Food Security

The Problem:

In many parts of the world, impoverished communities are left “food vulnerable” because they live in areas where the soil has been depleted of nutrients needed to grow vegetation. The process to replenish that soil can take up to ten years and in that time, growing food is almost impossible. These same areas are often deforested and have lost their water shed capacity, which leads to a lack of water for these communities.

Our Solution:

Aquaponics was first introduced to Contextual Solutions by the late Glenn Wargo.  In discussing food vulnerability affecting remote areas, Glenn blurted out the unknown word: “Aquaponics”. Aquaponics is a food growing method used throughout the world in areas such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and China (where early records show it originated). There is even a movement towards aquaponics in developed countries. Aquaponics is a closed ecosystem method that merges hydroponics (soil-free plant growth) and aquaculture (aquatic animal growth). The benefits of aquaponics over other methods include its non-dependency on soil (addressing the issue of depleted soil conditions), its recycling of water (addressing the issue of limited access to water and water waste typical in traditional food-growing methods) its ability to maintain a natural homeostatic balance of nutrients within the system through the relationship between the fish, bacteria and plant life requirements and it offers multiple food sources including vegetables, fruit and fish (addressing the issue of dietary deficiencies). With this understanding, Contextual Solutions began research and development into a contextually appropriate system for food vulnerable communities.

How It Works:

Aquaponics defined is simply the union of Aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing food in nutrient managed water). Contextual Solutions designed a “flood and drain” system consisting of two parts: a tank of Tilapia fish and several grow beds filled with approximately eight inches of gravel. The water cycle begins in the fish tank from which water is pumped into the higher end of the gravel-filled grow bed. The water drains through the grow bed where the gravel acts as a filter catching the sediment (fish waste). Gravity drains the water toward the lower end of the gravel bed where it exits; returning to the fish tank as clean water. Inside the grow bed, the sediment in the water (ammonia) is confronted by a colony of naturally-occurring nitrifying bacteria. The nitrifying bacteria convert the ammonia into nitrates which the plants use as a nutrient source. The plants filter out the resulting compounds (vital nutrients) cleaning the water before it returns to the fish tank. The entire cycle utilizes a completely natural process and does not require any outside input except for fish food, which may or may not always be necessary.

Tilapia are extremely adaptable fish.  They are capable of filtering bacteria through their gills as a source of food to sustain them.  Many countries fertilize algae in the water by adding chicken wastes for increased production. This can pose a risk as E. Coli bacteria is spread mammal to mammal. An outbreak of E. Coli in the chicken population would contaminate the water source bringing  the bacteria in direct contact with the food which could be transferred to the human consumer. While this risk is low, our specific system is designed so that water never actually touches the food. To eliminate the risk completely, we feed the Tilapia fish food.

Aquaponic production levels are much higher than organic growing methods. In some cases, we have observed production cycles (planting to harvest) in as little as four months. This means two to three harvests a year are possible. The majority of the maintenance is in harvesting.

Vulnerability of System:

The aquaponics system requires a water pump. In most food-vulnerable communities there is no electricity. Consequently, a solar pump is required. The pumps we use have a life expectancy of ten years. Appropriate solar pumps cost approximately $1000USD per unit. Due to the cost, impoverished communities are unable to afford this kind of expense, so it must be donated. While this represents a dependency on the outside market, depleted soil conditions eliminates traditional and organic farming options in most regions. To date, we have been unable to find a more appropriate alternative and, although not ideal, we feel that this is the most contextually appropriate approach.

Our Strategy:

Rebuilding depleted soil can take as long as five years before it’s ready for effective planting and growing. Our system enables food growth that can reap its first harvest within five months of operation. We train community members to compost produce waste so that once food is harvested from the system they can begin replenishing the soil in their area and eventually expand their food production methods to include organic or traditional methods in their now nutrient-rich soil. In the meantime, the community will have a reliable food source. And within a five year period (half the life of the average solar water pump), the aquaponics system will transition from a primary source to a secondary source and will no longer be a necessity for the community’s food security. Initial costs per project are approximately $2,500.00USD depending on the scale.  Travel cost, as with all of our initiatives, is a key variable that impacts the budget.

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