Growing food in the desert, the Norwegian Desert Control shows that it is possible
Norwegian company Desert Control has achieved remarkable success by transforming desert sand into fertile soil using its liquid clay. Now that the company’s method has been proven to work, CEO Ole Kristian Sivertsen is determined to improve biodiversity and increase food security all over the world. ‘The results are so spectacular that people hardly believed us.’
Imagine if you could imbue dry, loose sand with the properties of, say, a clod of rich Dutch soil –
a soil that retains water, nurtures microorganisms and provides a fertile environment for crops
and trees?
If you could do that, you could make a colossal amount of emaciated soil green again, making it suitable for food production and carbon sequestration. Desert Control, a company that saw a recent investment from the ASN Biodiversity Fund, has accomplished this green miracle.
CLAY FOR THE NILE DELTA
Back in 2005, inventor and founder Kristian P. Olesen laid the groundwork for a method to make sand fertile. He’d observed the impact of the Aswan Dam in Egypt, which had put an end to the flooding of the Nile Delta, but disrupted the steady supply of clay that the Nile had always provided in the process. It proved to be an arduous process to spread that clay across the country by other means.
Olesen, a Danish citizen living in Norway, had a long career in the oil and gas. As such, he possessed
a wealth of knowledge about geology, minerals and soil properties, and he used that to pioneer a
sustainable solution.
liquid, can be easily applied to sand and degraded soils. This process forms a layer around sand
grains, imparting them with the ‘stickiness’ of soil, that improve water retention, prevent nutrient
runoff and mitigate salinisation. (click her to see how LNC workds)
LIQUID NATURAL CLAY
Nearly two decades later, this idea has matured into a product: Liquid Natural Clay (LNC). It has been
validated through research at various universities and in practice, and is now ready to be rolled out
worldwide. Though Olesen himself recently passed away, his son remains actively involved in the
startup that has been set up around the liquid wonder clay. The company is now led by CEO Ole
Kristian Sivertsen.
Sivertsen, whose professional background diverges from traditional environmental advocacy, brings
a fresh perspective to Desert Control’s breakthrough. Having travelled the world as a manager in
international IT and satellite companies, he eventually decided to change course.
“My satellite company worked with organisations such as the UN and the World Food Programme
to provide communication in even the most remote areas. One time, I got involved with an NGO in
Cameroon, offering care and some hope to people who had nothing. There, I experienced the
importance of hope – what it can mean for people and what positive developments it can lead to.
It really creates a ripple effect.”
REVERSING DESERTIFICATION
“That got me thinking. I had observed the rapid degradation of the Earth and the rapid, relentless
advancement of deserts through satellite images. Currently, 20 percent of the Earth’s surface
consists of degraded land, while humanity’s survival depends on the preservations of that thin layer
of soil encasing our planet. Reversing desertification would not just restore land, it would also bring
countless people renewed hope. Because as fertile soil disappears, so does the promise of a good
and healthy life.”
Sivertsen hails from Stavanger in Norway, the place where Desert Control was founded. “On the
flight home, I made a decision: I’m quitting my job, jumping in at the deep end and going to do
something for the world. I’ve got four children; I don’t want to leave them with the environmental bill
we are currently burdening the earth with.”
FROM KITCHEN MIXER TO PRODUCTION UNITS
With his extensive experience in business, the Norwegian secured investors for the startup and
forged partnerships with clients and universities to further develop, test and certify the liquid clay.
He even took the company public. “Going public was a prerequisite for the first institutional investors
to step in, but thanks to the IPO, we now also have thousands of private investors, some of whom are
staunch supporters.”
That IPO does not necessarily mean that the company has already reached a huge scale. The
machines that ‘grind’ LNC from various clays are ready to be deployed on or near the fields or
orchards that are being treated. “We started with something that looked like a kitchen mixer, so it
was quite a job to scale that up to the mobile production units that will soon be able to drive across
the country.”
