Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Being a student in High School and currently taking a chemistry class, my teacher has just recently touched down on the subject of aquaponics. While being highly intrigued about the process of this subject, I do have one question to ask: Could aquaponics become the future for growing and harvesting produce?

In a way, it already is. Not aquaponics, as such, but hydroponics is used extensively within the food/agriculture industry.

It could be if people dont reverse the advancing desertification of the world.

however if this is not reversed, then it will cause more problems than a food shortage.

if it is reversed then there will be more agricultural land available than ever, with better growing conditions than ever and nw growing techniques will be developed to take advantage and not ruin what we fixed.

Depends on what comes of the numerous pilot systems popping up around the place. Even still, there is a long way to go. Although, to my knowledge most large scale systems are only growing a handful of types of leafy greens. Cant save the world with a salad sandwich.

By "Produce", I'm assuming you include fish and not just green stuff...

Could it be? Sure.
Will it be? Good question.

Come up with a system that is so efficient that it's cheaper than being produced in third world countries where the poor work for nothing, then you got a shot.

Will the countries of the world stop vacuuming the seas and allow stocks to rebound? If so, there's a chance that fisheries might survive. But there's a lot of countries out there that either think food in the belly today is worth not having anything tomorrow, or people out for $$ who could give a rat's A$$, so I am not overly optimistic the world will ever return to an abundant state.

Then there's global warming thing (Not saying ANYTHING about the cause mind you, but it's a fact that overall temps are on the rise). I have seen disturbing video of the crash of coral reefs hundreds of miles away from any human activity that really has me wondering how long the seas can support a traditional hunter gatherer society (exactly what we ARE as far as the sea is concerned). If that system completely crashes, then we will be dependent on SOME sort of aquaculture, aquaponics makes sense but until the total crash comes, there's all sort of issues to resolve.