AQUAPONICS: Agriculture of the Future

Intro

If you haven't heard of aquaponics, here's the long and short of it. Aquaponics is a form of agriculture that is based on the cycle of water between a fish tank, and a plant bed. The fish poop is transported up to the grow bed (by pump) with the water. Their excrement fertilizes the plants, and the water is returned to the fish tank, aerated and filtered. The several benefits of aquaponics can have widespread effects to the world of agriculture, and indeed, our way of life.

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Efficiency

The first benefit of aquaponics is it's efficiency. The time it takes to go from seed to harvest is reportedly three quarters that of traditional agriculture. Furthermore, water usage is an incredible 90% leaner. Aquaponics is also impressive because both protein and produce are produced. Also, the inputs are very few: land, fish-food, and a water pump at the least. Sometimes, a grow light, water heater, or greenhouse heater is needed. The output of aquaponics per acre is incredibly more productive than traditional agriculture. Fish food is easily acquired and cheap. All it takes is setting up, and then fingerlings with the fish food to match. Fingerlings to be acquired at less than a dollar a head (selling upwards of $7.00). If you choose to harvest and replant, you can, but fish can live a very long time, and the produce benefits are enormous. Because aquaponics is a closed system, weeds and pests virtually non-existent doing away with pesticides and herbicides, which will also kill your fish. The excrement of fish poop is strong enough to decrease the time 'till harvest, so fertilizer is simply the wrong choice... it would also kill the fish.

Adaptability

Currently, I'm making a "deskptop" aquaponics system. A tiny one, just for the niceness of a pet fish and some plants in my room. There are also backyards on youtube thriving with an abundance of various plants. Greenhouses can have levels of plants growing during any season of the year. The incredible adaptability of aquaponics can make it the most widespread and universal form of agriculture. And, best of all, local. Given it's efficiency, I can easily imagine community projects in abandoned buildings/warehouses in food deserts (wiki). A little bit of funding and resource connection can lead to a very healthy and dependable source of food. Because once the system is up and running, maintenance is so little and easy, it's almost like there isn't enough to do. Why not employ a kitchen, something very local, cheap, and possibly even cool. Of course, this would mean a change in diet, from cows and pigs, to fish. Given zero contiminants, the health benefits of this would be great. And this wouldn't be the least of the changes. The multiplicative effects of this adaptability go much deeper. Consider these facts: 66% of freshwater consumption is for agriculture, 90% in arid regions, and aquaponics uses 10% the amount of water. Also, recall that fish will be substituting for beef, and consider carbon footprint of the cattle and beef industry.

Conclusion

In reality, it's not so much aquaponics that's adaptable, it's humans. Us. The benefits of aquaponics will be felt as much as we choose. Anybody can start or support this form of food production once started. There are a growing number of aquaponics businesses, many of which offer classes on how to build an aquaponics system. The culture of aquaponics is that of so many small farmers - friendly, educational, excited and generous. Not to mention, their food is delicious. Outside the community, there will be so much more land. Having done away with millions upon millions of acres of corn, once used to feed cattle. Wheat might dominate large parts of the landscape, and so too might cities and aquaponics, but there will be so much more room for the growth of prairies, wetlands, or cities. Decreased water usage means more for the wildlife and its ecosystem, or water parks. It seems only good can come from an aquaponics community. Inspiring a generation to be in love with their food, from fish poop to plate, will result in an incredibly healthy, happy community.