Arts Thread

Kindred Crop is a kit which enables refugees living in camps to reclaim independence over food access. The kit, when constructed, creates a closed-loop farm system, which has a reduced water consumption and mitigates harsh conditions. This kit consists of a set of instructions, and the tools and custom components required to construct the system. Such a system will allow people relying on rations to supplement these with fresh fruit and vegetables, resulting in a more nutritionally varied diet, and increased personal independence. Only commonly available materials, such as tent poles, tent fabric and generic plastic bottles are needed to complete the kit. In this way, abundant waste materials are up-cycled and put to use in a productive and helpful way. The solution was developed in collaboration with staff from CARE International: an NGO with long-standing investment in the area, which builds refugee camps. One of these, Zoghara, is where I made a connection with a civil planner, and gained valuable insights, upon which I based this project. The International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) were also instrumental, as they verified the concept and suggested improvements, even offering to set up a test model on their campus in Lebanon for long-term testing in the intended climate.