Here’s a big aqua farm.
ㆍAgriculture has always faced the challenge of wasting water and requiring extensive land clearance. However, considering the dwindling water resources on our planet, innovative approaches are essential.
ㆍThai startup ‘AHAS’ has developed an aquaponics smart farm that combines a fish tank and a prefabricated plant cart into one system.
ㆍIf every household had a fish tank farm, a new economic system based on self-sufficiency might emerge.
Agriculture is destroying ecosystems
It’s an undeniable fact. Agriculture, a sector that consumes a staggering 70% of the drinking water in many regions, is facing a critical challenge-water scarcity. With climate change-induced droughts becoming more frequent, the need to conserve water for agricultural use has never been more urgent. The UN predicts that the global population will reach 10 billion by 2050, and all these individuals will need access to healthy food and clean water. In the face of these challenges, is there a solution that is both pesticide-free and eco-friendly? Enter ‘AHAS’, a Thailand startup that offers a compelling answer: the revolutionary concept of aquaponics.
Hybrid in a fish tank
Aquaponics combines fish farming and hydroponics in a single system. Typically, there is a fish tank on the lower level and a hydroponic grow bed on the upper level. The plants utilize the waste and feces produced by the fish for nutrients, purifying the water for the fish in return. In a fish farm, the fish waste is circulated to the plants through water pipes, and the excess water returns to the fish tank. Microorganisms in the water convert the fish waste into nitrates, which are then absorbed by the plants. This closed-loop system allows for a continuous water cycle and uses significantly less water than traditional soil-based agriculture, making it highly efficient, particularly in water-scarce areas.
AHAS has developed its own aquaponics system called the Modular Infinity Tank (MIT). It is a Lego-style assembly that can be installed without tools. The MIT is designed to be easily assembled and disassembled, allowing for the creation of a large aquaculture line. Anyone can build their own MITs and they can be stacked as high and as long as desired, making it easy to build a system anywhere, anytime. (Two people can assemble MITs in just a few minutes. A single MIT unit produces an average of 700 kg of vegetables and holds 80 cubic meters of water.) The MIT system consists of a floating raft, pots, and trays, which allow water to be absorbed by the plants through capillary action. The plants also receive mineral nutrients from the fish at the same time. All of AHAS’ systems are perfectly balanced by design, and the fish, bacteria, and plants live happily in an optimized environment.
I’m an urban farmer, too!
Self-sufficiency will become a trend in the future as a way to combat the water and food shortages that threaten our planet. Currently, AHAS aquaponics trays are used to grow a variety of plants such as rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, lettuce, tomatoes, and more. They are also experimenting with growing medical hemp. MIT will soon be able to grow larger plants, such as finger lime trees. AHAS offers commercial and home kits so that anyone can start an aquaponics farm in an urban setting. An example of this is the 400-square-meter farm on the fifth floor of the Fairmont Swissotel Raffle Hotel in Singapore, which provides vegetables to 11 restaurants. This means that even at home, you can grow your vegetables without the need for a field or irrigation. You can grow whatever you want in a ‘fish tank farm’. Imagine starting your day with a salad made with romaine lettuce that grew in water infused with fish organic matter. You can even enjoy fresh sashimi using the clean water from your vegetables. Perhaps in the future, you’ll even have fish swimming in your tank with the same green hue as your vegetables, and you could be eating fish-flavored paprika.
