{"id":7670,"date":"2010-10-27T11:32:51","date_gmt":"2010-10-27T15:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?p=7670"},"modified":"2010-10-27T18:25:46","modified_gmt":"2010-10-27T22:25:46","slug":"water-syria-should-abandon-its-policy-of-food-self-sufficiency-elhadj-and-al-khouli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/water-syria-should-abandon-its-policy-of-food-self-sufficiency-elhadj-and-al-khouli\/","title":{"rendered":"Water: &#8220;Syria Should abandon its Policy of Food Self-Sufficiency,&#8221; Elhadj and Al-Khouli"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"width: 195px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/WORLD\/meast\/9910\/18\/syria.water\/index.html\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" \" src=\"http:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/WORLD\/meast\/9910\/18\/syria.water\/field.syria.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"185\" height=\"252\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Drought has forced farmers to use untreated sewage to irrigate a field.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Syria Comment&#8217;s Elie Elhadj supports the view of Yasin al-Khouli recently published in Syria Steps. Both analysts explain why Syria should push tourism and and abandon the time honored policy of promoting agricultural self-sufficiency. For too long, Syria has viewed food as a strategic product. For reasons of national defense and pride, Syria has poured money into food self-sufficiency. Elie explains why this policy is too expensive, drains precious water supplies, and is bad for both the economy and defense. He writes<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">???? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??? ????? ???? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ?????<\/p>\n<p>I wholeheartedly agree with Yaseen Khouli.<\/p>\n<p>His courage is admirable. It runs in the face of the official sanctioned discourse on a delicate slogan like food self-sufficiency in an arid\/semi arid Syria.<\/p>\n<p>A small correction, though, regarding the surface of arable land in Syria. In 2008, the arable surface was 6 million hectares.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">???? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ??? 2025 ??????? ?? ???????? ???????? ????? ?????? ??????? ??? ???? ?????? ????????<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">I find the statement by the Ministry of Agriculture surprising. How could Syria &#8220;import all its agricultural products in 2005&#8221; and be obligated at the same time to &#8220;maintain the entire agricultural surface&#8221;?<\/p>\n<p>I do hope that Syria stops investing in irrigation and land reclamation and invest instead in industrial and, yes, I agree with Mr. Khouli regarding investment in tourism, to generate the forex to purchase foodstuffs from rain soaked countries with lakes and rivers and protect the water quality and volume of Syria&#8217;s aquifers. As I said previously, Syria has sufficient water resources to feed a maximum of some 15 million people, not more.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">?????? ??????? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ?????? ?? ?????? ????????? ??????<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Khouli is correct. 86% of all water used in Syria, as well as other countries, is used in agriculture. A person needs one m3 per annum for drinking, 100 m3 for household use, but 1,000 m3 for food. Said differently, roughly nine-tenth of our water needs is to meet our eating requirements.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">?????? ?? ????? ?? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ????? ??????? ?????? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ???????? ?????????<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Agricultural products are virtual water. Mr. Khouli is correct in saying that exporting cotton, all agricultural produce for that matter, is synonymous with exporting water. A small correction, however, regarding cotton&#8217;s use of water to grow. One kg. of cotton in Syria uses five m3 of water to grow, not one m3.<\/p>\n<p>Under temperate climate conditions, a kg of wheat uses 1,000 kgs of water to grow, a kg of beef; 16,000 kgs of water,  an apple; 70 kg, a cup of coffee; 140 kg, a slice of bread; 40 kg, a glass of beer (for the infidels only); 75 kg&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">???? ?????? ???? ????? ??????? ???????? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ????????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ???? ???????<\/p>\n<p>Syria produces no surplus foodstuffs. Syria imports quietly about a third of its foodstuffs needs today. Syria&#8217;s groundwater plus rainwater can provide food for 15 million people, not 22 million.<\/p>\n<p>I share Mr. Khouli&#8217;s judgment that the Ministry of Agriculture brought disaster to the country. The responsibility should also be shared with the Ministry Irrigation, which I have been advocating should be abolished.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Khouli is a valuable asset. Syria&#8217;s politicians would do well to listen to him.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.syriasteps.com\/?d=134&amp;id=58298&amp;in_main_page=1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 250px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.syriasteps.com\/?d=134&amp;id=58298&amp;in_main_page=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" \" src=\"http:\/\/www.syriasteps.com\/archive\/image\/francis.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"317\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yasin al-Khouli<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.syriasteps.com\/?d=134&amp;id=58298&amp;in_main_page=1\">???? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?????&#8230;<\/a>.<br \/>\n????: ??? ????? ???????? ???????? ?? ??????? ????????<br \/>\n26\/10\/2010<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">????- ??????????:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">??? ??????? ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ????????? ??????????? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ??????? (????? ????) ?????? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ???????? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ???????? ????????? ???? ????????? ????? ????? ???????? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ????????? ??? ??????? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ????? ????? ???????? ??????????? ???????? ????? ???????? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ????? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ????? ?? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ????? ??????? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ???? ??????? ?????? ??????? ?? ???? ??????? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???????? ??????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?? ???? ??????? ???????. ??? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ?????. ???????? ????? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ????? ????? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ????????? ???????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ??????? ???????? ??????? ?? ?? ??????? ?? ????? ???????? ????? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?? ???? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ??? ???? ???????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ??????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ???????? ??????? ???? ????? ??????? ????? ????? ?????? ???????&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Syria Comment&#8217;s Elie Elhadj supports the view of Yasin al-Khouli recently published in Syria Steps. Both analysts explain why Syria should push tourism and and abandon the time honored policy of promoting agricultural self-sufficiency. For too long, Syria has viewed food as a strategic product. For reasons of national defense and pride, Syria has poured [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[74],"class_list":["post-7670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-economics","tag-elhadj"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.8.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Water: &quot;Syria Should abandon its Policy of Food Self-Sufficiency,&quot; Elhadj and Al-Khouli - Syria Comment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/water-syria-should-abandon-its-policy-of-food-self-sufficiency-elhadj-and-al-khouli\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Water: &quot;Syria Should abandon its Policy of Food Self-Sufficiency,&quot; Elhadj and Al-Khouli - Syria Comment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Syria Comment&#8217;s Elie Elhadj supports the view of Yasin al-Khouli recently published in Syria Steps. 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