“The results are so spectacular that for a long time we were met with disbelief. That is why we have
invested so much time and energy in independent research in recent years, conducting pilots with
different crops as well as in urban green spaces and natural environments. We’re putting in the effort
to convince the world one that of the best solutions to climate change is right under our feet: the soil.’
SAVING WATER AND FERTILISER IN ARIZONA
costs associated with pumping water. Additionally, because fertilisers wash away less quickly,
they’ve likely saved another 25 percent in fertilisation.
However, as stewards of land and natural resources, the most important factor for Limoneira is to cultivate a healthy living soil that makes their farming operation both more profitable and more sustainable at the same time.”
Although two years is relatively short for fruit trees grown in soil treated with liquid clay, they are
already yielding more. Desert Control, through local partners, has also found success in Saudi Arabia
and the Emirates, where date palms are producing a good 20 percent more A-grade fruit, with water
usage nearly halved.
SPECTACULAR RESULTS
“The results are so spectacular that for a long time we were met with disbelief. That is why we have
invested so much time and energy in independent research in recent years, conducting pilots with
different crops as well as in urban green spaces and natural environments. We’re putting in the effort
to convince the world one that of the best solutions to climate change is right under our feet: the soil.’
But it’s also important to recognise that it is human
nature to overestimate short-term accomplishments and underestimate long-term possibilities.”
‘Not only do the trees thrive and develop stronger roots, but vegetation also appears
between them, attracting insects and sequestering CO2 in the soil. These are all
factors that reinforce one another and help increase biodiversity.”
WATER IS POLITICS
For Desert Control, that means deploying their machines to run pilots in more places, with some
projects already beginning to generate revenue. Initial projects are likely to be in prosperous
countries such as the U.S. and in the Middle East. “The business case for our customers heavily
depends on factors such as the price of water. And it’s no secret that water is a political issue in many
areas.”
“Farmers don’t have to pay the true cost price for water everywhere. In America, for example, the
price disparity can be staggering. Someone watering a park might pay over two hundred times more
per cubic metre than a farmer just a short distance away. And in areas where water is cheap, our
product may have a harder time proving its worth. That’s why we emphasise the other advantages of
LNC, such as improving the efficiency of nutrients and reducing soil salinity.”
However, customers like Limoneira are not so much concerned with costs, they are more focused on
their responsibility for water use, the benefits of water savings, reduced energy consumption and
increased biodiversity. And furthermore on. “Not only do the trees thrive and develop stronger roots,
but vegetation also appears between them, attracting insects and sequestering CO2 in the soil.
These are all factors that reinforce one another and help increase biodiversity.”
FOOD SECURITY FOR 110 COUNTRIES
Countries such as the Emirates and Saudi Arabia have a strategic interest in the food security that
Desert Control potentially offers. Sivertsen engages in discussions with high-level officials about the
potential that liquid clay offers for local agriculture. “Ultimately, we want to bring our innovation to
more than 110 countries, demonstrating that it benefits both our clients’ bottom line and our planet at
the same time in all of them.’
Some of the poorest and most barren areas of Africa are particularly eager to adopt the
Norwegian invention. To achieve this goal, Desert Control must scale up to reduce the cost of its
machinery and soil conditioner. Looking a bit further ahead, Desert Control’s CEO envisions young entrepreneurs driving through Africa with a mobile LNC factory, transforming farmers’ lands into lush green oases.
GREEN WALL IN AFRICA
“This endeavour will involve training those local entrepreneurs, as well as financing the plant and
perhaps small loans for the farmers who become customers. Especially in areas that have been
severely degraded, our aim is to establish initiatives that generate employment and instil new hope
within local communities.”
“Currently, I’m liaising with various NGOs on this matter, but realistically, we won’t be able to realise
this vision within the next 4 to 5 years. Nonetheless, it remains our long-term aspiration: to see these
scattered green patches in Africa gradually coalesce into an long green wall of regenerative
agro-ecology stretching from Senegal to Djibouti.’
HOW DOES IT WORK
Want more information?
Feel free to reach out to Nick Brugman, Head Third Party Distribution by:
nick.brugman@asnimpactinvestors.com