Roots Up: A multifunctional greenhouse to grow food and collect water

Based in Gondar, in northern Ethiopia, Roots Up was established to support family farming as a viable model of agriculture. Smallholder farmers in the highlands face several challenges, such as climatic hazards, low yields, food insecurity.

To meet water needs, Roots Up introduced a multifunctional greenhouse that allows farmers to grow food and collect water. The greenhouse is an affordable technology that accumulates sufficient water reserves to provide year-round irrigation.

The greenhouse serves multiple purposes to suit different climatic conditions. It is designed to efficiently capture dew, fog and rainwater, depending on the area. The low-tech greenhouse is made to serve communities who live in harsh climatic conditions and who face soil erosion and recurrent droughts.

Located in wetlands or next to the coast, the greenhouse can collect dew that forms on a plastic film when the temperature drops at night, which is then collected by gutters. The collected water can then be used for irrigation, and is also safe for drinking.