Aquaponics as a sustainable way to diversify local food production in Belgium: an integrated study

In aquaponics, fish wastes are transformed in valuable nutrients for soilless plant growth. Consequently aquaponics is often presented as a sustainable way to produce food. Initiatives and developing projects are flourishing everywhere. However, the real environmental, economic and social sustainability of systems are usually difficult to objectify. We developed an aquaponics pilot unit with the aim to fill a part of the gap between science and market. This system is dedicated to data collection on the technical functioning and the balance between the different physical and biological compartments (nutrient, energy and water flows), on the environmental (LCA) and economic sustainability (LCC) and meant to integrate a real social and economic peri-urban network. In a second step, modelled data will be used for production system sizing and for technical, environmental and economic optimizing.