Implementing ancient agricultural practices to confront modern-day challenges of water scarcity and food insecurity

As global water resources become more strained, the insights gained from traditional agricultural systems could pave the way for the development of innovative, low-water-use agricultural practices to confront the growing challenges of water scarcity and food insecurity in arid and marginal regions.

A new study exploring traditional sunken groundwater-harvesting agroecosystems in coastal and inland sand (SGHAS) bodies of Israel, Iran, Egypt, Algeria, Gaza, and the Atlantic coast of Iberia offers fresh perspectives on ancient agricultural techniques that could inform modern sustainability practices. The research, which combines geospatial analysis, archaeological findings, and historical documentation, sheds light on the innovative use of water-harvesting and soil-enrichment technologies developed in the early Islamic period and their continued relevance to contemporary agricultural challenges.

The paper stems from an international workshop at Bar-Ilan University (BIU) in 2023 on continuity-discontinuity of ancient water-harvesting agricultural systems that resulted in a special issue in the journal Environmental Archaeology. This study on early Islamic (late 9^th – early 12^th century) Plot-and-Berm (P&B) agroecosystems located along Israel’s Mediterranean coast evolved into an investigation of the long-term viability of regional SGHAS as a sustainable agricultural model. These methods to utilize water, typically found near urban settlements, leverage local organic material and urban refuse to enrich the inert sandy substrate, creating fertile grounds for growing crops such as vegetables, watermelons, dates, and grapes. Importantly, SGHAS systems provide a model for long-term water security by utilizing shallow groundwater in conjunction with rainfall for irrigation and groundwater replenishment.

The Israel Science Foundation-funded study was jointly headed by Prof. Joel Roskin from the Department of Environment, Planning and Sustainability at BIU and Dr. Itamar Taxel, Archaeological Research Department, Israel Antiquities Authority, along with post-docs Drs. Lotem Robins and Ruben Sanchez (BIU), Prof. Revital Bookman and doctoral candidate M.Sc. Adam Ostrowski (U. of Haifa).

Despite their initial success, early Islamic P&B agricultural systems in Israel were largely abandoned after the Crusader conquest and, surprisingly, were not reestablished. However, these traditional systems found renewed application in regions such as Iran, Algeria, the Gaza Strip, and parts of Iberia since the Middle Ages, where they continue to support agriculture in marginal environments. With many arid and marginal regions facing expanding populations and decreasing water resources, these ancient water-harvesting practices can address the global challenge of sustainable agriculture.

The long-term use of these agroecosystems contributed to continuous, shallow groundwater availability, which is essential for agricultural production and local food security in arid regions. These systems, which include advanced soil-enrichment techniques and groundwater harvesting methods, show the resilience of traditional agricultural practices and their potential for modern adaptation in water-scarce regions.

The researchers suggest that the early Islamic agroecosystems were ahead of their time, offering a glimpse into agricultural practices that were remarkably advanced compared to later agricultural systems. This understanding helps explain the approximately 400-year gap between the abandonment of early Islamic systems and the reappearance of SGHAS in the 15th century.

“We could not find written or factual evidence of the crops grown in early Islamic times, nor decipher the know-how and motivation for this original, exhaustive and ingenious effort to earthwork, enrich and cultivate sand. However, the inception of traditional Middle Age on SGHASs probably stemmed from a growing demand to cultivate the extensive new world influx of fruits and vegetables from arid zones and the Americas,” notes Prof. Roskin. “We speculate that the Islamic agroecosystems provided several similar species to those found today in the traditional SGHASs. The reappearance in the Middle Ages and third expansion of SGHASs in the late 19^th century early 20^th century in Iberia suggests that this type of agriculture is adaptable to varying economic and cultural settings and therefore may possess potential for certain, current socio-agronomic scenarios.”

While modern agriculture often relies on intensive water usage and depleting soil quality, traditional systems like SGHAS offer more sustainable, low-impact alternatives that can be adapted to contemporary needs. The study highlights the value of traditional agroecosystem models as analogues for contemporary agricultural challenges, particularly in the face of climate change and global food security concerns. While traditional agricultural methods cannot entirely replace modern, industrialized farming, they remain valuable in preserving local knowledge and expertise that have been honed over centuries. The study underscores the potential for integrating traditional agricultural practices—such as SGHAS—into modern sustainable agriculture solutions, particularly for communities facing water scarcity and environmental stresses.

The research further suggests that SGHAS-style systems, which rely on rainfall-replenished groundwater, offer a pathway for community-driven, ecologically sensitive farming practices. These systems are not only sustainable but also promote community engagement, resilience to climate change, and environmental stewardship. As traditional farming methods gradually fade in the face of industrial agriculture, these agroecosystems offer important models for creating locally adaptive, sustainable food systems.