Aquaponics – Why It Could Be the Future of Our Food Supply
It’s no secret that as time goes on, the earth becomes more populated. It’s undisputed science that with that increase, our resources are stretched thinner. After all, every human born on this earth must eat food and drink water to survive. In the United States, largely since the Industrial Revolution, people have become more “distant” from their food sources. Before this Revolution, frozen or processed (practically ready-to-eat) meals were rare or nonexistent. Whatever was cooked for dinner was likely grown at home or very close, or perhaps it was bartered for with a neighbor. Of course, super markets existed, but until the Industrial Revolution that sent many Americans working outside of their homes and farms, they were not relied upon as heavily.
Today, we visit the supermarket for almost everything. Often we know nothing about the origins of the products we buy, other than perhaps their country of origin. We rely on labels that tell us whether or not the product is organic, but we never get to know how the farmer runs his operations, or if the products are grown responsibly.
Sylvia Bernstein, the author of the book Aquaponic Gardening and Chairman of the U.S. Chapter of the Aquaponics Association, informs us that even when we eat farm raised fish, it is likely not even raised in this country, as China produces 62% of the farm-raised fish in the world today. As a result of this major disconnect with food origins and farmers, farmers are often not held accountable for the waste they produce, and many of them aren’t even aware of their own impact.
According to informaction.org, in some countries, “about half of all serious water pollution incidents are from manure runoff from farms.” In fact, farm waste has led to some frogs becoming severely deformed due to the development of parasitic infections largely caused by farm waste. This means that no matter where our food is grown, there is now a rising risk that it isn’t the quality we may think it is.
In addition, Bernstein reminds us that farms pollute in other ways. To remove weeds, herbicides are typically sprayed. This spraying system is far from perfect, as organic farms nearby can be dusted with just a minor wind shift. Inevitably, these chemicals often make it into our precious water ways as well. Industrial and even small traditional farms also have soil to till, which means a tractor must run on gasoline to get the job done, further polluting the air we breathe while using depleting resources. In addition to all of this, the entire crop must often be watered, and in drought prone areas, this alone can be devastating to business and consumers.
What is the Solution?
So, if the population is increasing along with demand, and less and less land is available as a result, what is the solution to this potentially catastrophic issue? Put simply, the solution is to farm more sustainably and responsibly.
In February of this year, the Arizona Student Unions held a competition for students to design a garden on the Student Union Memorial Center roof. Because many students were food insecure, the project was led as an effort for students to have better access to food, while maintaining the systems themselves, even throughout the summer.
Gene Giacomelli is director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center at the University of Arizona. Giacomelli has worked closely with NASA to design agriculture environments that may one day be utilized on the moon, or even Mars. His approach is to use hydroponic systems, or systems that are soil free and could survive in harsh environments such as the desert. A prime example can be found in the Underwood Family Sonoran Landscape Laboratory, where a pond breathes life into a small ecosystem, all from water flowing into the pond from the school’s HVAC condensation.
As climate change becomes more relevant in our society, with some areas experiencing dramatic changes in weather patterns and even soil quality, systems like hydroponics and aquaponics just might be the best way to roll with the punches and improve our food quality.
Berstein reminds us that Aqauponics, a system in which plants are grown either in waist high grow beds or in floating rafts in water, uses less labor and water than traditional farming. The absence of weeds means no chemicals are necessary to keep them at bay, and the absence of soil means there is no need for high powered farm equipment which depletes more of our fossil fuels. Basically, the only power needed is for the pumps to keep the water circulating, but these pumps can be set up to run on renewable energy. The water savings, as a simple result of these pumps, is astronomical when compared to traditional farming. Unlike cattle, fish do not produce methane, so over fertilizing is not a risk either.
As Bernstein states, “So now, instead of clearing jungles and forests, we can instead focus on our urban centers and begin to think of old factory and warehouse buildings as the farms of our future.” She further states, “Aquaponics can now grow any vegetable and many types of fruit crops, and do it in a way that is even more productive on a square foot basis, even in an urban setting.”
For example, in just one acre of space, an Aquaponics system can produce 50,000 pounds of tilapia and 100,000 pounds of vegetables per year! To put this in perspective, one grass fed cow requires a full eight acres. This means no matter how small the space, everyone can grow plenty of food with little to no impact to the environment. You probably have the perfect space waiting on your rooftop now.
Sources: