LONGi Proposes Solar-Powered Pathways to Global Food Security

Traditional agriculture remains vulnerable to extreme weather and shifting climatic conditions. To counter these pressures, Li Zhenguo, founder and CTO of LONGi, recently detailed two distinct technological pathways in the journal Nature Sustainability. The first involves the artificial synthesis of starch from carbon dioxide. By using PV-generated electricity to produce green hydrogen and methanol, this process could theoretically achieve energy efficiency rates of 7–10%, far outpacing the 2% efficiency of natural photosynthesis. Li estimates that solar installations covering just 3.7% of the Sahara could theoretically generate enough electricity to synthesize 3 billion tonnes of food.

The second approach centers on an "energy-water-food" nexus. By deploying solar arrays in desert regions, panels provide shade that reduces soil moisture evaporation and improves local microclimates. Combined with desalination, this method supports the conversion of barren land into arable fields. LONGi has begun validating this model in China’s Kubuqi Desert, where the company manages a system that simultaneously generates power, grows crops, and supports livestock. This integrated practice serves as a template for desertification-prone regions looking to balance ecological restoration with agricultural output as they align with the COP17 theme of restoring land and hope.