Farming without soil: Libyan entrepenuers use hydroponics to grow vegetables - in pictures

Hydroponic farming in the Libyan town of Qouwea uses greenhouses to grow produce

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  Hydroponic farming is taking off in the deserts of Libya. Here, farmer Mounir inspects lettuces growing without soil in a greenhouse in Qouwea, about 40 kilometres east of the capital Tripoli. AFP

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  Growing vegetables like these lettuces hydroponically is still in its infancy in Libya, but proponents say the method could offer a path toward greater food self-sufficiency. AFP

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  Mounir tours a greenhouse filled with hydroponically-grown lettuces in Qouwea, Libya, a country whose territory is 90 per cent arid desert. AFP

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  Mounir and Siraj Bechiya began training in hydroponics in Tunisia two years ago and together run the hydroponic farm at Qouwea in Libya. AFP

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  Mounir and Siraj plant sprouts for their plantation of hydroponically-grown lettuces. They say that high yield, low water usage and a lack of pesticides are all advantages of the farming method. AFP

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  A polytunnel filled with hydroponically-grown lettuces in Qouwea, Libya. AFP

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  Lettuces thriving at Mounir and Siraj's hydroponic farm in Qouwea. The farming technique could make a big difference to food production in Libya, which is plagued by water shortages. AFP

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  Siraj at the entrance of the greenhouse in Qouwea. There has been some improvisation on materials as the farm pioneers hydroponics in Libya. AFP

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