What role can play aquaponics in the future of food production?
The monoculture paradox
Most of the food available in the supermarkets comes from “monoculture” production. Monoculture means that only one species of crop is grown in the system. It is the opposite of an ecosystem where all species are living together. Where the waste of one species are consumed by others. In monoculture, the food is generally grown from artificial fertiliser. This system uses pesticides and herbicides to keep all other sources of life away. Unfortunately, this type of industrial production system is generally centralised in large farms, away from the consumers.
The aquaponics food production solution
In aquaponics we produce food following natural cycles. We recreate an ecosystem and work with complementary species to minimise the waste. Aquaponics consumes 90% less water than aquaculture and hydroponics combined. In a world where a quarter of the population is in water stress, aquaponics appears like a solution.
It it relatively easy to produce food at small scale in aquaponics. Hopefully, more and more people will start producing their own food at home thanks to this technique.
The current model produces huge quantities of food away from the cities and rely on transport to carry the products to the consumer. The solution for the future is probably to produce more food where it is consumed. Also, the customer doesn’t trust the multinational industries any longer. Hence aquaponics techniques will allow to offer more local, sustainable and reliable food.
Aquaponics will improve human health conditions
Aquaponics is not adapted to the intensive production of one specific type of crop at large scale. Indeed, this production system doesn’t accept chemical treatments. When an insect spread on a monoculture system, it is very difficult to manage it. In aquaponics we grow a multitude of species. Therefore, we offer a large diversity of habitat to predator insects and the pest populations are balanced by those predators. The crop is sometimes shared with few insects, but the crop is natural and healthy. The consumer will need to be educated and reasonable, accepting minor aesthetic at the profit of nutrients, vitamins and health.
The whole food production system will change
Aquaponics offers the potential to decentralize the food production. It will decrease transport and improve the food quality from a nutritive and healthy point of view. Also, the whole food production logistic will be reviewed. Moving from big farms to a multitude of small producers closer to the consumer.
You will probably be interested to discover Jonathan’s six steps to build and manage an Aquaponics system. Click here to access for free! Thanks and good reading 🙂
