Rupe, in the U.S., we can't use the word "organic" at all. Here, we will have to come up with an alternative.
I too have been thinking about how to market aquaponics. I have had only two people that I have discussed this with not say, "Huh?" Most people still have no clue as to what it is or how it works.
Because of this, I have worked up an information sheet- with both pros and cons of AP. Feel free to add or critique.
How Green is Your Food?
Q and A about AquaponicsAdvantages
Exceptional taste and freshness-
Fast to Market-Because produce is harvested specifically for a local market, your food is picked at the height of its flavor and stored only long enough to cool and bring to market- typically less than three days.
Safe-
No chemical pesticides, herbicides or fish treatments- This type of growing system is unable to use chemical treatments as it would kill one of the three life forms that live in harmony with each other. All treatments must not kill beneficial bacteria, the plants or the fish. Only biological means can be used for control, such as natural predators or sticky traps to control insects, natural herbicides to kill molds and fungus and natural fish treatments which must not kill beneficial bacteria or plants. Soil born problems such as nematodes and weeds are not an issue as no soil is used.
Water quality is assured- The water used is city water and must meet State and Federal Drinking Water Quality Standards.
No threat of E-coli contamination- Fish are cold-blooded and do not carry the bacteria. Only warm-blooded animals carry E-coli bacteria.
Environmentally Friendly-
Emulates nature- In natural systems, the quantity and quality of ‘wastes’ are such that they can all be recycled into useful resources, resulting in a circular and inherently sustainable process. Aquaponics mimics nature in that one product’s waste is another product’s needs in a self-sustaining environment- Fish waste is broken down by bacteria that convert it into water soluble fertilizer which is effortlessly taken up by plants. In return, the water is cleaned of the waste and returned to the fish.
Natural fish emulsion fertilizer and mineral supplements- Fertilizer is generated from the natural breakdown of fish feed and fish wastes- otherwise known as fish emulsion, one of the best fertilizers known. Mineral supplements are used only because fish feed lacks some minerals that plants require and are needed to maintain the balance of pH.
Minimal water usage- The water is continuously recycled and not allowed to drain away. The only water that escapes is from evaporation, plant transpiration, and food removed from the system. As a comparison, on average, each home and each acre of traditional seasonal agricultural land uses 2 acre feet of water per year. That is 325,851.4 U.S. gallons times two or 651,702.8 gallons total; an acre of year-round aquaponics uses 10% or 65,170.28 gallons and most of the water that is removed is by the produce itself.
No soil erosion or degradation- The water is completely captured so the soil is protected by barriers. The aquaponics system can be managed indefinitely without any damage to the soil or to the environment.
No waste discharge or excess fertilizer threat to groundwater or surface waters- Traditional aquaculture or hydroponic systems create unbalanced nutrients that create the need for waste water discharge. Aquaponics, in comparison, depletes nutrients but does not generate nutrient excesses that must be discarded.
Intense agricultural output in a small footprint- Two food products are grown in tangent with each other and if managed properly can be in production year-round and a mature aquaponics system excels in performance over field-grown and even traditional hydroponic systems. This is because the plants are never water deprived and generated nutrients are readily available, which translates into faster growth and lush vegetation.
Electricity is considered a clean-burning fuel- Although most electricity is generated from coal, a greater portion of our electricity comes from renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind. Also from a local standpoint on air quality, electricity is better for our environment than other alternatives.
Energy efficient water pumps- The aquaponics system depends on water movement but not all pumps are created equal in relation to efficiency and energy costs. While less cost effective upfront, the water pumps chosen were because they were frugal on energy, had quiet running operations and still moved large quantities of water.
Disadvantages
Natural but not organic-
Aquaponic products cannot be considered organic- Due to lack of organic regulations on aquaculture and the source of fish feed, fish can not usually be classified as organic. However, aquaponic products are naturally grown, even more so than field products that depend on artificial fertilizers and pesticides.
Fish Feed is made up of fish meal and fish oil-
Fish used as feed are caught from the wild- Research is on-going using soy meal and other products as alternatives but that is dependent on feed manufacturers to create a sustainable replacement feed. In feeding trials, researchers have successfully replaced up to 70 percent of farmed fish’s diet with soy meal -which could help reduce pressure on harvesting small feeder fish to grind up into meal.
Energy Dependent-
Carbon footprint- Although the metals are recyclable, the fishes CO2 is used directly by the plants and in general, the carbon footprint is exceedingly small, especially when compared to traditional agriculture, there is still energy used to manufacture aquaponic parts and inputs. Green alternatives will be dependent on manufacturers.
Electricity is grid-powered- Viable sustainable base-load options are being seriously considered- from solar salt ponds to solar troughs, but will depend on permits and costs.
Materials used for ponds and hoop houses must be discarded eventually- The used plastics will be recycled and used as pond liners to prevent damage to newly installed ponds, instead of adding to landfills.
(Note- some things are specific to my area.)
JT, I like how you spelt aquaponics with the letters in a wave design- very creative. I may steal that from you so you are forwarned.
We could also use another type of promotional tatic- that actually bashes the competition. How about- Aquaponics- the Nature Saver. Then the initials would ANS- is that taken yet? It's so hard to tell- everything has been reduced to letters.
Just throwing ideas out there- but it would set your system apart from the corporate food system. They would LOVE that, wouldn't they?
Backyard Aquaponics
