The global need for more and more food has made allowances for some agricultural methods with questionable ethics.
One of these is continual deforestation to create arable land. Many forest clearers burn hundreds of acres of rainforest. This not only decreases the Earth’s ability to sequester carbon and accelerates climate change, but it destroys the homes of hundreds of animals.
When forest clearers burn down the trees, the layer of ash left on the ground makes the soil super-fertile. But this only lasts for a few years and then the soil is depleted. Large amounts of fertilizers are then used in an attempt to make the land viable for a little longer, however these chemicals pollute surrounding streams and affect fish and aquatic life. When even fertilizer cannot make food grow, the land is abandoned for animal grazing.
The farmers will then cut down more trees and start the process again.
Traditional farming methods are still holding strong but for one reason only – it’s what we’ve always done. The sad fact is that we have used the world’s resources for our own ends long enough, and we’ve abused the earth to the point that we are damaging ourselves and our future generations.
Aquaponics can save the rainforests! Credit: pfly (Flickr)
How long can this continue?
In 1500 AD, the Amazon rainforest in Brazil was home to roughly 6 million indigenous people. Today there are less than 250,000 and this number is quickly dwindling. If this continues there soon won’t be any rainforest left to save.
With aquaponics providing a way to grow food that is faster, cheaper, and without the huge amounts of land and water required for sustaining it, farmers and consumers the world over can get the food and income they need – and we can rest easy in our beds!
It is the ultimate in sustainable farming, and could very realistically save the rainforests!
Aquaponics in India will soon be offering consultancy services. Please contact us for more details.
