21st Century Farming: The Technological Revolution - Essay Sample

Introduction

The 21st Century has depicted the technological advancement and transformation that most industries have undergone. Emerging technological trends have played a vital in nurturing innovative practices that are mandatory to replace traditional farming techniques. In the past two decades, the agricultural sector has undergone massive technological progress that has been characterized by precision farming methods. For instance, Aquaponics Design Company THORILEX are two major companies that offer exclusive outdoor and indoor aquaponics garden services. Moreover, the aquaponics farming strategy provides a practical approach that aims to combine hydroponics and aquaculture principles. It is a modern urban farming technique that enables farmers to be artistic and stylish in developing a sustainable food production system. Therefore, the integration aquaponics as an urban farming strategy is critical in improving resilience, sustainability, and productivity in food production.

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Application

The agricultural sector in most of the developing nations is a dynamic field that has the potential to enhance its gross domestic product. Various governments have acknowledged that agricultural investments and initiatives play a critical role in facilitating the accomplishment of their 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (Baker para.3). Hence, the stakeholders should prioritize the integration of aquaponics systems as strategic and innovative techniques that will guarantee the production of adequate agricultural produce to improve their food security.

Most leaders from developing nations should assess various solutions and ideas that can promote viable development strategies to revamp farming in their respective regions. For instance, some of the African farmers have incorporated urban farming practices to utilize innovative techniques that will stimulate sustainable development and growth in aquaponics agriculture (Aquaponics Design Co. para.6). The farmers hope that the aquaponics systems will address the food security challenges and issues that the agricultural sectors have encountered for years. Urban farming practices should engender the establishment of a proper agricultural infrastructure that facilitates the storage, processing, procurement, and production of agricultural yields. Therefore, the advancement of agricultural innovations should strengthen the agricultural supply chains by improving the agro-processing and storage facilities.

Beneficiaries

Emerging urban farming innovations have empowered farmers, especially in developing nations. Most of the developing countries have high populations. Therefore, arable land is scarce or fragmented. Consequently, farmers have adopted urban farming techniques as a simple form of rearing animals and producing crops. Aquaponics has empowered farmers living in the suburbs to utilize the little pieces of land for a sustainable agricultural production contrary to the conventional farming methods practiced in the countryside (Aquaponics Design Co. para.11). The innovative aquaponics practice is common in some cities due to a gradual increase in the urban population and food demand. The proliferation of rural-urban migration has led to urban farming being viewed as a viable solution that caters to the food security concerns common in major cities.

One key benefit of urban farming is its capability to incorporate the socio-economic urban lifestyle in its sustainability practices in society. The urban farming techniques utilized most of the resources and mitigate environmental degradation. For instance, in an aquaponics system, the farmer has to integrate an efficient recirculating mechanism for their fish, nutrients, and plants. It is a modern farming technique that enables farmers to integrate hydroponics and aquaculture in the same space (Baker para.5). Wastes produced from the fish farms are used as nutrients to hydroponically grown crops. The aquaponics farming system nurtures a symbiotic relationship between fish and plants while minimizing fossil fuel consumption, deforestation, and climate change impacts.

Pros and Cons

The crops grown in the aquaponics system are prone to fewer pest invasions compared to the crops planted in soil medium. The aquaponics system's water consumption is approximately 90% less compared to when an individual grows crops in a standard soil medium (Thorilex para.2). It is a sustainable farming practice since it does not dispose of wastes in the immediate environment.

The aquaponics system requires a constant supply of energy to facilitate its aeration and water pumping processes. Moreover, launching an aquaponics system requires knowledge and huge initial capital investment. One has to supply extra nutrients to guarantee healthy crop growth since the plants rely on the quality of the fish feed products and waste (Thorilex para.3). Lastly, a farmer has to provide additional greenhouse heating systems in cold climate regions, especially during winter.

Decoupling Systems

The inclusion of an effective bio-filter that will enable the two systems to function independently as a hydroponic system and a recirculate the fish system's filter. Although critics might claim that integration of a decoupling system will lead to the aquaponics losing its authenticity, it increases the system's efficiency drastically (Randazzo et al. para.2). The removal of the wastewater from the re-cycling fish pond and relocating it to a different water storage system enhances the plants' growth. For instance, if the fish require saline water, it would be inappropriate to transfer the saline water directly to the plants. Likewise, when a farmer sprays a pesticide, the contaminated solvent should not be transferred directly to the fish tank. The hydroponic plants and fish required different pH levels. In the past, most aquaponics systems have produced little fruit and vegetable yields since the nutrient concentration is continuously regulated to create a conducive breeding environment for the fish (Randazzo et al. para.4). The coupling system enables the farmer to concentrate the effluent from the fish tank and adjust it to a suitable pH level that is favorable for the plant roots. For that reason, the decoupling system provides sufficient nutrients to increase the fruit and vegetable yields.

The Future of Aquaponics

One of the main objectives of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is to produce adequate food supply and uphold environmental conservation. The aquaponics farming practice will become an essential farming practice that environmental activists and parastatals will be advocating for as an effective eco-friendly mechanism that improves food security. In the next two decades, it is anticipated that aquaponics will be endorsed as an essential urban farming system to address the high food demands in several cities (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development para.5). The aquaponics farming practices should help in lowering the carbon footprints and minimize transportation expenses due to the increased indoor aquaponics services. Therefore, the aquaponics system will be a sustainable urban farming technique that enhances the attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Works Cited

Aquaponics Design Co. "The Future of Aquaponics Is Urban Farming - Aquaponics Design Company". Aquaponics Design Company, 2018, https://aquaponicsdesign.co/aquaponics/the-future-of-aquaponics-is-urban-farming/. Accessed 29 Apr 2019.

Baker, Nancy Croft. Connect4climate, 2018, https://www.connect4climate.org/story/aquaponics-future-farming-jamaica-caribbean. Accessed 29 Apr 2019.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. "Agricultural Productivity and Innovation - OECD". Oecd.Org, 2019, http://www.oecd.org/agriculture/topics/agricultural-productivity-and-innovation/. Accessed 29 Apr 2019.

Randazzo, Isabella et al. "Aquaponics: The Future of Farming". Raider Review, 2018, https://www.raiderreview.org/2018/04/13/aquaponics-the-future-of-farming/. Accessed 29 Apr 2019.

Thorilex. "Pros and Cons - THORILEX". THORILEX, 2019, http://thorilex.com/pros-and-cons/. Accessed 29 Apr 2019.