Introduction
Aquaponics combines recirculation aquaculture systems with hydroponics. This innovation in food production produces fish as well as vegetal products within recirculating water systems which offer significant potential for more sustainable food production. As aquaponics grows in popularity amongst researchers, with great strides being taken in R&D with large semi-commercial systems within institutions, commercial aquaponics has surfaced on the agenda for numbers of European entrepreneurs. However, several questions regarding the merging of best practice from the different production systems and optimizing the economic, environmental and social aspects of aquaponics still remain unanswered (Goddek et al., 2015). The COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) Action FA1305 'EU Aquaponics Hub: Realizing Sustainable Integrated Fish and Vegetable Production for the EU' has joined researchers, scientists and SMEs from across Europe and around the globe to better understand the state of knowledge in aquaponics in the EU and globally. Two important aspects of the COST network are to facilitate innovation and to investigate the potential of commercial aquaponics for the EU. Due to the multi-dimensional interactions that are part of aquaponics an Analytical Innovation System Framework Analysis (AISFA) has been carried out to determine the main hurdles and the potential for future commercialization of aquaponics.
Materials and methods
The work is based on the AISFA method developed by Malerba (2002, 2004). The framework facilitates the analysis of systems using six different elements to breakdown and describe the system. The six elements suggested by Malerba are the following: (1) Actors and Organization; (2) Interactions and Intermediaries; (3) Knowledge Base and Human Capital; (4) Technology and Demand; (5) Institutions and Politics and (6) Competition.
Results
(1) Actors and Organization
The actors and organizations working with aquaponics today are mainly hobbyists, scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs. However, interest in the technology is increasing within the traditional horticulture and aquaculture sectors and also with technology providers and policy agencies who are starting to look into the potential of future commercial aquaponics. The ideas have been presented to regulatory and certification bodies as well as other stakeholders such as municipalities, investors and regulatory and organic/sustainability certification bodies. Moreover, spinoff opportunities have reached entrepreneurs in related businesses such as, vermiculture, insect farming, educational and experience tourism.
(2) Interactions and Intermediaries
The implementation of commercial aquaponics requires interactions with various stakeholders such as: financing agencies, regulatory bodies and policy makers, certification bodies, technology providers, marketing people and the R&D / innovation sectors. The most complicated issue that has surfaced appears to be in linking people from the two different worlds of aquaculture and horticulture. In the COST network the majority has a background in aquaculture although the plants are always the larger component of an aquaponics system and the economic driver. However, RAS could be developed in a way that it would naturally supply nutrients from the aquaculture to plant/vegetable production.
(3) Knowledge Base and Human Capital
The knowledge base in aquaponics has been built on small hobby and research units with some medium scale commercial systems located mainly in the United States. Additionally know-how is transferred from traditional aquaculture and horticulture farming and merging innovative ideas from environmental science, design, market and related fields and spinoffs.
(4) Technology and Demand
The technology in aquaponics has until recently used simple, low-tech solutions, but small scale high-tech systems based on best practices in RAS and hydroponics have now been implemented. The former solutions have a lower capital costs but are more labour intensive. No useful comparisons are available in the literature.
(5) Institutions and Politics
Aquaponics has the potential capacity to support EU food and environmental policies within the waste, water, energy and social integration sectors. Tailoring new practices that can comply with regulations and environmental concerns can help to expand aquaculture with a greener outlook. The use of RAS would be a solution, but to make this alternative more sustainable the support of agriculture would be essential to reduce costs and the impact on the environment. Moreover, aquaponics can add benefits in terms of food security, food safety and reducing food miles and CO2 emissions. These sectors have been high on the agenda of institutions including the FAO, WHO, EU and national/regional policy makers.
(6) Competition
The competition is mainly from traditional farming methods, for financing and people.
Discussion and conclusion
Aquaponics is receiving increased interest in Europe and the development of pilot scale commercial systems has started in several countries. The RAS production techniques have developed rapidly in recent decades and these provide a sound platform for aquaponics. Several innovative ideas linked to aquaponics are being investigated. These include: (1) Economic, Environmental and Social Challenges; (2) Development of technology; (3) Optimizing production; (4) Closing nutrient cycles; (5) Decoupled and fully integrated systems; (6) Integrating algae systems for feed; (7) Decreasing energy use and other inputs; (8) Estimating economies of small-scale - simple units versus high-tech larger scale systems; (9) Development of new products and services; (10) Links to tourism and other spinoffs; and (11) Development of products from sludge and other organic waste e.g. insects, worms, algae and fertilizer.
Thus, the future development of aquaponics offers interesting possibilities not only for fresh water aquaculture but also for marine integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). Closing nutrient cycles with the use of polyculture, vermiculture, algaeculture and/or entemoculture would mimic nature itself and optimize the use of nutrients. However, there are still economic uncertainties involved and the main hurdle is to merge two different industries as aquaculture and horticulture.
References
Goddek, S., Delaide, B., Mankasingh, U., Ragnarsdottir, K.V., Jijakli, H. and Thorarinsdottir, R.I. Challenges of Sustainable and Commercial Aquaponics, Sustainability 2015, 7(4), 4199-4224
Malerba, F. (2002). Sectoral systems of innovation and production,. Research Policy 31, pp. 247- 264.
Malerba, F. (ed.) (2004). Sectoral Systems of Innovation. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.