Industrial Organic Aquaponics: Like Industrial Organic Agriculture but Better

All of the sudden, aquaponics is going big. Really big, and bringing new hope for the future of large scale organic agriculture in the process. Aquaponics is the method of growing fresh organic vegetables with nutrient-rich water instead of soil that combines hydroponic methods with aquaculture, incorporating  fish that are raised in the water. The fish and plants develop a symbiotic relationship- The fish eat plants grown using the aquaponic system, fertilize all the plants with high-nutrient waste output into the water, and the plants grow. Ironically, even though aquaponics is based on using water, the method uses far less water than traditional land-based agriculture. When it's done right, an aquaponic system can be totally organic and totally sustainable, closed-loop system.

The folks responsible for tinkering with aquaponics enough to really put it on the map in the U.S. as a viable, large-scale agricultural option seem to be the men behind Sweet Water Organics in Milwaukee. Sweet Water Organics began with a small investment of only $50,000 but has since attracted more partners, including several universities. Looking ahead to the future of sustainable food, lots of people are gaining faith in once off-the-wall growing methods like aquaponics. Now Sweetwater, in conjunction with partners and interested sustainable food thinkers, are considering designing communities that incorporate aquaponics at a foundational level. The idea would be to start a complex of businesses and residences that are supplied with fish and vegetables directly from nearby industrial size manufacturing aquaponic operations.

While the term industrial is a little frightening, it may be necessary. In the hierarchy of industrial agriculture, industrial organic agriculture may be a rung above plain old industrial agriculture, but if Sweet Water can pull it off, aquaponics may just trump them all in terms of sustainability. Industrial aquaponics is a very limited field at the moment, but has proven to be somewhat successful. The idea of starting whole communities that are fed through aquaponic is promising, particularly in places that run short on water. Aquaponics is a full package that grows both plants and protein, making it an exciting hunger fighting tool in impoverished areas as well (if we can find a cheap way to set it all up, that is. The equipment needed for efficient and effective sustainable aquaponics tends to be quite expensive so far.)

Sweet Water sets the bar high for aquaponic operations, reviving old industrial spaces for farming, working with various scientifc communities to explore restorative fish production, and championing grassroots efforts in sustainable urban agriculture. Although there are lofty, industrial plans looming in the future of aquaponics,  Sweet Water at least presents a model of success that should be implemented all over the place, based on community involvement in the effort to grow good, sustainable food. But as discussions of scale build, how big is too big? Is there such a thing with aquaponics?

photo credit: kalma kaubandus