SOMA Newsletter

Welcome to the SOMA MATER weekly newsletter.

At SOMA MATER, we specialize in delivering comprehensive research and advisory services with a focus on Food & Water Security and Net Zero Transition in the MENA Region. In order to support our subscribing clients in navigating these topics and understanding the regional narrative, we produce monthly Food and Water Security and Net Zero Transition Intelligence Reports, along with our in-depth analysis and insights.

This weekly newsletter highlights the top 3 stories from the past week in Food and Water Security and Net Zero transition, along with SOMA MATER's analysis and perspective.

How is physical force being used to break down PET plastics without heat or solvents?

Which native UAE desert plant shows the best drought tolerance under controlled drought conditions?

What regional agriculture events has SOMA MATER recently attended?

Sustainably yours,

The SOMA team

Smashing Success: How Collision is Beating Plastic at Its Own Game

#NetZeroTransition

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—the plastic in bottles, food packaging, and clothing—is as durable as it is difficult to recycle. Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a new mechanochemical method that uses mechanical force to break down PET. The team struck solid PET pieces with metal balls, triggering reactions with sodium hydroxide at room temperature that rapidly convert the plastic back into its basic building blocks.

Controlled collisions create tiny craters in the plastic, where energy absorption causes polymer chains to disorder. The researchers mapped how mechanical energy distributes across different pressure and heat zones, revealing that even without chemical reactants, mechanical impact alone can break polymer chains. This insight into how physical force triggers chemical transformations opens new possibilities for efficient, controllable plastic decomposition.

The implications are significant. By harnessing mechanical energy instead of energy-intensive heat or hazardous solvents, this approach could make recycling faster, cleaner, and more energy-efficient. The team now plans to test the method on real-world waste streams and explore whether it can work for other difficult-to-recycle plastics, bringing mechanochemical recycling closer to industrial application.

Sources:

https://news.gatech.edu/news/2025/10/10/new-method-uses-collisions-break-down-plastic-sustainable-recycling

When Life Gives You 25%: UAE's Drought-Defying Champions

#FoodandWaterSecurity

Countries like the UAE face an acute water situation—with annual rainfall below 50 mm and potential groundwater depletion by 2030. Researchers have conducted an eight-month field study in Al Ain, evaluating 4 native desert species under controlled drought conditions to identify nature's most resilient survivor; these were: Lycium shawii, Salvadora persica, Calligonum comosum, and Haloxylon salicornicum. Placed under severe water stress—reducing irrigation to just 25% of field capacity—all four species achieved full survival.

The L. shawii species emerged as the champion, maintaining the highest photosynthetic rate, accumulating high levels of protective compounds, and showing minimal height reduction. S. persica kept its relative water content nearly unchanged. C. comosum was the most vulnerable—losing 90.6% of its root biomass and suffering membrane damage. H. salicornicum's photosynthetic rate collapsed.

The results show L. shawii as the top candidate for large-scale land rehabilitation and climate-smart agriculture across the Arabian Peninsula, while S. persica should anchor dune stabilization projects. Yet, there remains the need to validate the molecular mechanisms behind these adaptive strategies through gene profiling, developing scalable propagation techniques, and integrating these natives into existing UAE land management frameworks.

Sources:

https://bmcplantbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12870-025-07305-z

https://medicinalplants.doh.gov.ae/en/Encyclopedia-of-medicine-plant-of-UAE/Lycium-shawii

Photo source: https://www.orchid-nord.com/Flore-Djerba/Lycium shawii/Lycium shawii.html

SOMA MATER Takes the Stage: Two Major Events, One Message

#FoodandWaterSecurity #NetZeroTransition

SOMA MATER attended two regional agriculture events recently. At Global Food Week in the UAE on October 21st, Sheikh Dr. Majid Al Qassimi discussed the UAE Food Security Strategy 2051. During the panel, he challenged the audience to rethink protein as a national security issue, highlighting how traditional proteins consume 70% of freshwater and 80% of habitable land. Alternative proteins through fermentation could slash land and water use by 95-100%, but scaling to commercial production could demand high capital.

The focus was shifted to inputs that determine food system resilience at the Saudi Agriculture 2025 event in Riyadh on October 22nd. In his panel, he reaffirmed that "advanced" inputs doesn't mean synthetic chemicals, but systemic approaches that build soil health through microbiomes and ecological processes. Sheikh Dr. Majid argued for parallel transitions: diversified crop practices, fair pricing that recognizes local products as premium, context-specific innovation that adapts to local conditions, and tiered technology adoption that doesn't require massive capital.

The region's food security challenge isn't about choosing between old and new systems—it's about transitioning quickly enough from extractive practices that erode the foundation for tomorrow. The Gulf must build food systems that are climate-immune, location-agnostic, and biologically sound. The technical solutions exist; what's needed now is the financial architecture, regulatory frameworks, and consumer education.