Feeding the World: A Closer Look at Aquaponics

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World officials always speak of ending the hunger, and how exactly that is going to be accomplished. Well, that is the real question. How is the world going to be fed with the growing population?

Agriculturalists don't quite have a clear answer yet, but they have several steps that can help accomplish this task. One of those reasons is a practice called aquaponics.

Aquaponics is a process by which produce can be grown in a soilless medium, specifically, water and stones. To the lower left is a diagram of how exactly an aquaponics system would be set up.

What makes these systems unique is that some of the water reservoirs underneath the plant bed will serve as a home to fish. The fish droppings are also filtered and circulated to serve as fertilizer for the plants above.

Aquaponics is even expanding to help third world countries to develop an industry, as well as feed the country's population.

Really many vegetables can be grown this way, and the health value is the same as grown in a soil medium. It is just one way agriculture is expanding and changing to meet the world's needs.