Geothermal energy can boost food security

Geothermal energy can help developing countries like the Philippines boost food security and it can be a prime source of heat for greenhouses, soils and water for fish farming, according to a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report.

The FAO report “Uses of Geothermal Energy in Food and Agriculture” said that the heat energy generated by the earth’s core can be used for cost efficient, sustainable food production and processing in developing countries.

Geothermal energy can help prevent the huge post-harvest currently faced by many developing countries, and can be a prime source of heat for greenhouses, soils and water for fish farming.

“It’s an energy source that’s renewable, clean and low-cost once you’ve made the initial investment to harness it,” said Carlos da Silva, Senior Agribusiness Economist in FAO’s Rural Infrastructure and AgroIndustries Division (AGS). “By using a clean energy source, you’re not only addressing cost but also the environmental impacts of food production and processing,” he noted.

Heat energy can be used for processing to boost food security and drying foods, pasteurizing milk and sterilizing produce are particularly viable options for developing countries, prolonging shelf lives of nutritious foods like fish and vegetables and making them available year-round, including in times of drought.

Countries in the so- called ‘ Ring of Fire’ along the Pacific Plate, such as Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines and various nations along the Pacific Coast of South America are particularly feasible locations, as are Ethiopia and Kenya in Africa’s Rift Valley, as are Romania and Macedonia in Eastern Europe.

Worldwide, 38 countries currently use geothermal energy for direct application in agricultural production and 24 harness it to generate electricity, with Iceland, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Kenya, New Zealand and the Philippines deriving more than 10 percent of their electricity needs from natural heat sources.

Among developing countries, 23 use geothermal energy, with most apply it to space heating and recreational purposes like bathing, leaving its significant potential for agricultural uses generally untapped.