 12 landowners have adopted Habiba’s regenerative practices and established their own farms, and a further 75 local Bedouin farms have replicated the regenerative farming approach in their own backyards! This has improved their agricultural practices and fostered greater environmental awareness within the community.
Regenerative farming being adopted in a community member’s back yard
A Bedouin woman shows the bountiful harvest in her back yard
Habiba Community is also sharing its regenerative agriculture knowledge with the wider world and scientific community. It has forged many partnerships with national and international universities and research centers. The regenerative farm has become a Regenerative Learning Centre: an open-air laboratory where experimentation with new (and old) technologies is ongoing, and students and experts come to carry out projects and research on behalf of their university or organisation in the fields of regenerative agriculture, water and irrigation, environmental ethics and engineering, botany, biology, microbiology and more.
Habiba Community also attracts local and international edutourism volunteers who want to combine travelling with learning. When they’re not soaking up the warm Red Sea or enjoying some delicious farm-to-table meals at Habiba Lodge, these volunteers can be found working at the organic farm and the regenerative farm, where they are learning regenerative farming skills so that they in turn can pass this knowledge on to others.
A visiting research student at Habiba’s Regenerative Learning Centre prepares samples to test soil salinity
An thriving oasis of hope
Today, the 16,000 square meter organic farm at Habiba Community, along with the other local farms it inspired, has become an oasis of hope in a seemingly desperate place. This farm, along with the 6,000 square meter regenerative farm, represents Habiba’s commitment to sustainable agriculture. The organic farm has become Habiba Lodge’s biggest attraction, especially with the growing global interest in eco-tourism.
Habiba Community is living, thriving proof for Bedouins, other tribes in the Sinai Peninsula, and thousands of international visitors, volunteers and experts that sustainable farming on arid land is not only possible, but also highly effective in reversing desertification.
The extraordinary journey of Habiba Community demonstrates that with vision, dedication, and innovative practices, even the harshest environments can be transformed into landscapes of abundance.
Regenerative farming is just part of Habiba Community’s story. Go here to learn more about their many other inspiring community initiatives.