BENEFITS AND WEAKNESSES OF AQUAPONIC FOOD PRODUCTION

Major benefits of aquaponic food production:
• Sustainable and intensive food production system.

• Two agricultural products (fish and vegetables) are produced from one nitrogen source (fish food).
Extremely water-efficient.
• Does not require soil.
• Does not use fertilizers or chemical pesticides.
• Higher yields and qualitative production.
• Organic-like management and production.
• Higher level of biosecurity and lower risks from outer contaminants.
• Higher control on production leading to lower losses.
• Can be used on non-arable land such as deserts; degraded or salty soils; urban plots; and sandy islands.
• Creates little waste.
• Daily tasks, harvesting and planting are labour-saving and therefore can include all genders and ages.
Economical production of either family food production or cash crops in many locations.
• Can be built in many ways according to the materials available.

Major weaknesses of aquaponic food production:
•Expensive initial start-up costs compared with soil production or hydroponics. • Knowledge of fish, bacteria and plant production is needed for each farmer to be successful.
Fish and plant requirements do not always match perfectly.
• Not recommended in places where cultured fish and plants cannot meet their optimal temperature ranges.
• Reduced management choices compared with stand-alone aquaculture or hydroponic systems (no pesticides for the plants, no antibiotics for the fish) • Mistakes or accidents can cause catastrophic collapse of system.
⚫ Daily management is mandatory.
• Energy demanding.
• Requires reliable access to electricity, fish fingerlings and plant seeds. Alone, aquaponics will not provide a complete diet.