Good Thinking

Could triple-decker floating farms address future food issues?

Could triple-decker floating farms address future food issues?
Each Smart Floating Farm would be a triple-decker barge, featuring a fish farm, hydroponic garden and rooftop solar panels
Each Smart Floating Farm would be a triple-decker barge, featuring a fish farm, hydroponic garden and rooftop solar panels
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Each Smart Floating Farm would be a triple-decker barge, featuring a fish farm, hydroponic garden and rooftop solar panels
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Each Smart Floating Farm would be a triple-decker barge, featuring a fish farm, hydroponic garden and rooftop solar panels
The floating farm would be anchored to the beds of oceans, lakes or rivers, and located near large cities
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The floating farm would be anchored to the beds of oceans, lakes or rivers, and located near large cities
Each deck of the floating farm would connect to the others in a sustainable loop
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Each deck of the floating farm would connect to the others in a sustainable loop
The floating farms would largely self-sufficient and largely self-operating, requiring minimal labor
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The floating farms would largely self-sufficient and largely self-operating, requiring minimal labor
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With the world’s population expected to hit 9.1 billion by 2050, coupled with the growing effects of climate change on our ability to grow crops, a company out of Barcelona has proposed a solution to feeding the future world. Forward Thinking Architecture's triple-decker Smart Floating Farms would feature 2.2 million square feet (2.04 sq km) of fish farm, hydroponic garden, and rooftop solar panels to power a floating barge, which could be anchored to the beds of oceans, lakes or rivers. The company estimates that each of its floating farms could produce about 8 tons (7.3 tonnes) of vegetables and 1.7 tons (1.5 tonnes) of fish per year.

The floating farms are intended to provide a solution that can keep up with food production levels that will have to increase by 70 percent globally, and 100 percent in developing nations, to feed more than 9 billion mouths. With so many people, arable land would be stretched to its growing capacity (we’re currently using 80 percent), while fresh water supplies would be severely stressed. Oceans are also being overfished at present.

The company’s idea to move farms onto the surface of water would address all those issues. Each level of the triple-decker farm would have its own function, and would operate as part of a sustainable loop that feeds into the other decks.

Skylights and solar panels on the top deck would convert sunlight into energy to power the farm. The middle level would consist of tiers of hydroponic organic crops that would maximize the limited space on the barge. Waste water from the crops would filter down to the fish farm level at the bottom as a food source.

The floating farms would largely self-sufficient and largely self-operating, requiring minimal labor
The floating farms would largely self-sufficient and largely self-operating, requiring minimal labor

Meanwhile, the nitrogen-rich fish poop would be recycled back to fertilize the crops. Unlike livestock animal manure, fish manure is a fast-acting fertilizer that doesn’t take months to break down, and would provide the plants a quick nutrient boost, including the macronutrients phosphorous and potassium. Fish farming combined with hydroponics – a combo known as aquaponics – is a proven system that is growing in popularity, so this part of the concept is perfectly reasonable.

Also added to the barge would be a possible desalination plant (if floating on sea water), a fish-processing house, and a packaging facility. Wind turbines and wave turbines could also be added, to provide extra energy. The entire barge would be protected from the seas and bad weather with inflatable wave protectors. Thus the farm would be self-sufficient and largely self-operating, requiring minimal labor.

Javier Ponce, the CEO of Forward Thinking Architecture, envisions locating the floating farms, which would be scalable, near densely-populated cities which will see the greatest growth in the future. Of the 35 megacities with more than 10 million people, 25 are located near water, such as Shanghai, Jakarta, Lagos, Tokyo and New York. Ponce believes the floating farms could complement existing traditional agriculture systems, helping reduce food risks associated with climate change issues in especially vulnerable parts of the world.

Source: Smart Floating Farms

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11 comments
11 comments
dsiple
Hardly a new idea. The Aztecs were already doing this in what is now Mexico City, when the Conquistadores arrived. Floating garden beds. Still in use today.
Robert Walther
I would hope that the "8 tons (7.3 tonnes) of vegetables and 1.7 tons (1.5 tonnes) of fish per year" would be per acre (or less) and does not indicate the production from the entire 2.2 Million sq ft (Approx. 51 acres).
Slowburn
Solar panels to power grow lights. really?
Buzzclick
This could be significant, as long as the veggies aren't Monsantified and the fish don't have the undesirable effects of "fish farming syndrome". A self-sustaining operation that can be localized close to population centers means less transport too. I wonder how it will fare in freezing temperatures.
CliffG
@owlbeyou, is "fish farming syndrome" any less imaginary than wind-turbine syndrome?
JohnDavidHanna
Ahhh, the other comments are more comprehensive and worthwhile than mine. But yes they surely could help food supply. I don't know where they get the 80 percent of arable land is used up - is that land taxed as farms with twenty percent not productive atm? I see land all over that could be planted, brown watered (if taxes did something other than service the retirements of public employees ) and used to produce something other than grass.
StWils
Floating gardens may not be an especially new idea but the violent storm action of mega storms like as Super Storm Sandy are new and are likely to increase in intensity and frequency. Any offshore system has to be capable of tolerating a gigantic amount of wind & wave action. The cute drawings of a calmly floating barge shown here does not look capable of taking any real sea action. This does not mean this is a bad idea at all, but as shown will not survive the first violent storm. None the less, good luck.
Bruce H. Anderson
15-foot seas. Toast.
Buzzclick
Not sure what you mean CliffG, but personally, I don't care for produce from fish farms. Even if the pens are moved around, I have noticed a kind of rough and worn condition in the fish that I don't find appetizing. I have a problem with treating animals like plants, chickens included.
As for wind turbines, there is a kill rate for birds that bugs me also.
So lets get one of these floating farms built off the coast of Louisiana! :)
YYKK
It is a great idea !
I have interest to know about the investment amount !
Thank you!
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