WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEPTEMBER 2025 67 Phoenix Arizona, early November 2020. Broken food chains. Empty shelves. High prices. Figure 1 represents a new image of food insecurity in the United States. Each of these cars was in this line to receive a single turkey for Thanksgiving from a local church. Though the pandemic has abated, some forecasts suggest that for what seems to be an increasing variety of social, economic and environmental reasons, national food shortages like this could happen again in the near future. Victory Gardens Years ago, during World Wars I & II there were also pending food crises in the U.S. Notably powerful and effective urban agriculture-based solutions were the “War Gardens” of WWI which were later renamed “Victory Gardens” during WWII. In summary, to allow the large farmers to dedicate production to the war efforts, the government encouraged urban and peri-urban lands to be converted to farmland to help feed the population. Often established in backyards, a 400 square-foot garden could grow about 200 pounds of food for the family (see diagram, Figure 2). Growing a wide variety of crops, they were very effective, producing about 40% of the food consumed in the United States in 1945 (USDA 2020). Disruptive Innovation In the evolution of Urban Agriculture, the comparatively new concept of “Disruptive Innovation” has played an important role. Often misunderstood, “disruptive innovation” as coined by Harvard professor Dr. Clayton Christensen describes the conditions where over time, a company continues to improve its products. This is quite normal. However, at times those improved products with more features cease to meet the needs of the original users who continue to want or need a simple low-cost alternative. This is the opportunity for another company to create that “simple alternative” that the customers desire and take over that market from the original company. The term that is used for such market takeovers is “disruption.” Using this model, the Victory Garden concept was a disruptive innovation (Christensen et al. 2006). Interestingly, in the aforementioned USDA Victory Garden article, the author suggests that hydroponics could be used to help create 21st century Victory Gardens. The logical progression is to ask the question “are there also aquaculture-based solutions that could be used to do the same?” The answer may indeed be yes. Phoenix Backyard Garden Program In its response to the COVID 19 food shortage, the city of Phoenix tested a food insecurity mitigation solution not unlike the Victory Gardens of WWII, where backyards were activated. It was called the Phoenix Backyard Garden Program. “The ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act)-funded effort empowered USAS CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Applying the Smallholder Farming Model to Enhance Urban Food Security with Aquaponics George B. Brooks Jr. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 68) FIGURE 1. Line of cars illustrating recent food insecurity conditions FIGURE 2. Victory Garden Years ago, during World Wars I & II there were also pending food crises in the U.S. Notably powerful and effective urban agriculture-based solutions were the “War Gardens” of WWI which were later renamed “Victory Gardens” during WWII. In summary, to allow the large farmers to dedicate production to the war efforts, the government encouraged urban and peri-urban lands to be converted to farmland to help feed the population. Often established in backyards, a 400 square-foot garden could grow about 200 pounds of food for the family. Growing a wide variety of crops, they were very effective, producing about 40% of the food consumed in the United States in 1945.
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