Aquaponics : Key To Ending Hunger
by: Pearl Therese Aton
“Lisod jud mangita ug pagkaon kada-adlaw,” said Pedro*, a 70-year old farmer from Calawag, Balingsag, Misamis Oriental. It has been difficult for Pedro to provide food for his growing family. He has two children and both have families of their own who still lives in the same house. Even though his children are working hard in the farm to afford putting food in their table, unfortunately it is still not enough. There are days when his family is forced to eat only rock salt or soy sauce as their viand. Sometimes, if he cannot afford to buy a kilo of rice, his family would eat root crops if it is available. Most of the time, they go to bed with stomachs rumbling.
Pedro and his family is just one of the millions of people who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. An article in WorldHunger.Org stated that nearly 870 million people of the 7.1 billion world population were suffering from undernourishment from 2010 to 2012. This estimation is comprised mostly of people from developing countries. Developed countries are not exempted from the malnutrition problem. The article stated further that there are also 16 million undernourished people in developed countries.
Hunger and malnutrition has various factors. One of them is food insecurity. Food insecurity is the deprivation of food. It is the limited availability or access of nutritious and safe foods. In the Philippines, there are more than a quarter of Filipino adults (36%) who claimed that they are food insecure. 23% of Filipino children also have problems in accessing nutritious and safe food according to the National Nutrition Survey (NNS) in 2011.
Despite these facts, the UN-Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) says that, “the world produces enough food to feed everyone.” They further stated that the main problem is the lack of arable lands. What then is a good solution to address the issue of food insecurity?
The answer needs a fish tank and buckets of water.
Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture or fish farming and hydroponics or the soil-less plant culture. The technology developed when fish farmers researched various methods of raising fish while trying to lessen the use of land, water and other resources. During the 1970’s, further researches started in the Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Virgin Islands (UVI). It was during 2005 when Aquaponics started to become popular in some parts of the US and Europe.
In the Philippines, it isn’t certain when exactly the technology started. Melanie Sacay, founder and researcher of Aquaponics Philippines said in an article from Manila Bulletin⁴, “[Aquaponics] is still in its infancy stage.” So far, the said organization has identified twelve facilities that applied the system last year. They have identified set-ups of the technology in Cavite, Bulacan, Alabang, Laguna, Lucena, Bicol, Pasig, Rizal, and Cebu.
The Science of Aquaponics
Aquaponics basically requires a protected location, a grow bed, recycled plastic containers, water pump, and a large volume of water.
Location isn’t an issue. According to Sacay, one can utilize the basement, the backyard or even the veranda of one’s house as long as there is enough light for the plants to be able to photosynthesize. People like Pedro can still plant even if he and his family live in the mountain. “Ang kagandahan kasi ng Aquaponics, hindi ka gagamit ng soil so kung yung lugar mo nasa itaas ka ng bundok o nasa itaas ka ng condo, pwede ka pa rin mag-tanim,” Sacay said. An example of a small Aquaponics set-up that has been noted by Aquaponics Philippines is a veranda of a condominium in Taguig.
Another requirement is a grow bed. A grow bed is where the plants will be grown. There are two types of grow bed system: the media-filled and the raft system. The media-filled bed system uses a plastic container filled with gravel, pebbles, perlite or other grow media for the plant bed. This type of grow bed is what most Aquaponics enthusiast use. It is most common in houses and schools since it is simple to operate.
The raft system, on the other hand, uses Polystyrene boards. Plants grown using this system floats on top of water. This is what is commonly used for commercial purposes since it requires a more complex design.
Various types of plants can be grown depending on the type of grow bed. According to Sacay, small plants like green leafy vegetables – such as lettuce and pechay – herbs, and fruits are the most common. There are cases in other countries that fruit trees such as papaya and banana have grown using the technology.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The cost of a simple Aquaponics system can be a bit of an issue. It will depend on the size and scale of the set-up. Ryan Aguas of Bahay Kubo Organics said that, “Aquaponics is modular so it can be as big or as small as you want.” Aside from the cost, one must also need a technical knowledge of the system, fish feeds, and enough electric energy input. Sacay said that, “You need enough electricity for the pump to run for 24 hours kasi nga kailangan i-recirculate yung tubig.”
Although there are a few downsides of the technology, there are also a number of benefits. Aquaponics addresses the issue in food security, promotes the consumption of organic food, and helps in decreasing carbon emission in the atmosphere. Since one can build the system in a space in their home or farms, one can have access to healthy and organic food that is lesser than those available in supermarkets. “Yung source ng pagkain galing pa sa malalayong lugar, which is pagdating sa lugar nila sobrang mahal na. Hindi na accessible yung pagkain na sobrang mahal,” Sacay shared. The use of gas to transport food from rural places won’t be necessary anymore if one has a set-up of the technology at home.
The growth rate of plants also depends on the skill of the Aquaponics farmer. Aguas added, “The environment also affects the growth rate”. Some case studies have proven that the growth rate of plants is twice as fast compared to the traditional method of planting. The produces are also bigger and healthier than those grown using soil.
Another advantage of Aquaponics is that it helps reduce the usage of water as compared to the traditional method. Since it is designed to recycle the water used in the system, the need to change any water is unnecessary. This also prevents weeding in the plants.
With the benefits of Aquaponics to address issues of food security in the country, projects to increase awareness on it are underway.
Although the local government is more active in promoting the traditional way of planting, there are private organizations like Bahay Kubo Organics that conducts workshops and seminars for people interested in the technology.
Aquaponics offers many opportunities to have food for a minimal cost. Ranging from the usage of recycled materials to the provision of more food for financially-challenged people, its benefits prove to be helpful in ensuring the country’s concern with food security. People like Pedro will be ensured with healthy and nutritious food for less.
Sources:
The 2013 World Hunger And Poverty Facts and Statistic s (http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm)
How Food Insecurity Threatens Us (http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/51726-food-security-philippines)
Food Secured, Communities Empowered via Aquaponics (http://www.mb.com.ph/food-secured-communities-empowered-via-aquaponics/)
Backyard Aquaponics (http://www.pinoybisnes.com/aqua-business/backyard-aquaponics/)
The Many Advantages of Aquaponics (http://www.philippineaquaphonics.info/2012/02/17/philippine-aquaponics-the-many-advantages-of-aquaponics/)
The Aquaponics History (http://www.theaquaponicsgarden.com/ap_history.html)
Aquaponics in the Philippines (http://aquaponicsphilippines.com/aquaponics-in-the-philippines/)
