There is an opportunity to look into plastic bottles as materials to build greenhouses and agricultural aids on a small scale in Longido. Greenhouses on a large scale are currently being employed in Tanzania. Benno Ngjovu, a local farmer, has taken to green house farming as a solution to the extreme dry season. There may be a method of employing greenhouse techniques and water irrigation on a smaller scale to allow for individuals or small communities to build their own garden farms (African Farming, 2012).

The farm, which is in its initial stage, is expected to produce tomatoes worth US$12,738 per week after six months. Tanzanian agricultural entrepreneur and farmer Benno Ndjovu said he had invested US$4,458 to construct the plastic greenhouse, fitted with a drip water irrigation system.
"The advantages of greenhouse farming is that production goes on throughout the year and does not depend on rain. The risk of diseases is also lower compared to open farming," Ndjovu pointed out.

Bottles as building blocks! Pop Bottle Greenhouse - John Rutherford (2011)

Why This is Important: 

At one point Virginia Taylor had mentioned that Greenhouses were an area for design exploration for Longido. There may be an opportunity for a greenhouse that preserves the humidity / water without allowing it to evaporate (in a terrarium fashion). One major concern I have about green houses is the heat build up, and I'm not sure how well plants would survive in a closed in environment. This is an area I intend to look into further.



Resources:

Rutherford, J. (2011) Pop Bottle Greenhouse [Photo] Retrieved October 3, 2014. From: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fairleyforge/6108421928/

African Farming (2012) Tanzanian farmer demonstrates potential of greenhouse farming. Retrieved October 3, 2014. From: http://www.africanfarming.net/crops/agriculture/tanzanian-farmer-demonstrates-potential-of-greenhouse-farming