Translator: Ilze Garda Reviewer: Denise RQ
I'm going to talk to you about aquaponics.
And no, this is not a presentation about marijuana.
(Laughter)
A recent report by the Kansas State University found
that America spends four billion dollars a year
on environmental and health damages caused by industrial agriculture.
We've all heard the statistics, and I won't bore you,
but it is a fact that agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation,
greenhouse gas emissions, and erosion worldwide.
The challenges we face as a world are complex.
But when we take a closer look at the root of many of these issues,
we often find how we grow our food to be at the base.
I have a question:
can we feed the world while not destroying our ecosystems?
Aquaponics is a system of recirculating water,
which combines fish, beneficial bacteria, and plants
to create a highly productive food-producing system.
In an aquaponic system, fish produce toxins
which are then broken down via these microbes into nutrients.
After this miraculous process, the plants uptake these nutrients,
effectively cleaning and purifying the water.
The water gets sent directly back into the fish tank,
and the cycle continues.
In this way, a system can save massive amounts of water,
when compared to conventional agriculture,
and generate the nutrients needed for the plant growth within the system.
This not only saves massive amounts of water
but helps alleviate our dependence
on petrochemical fertilizers and artificial nutrients.
And my idea is this:
aquaponics can help feed the world
and improve our quality of life, and the quality of our ecosystems.
The concept of a food desert has been something highlighted in recent years,
showcasing the incredible struggle for access to healthy, fresh food
millions of Americans face today.
A recent report by the USDA's economic survey found
that 23 million Americans currently live in the classified food deserts.
Food deserts usually arise in urban areas which are highly populated.
But here lies a valuable application for aquaponic systems:
aquaponic systems can be installed on rooftops, in warehouses,
in community centers, and in places with polluted or degraded soils.
Aquaponic systems can create
oases of inspiration, regeneration, and connection to our food systems.
Having access to aquaponic systems can provide, for example,
delicious salads of ruccola, basil, tomatoes, and peppers
all the way to fresh fish dinners with steamed greens and broccoli.
And when we grow, and when we share food together,
we are not simply helping to meet our basic needs,
but we're weaving together valuable and strong social relationships,
further enhancing our communities and our local economies.
We can begin to grow food in places unimaginable,
and in this way, help to lift up and inspire our communities and our world.
In my time as an aquaponic educator,
I've worked with many different kinds of people and places.
I currently consult in our Washington State [Correctional] Systems.
I provide education to inmates and establish aquaponic programs there.
Working with our inmate populations has given me a lot of hope.
The vast majority of our inmate population
has come from a life below the poverty line
where access to education, healthy food,
societal appreciation, and a sense of place
had been incredibly hard to come by.
This background paired with incarceration
can sometimes create vicious cycles of reoffence.
But through the application of aquaponics programs in prison,
we are starting to see some of these cycles lifted.
When prisoners have access to aquaponic systems,
when they can learn, and they can grow, and they can be inspired,
they gain skills related to horticulture,
mathematics, design, leadership, and systems operations.
All of these skills, we know, are incredibly valuable
when trying to create a life for yourself after leaving prison.
An inmate student of mine recently told me
that learning how to grow food renewably
has given him a new sense of what freedom actually means.
Another one just told me that when he gets out,
he's going to install an aquaponic system in his garage
and begin to produce food for his family.
After a lecture series I just did, an inmate student told me, and I quote,
"I learned that aquaponics is a great way to provide for yourself and community,
is a great tool for social interaction
and can greatly reduce the cost of food for our families and our communities."
The case study of aquaponic systems and renewable food production in prison
is incredibly important, I feel.
If we can teach people, if we can inspire people
to grow their own food and share this knowledge in prison,
we can do this in our larger society.
I believe it is vital to nurture and lift up a child's sense of wonder
and to give them practical skills
needed to better their lives and brighten their world.
Aquaponic systems have and can be installed in science classrooms
where children can learn
about the incredible relationships that gives us life
and learn how to grow food.
Imagine aquaponic systems being installed in neighborhoods
where children can learn and grow
from the systems that they've built and create with.
From apartment complex, to suburban cul-de-sac,
from urban high-rise to nursing homes and rehabilitation centers,
these systems can continue to inspire and feed us.
We can meet the challenges we face as a world.
And we can do this
without erosion, without pesticides, and without destroying our ecosystems.
Aquaponics can help feed the world.
Thank you.
(Applause)