Workshop: "Aquaponics – Introduction to Principles and Practices"
At a stage in human history when we are once again facing the specter of food scarcity and in which we also want to ensure the principles of sustainability that guarantee the survival and quality of life of future generations, we have to reinvent ourselves and develop creative solutions that can simultaneously face to these new challenges, which seem contradictory, an apparently almost impossible task. On the one hand, we must urgently increase food production and distribution and, on the other hand, reduce the impacts and pressure that food production historically imposes on natural and environmental resources.
In this context, Food4Sustainability, a collaborative laboratory in the field of agricultural sustainability, in partnership with Aquaponics Iberia, a company dedicated to sustainable aquaculture and aquaponics, are promoting the Workshop: "Aquaponics – Introduction to Principles and Practices".
Aquaponics is a food production technique that combines the concepts of aquaculture in recirculation (fish farming in a closed-loop) with hydroponics techniques (crop farming, namely vegetables, herbs and fruits, without using the soil), benefiting from the virtues of both production formats and eliminating their commonly resulting disadvantages and impacts. Finfish fertilize the aquatic environment and plants assimilate this natural fertilizer, promoting water recycling and optimal environmental conditions for fish. Promoting aquaponics locally, whether on a commercial or subsistence scale, is to contribute to greater food resilience of local communities, families and greater sovereignty of the regions, ensuring one of the great objectives of the days in which we live: to preserve and contribute to a better environment and biodiversity.
This 14-hour workshop will take place on the weekend of June 18th and 19th, in Turcifal, in the municipality of Torres Vedras. It is intended to transmit the concepts of this technique that allow the trainees to benefit from the theoretical and practical bases to later develop their experimental and domestic aquaponic systems and, who knows, sow the seed for larger units with commercial goals. Everyone is welcome, whether they are science students, researchers, entrepreneurs, agronomists, chefs or simply interested and curious about the subject.
Considering the in-person available space, the number of registrations is limited. To register or get more information, you can check here!
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About Food4Sustainability (F4S) CoLAB
The Food4Sustainability (F4S) CoLAB is a collaborative laboratory located in Portugal that aims to solve large-scale problems in organic food systems (e.g. food, fish, algae, vegetables) to achieve climate resilience. F4S CoLAB is at the forefront of the shift from linear agri-food production processes to circular processes. The F4S CoLAB aims to test and implement new approaches in food production systems that positively impact: CO2 mitigation, no use of chemicals, sustainable intensification (maximizing land use), preservation of water bodies and environmental impact, and increased efficiency in the food value chain.
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About Aquaponics Iberia
Aquaponics Iberia is a Portuguese company dedicated to the development of technologies and consultancy in sustainable aquaculture, with a special focus on aquaponics, through the design, engineering and installation of new production systems in closed-loop and in recirculation, with advantages in terms of extreme water savings, waste reuse, no use of pesticides and pharmaceuticals, reducing CO2 emissions and reducing impacts on wild fish stocks in our oceans. Throughout its activity, it has trained around 2,500 people in this area in several countries.
For more information, contact the workshop trainer directly:
João Cotter – joao.cotter@food4sustainability.org