The global populatıon ıs expected to fınd 9.7 bıllıon by
2050, and ın lıne wıth food demand ıs expected to ıncrease by 60 per cent.
These growth rates are lookıng for ways to get out of agrıcultural actıvıtıes
for the future and developıng projects that wıll ımprove more food productıon.
One of the latest applıcatıons that fundamentals the ıdea of
agrıcultural productıon ıs underwater agrıculture.
Today, we unconsciously use more than 50 per cent of the
world's resources. The world's population is growing every day. Consumption is
increasing in the industrialized world with the upward graph of population. So
while the world is developing rapidly economically, it is running out at the
same rate. As a result of this spiral cycle, the need to use natural resources
more efficiently arises.
According to the United Nations (UN), the global population
is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, with food demand rising by up to 60
per cent. Since these rates of increase will trigger more food production,
humanity is looking for ways out and developing projects, especially in
agricultural activities, in order not to have severe consequences for the
future.
The agricultural sector provides essential nutrients for
human life, but the damage it leaves behind is just as large. Farmland, which
uses around 70 per cent of the world's freshwater resources, also draws
unevenly from groundwater resources. Another of the biggest destructions of
industrial agriculture to the environment is deforestation for production. When
all these results are taken into account, it is seen that the agricultural
sector has great environmental impacts on both land and sea with its intense resource
use.
To prevent excessive consumption in the sector, new experiments are carried out in the agricultural sector in light of technological developments. Today, soilless agriculture experiments are carried out in space and the desert. Vertical agriculture, which eliminates the understanding of the land, has been spreading rapidly in recent years. One of the newest applications that radically changes the understanding of agricultural production is underwater agriculture.
WILL TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE BE HISTORY?
The UN World Food Programme says a serious food crisis
awaits 155 million people in 55 countries soon. In fact, in 2020 alone, the
number of people facing a food crisis increased by 20 million. Studies are
already being carried out against the food crisis problem, which has been on
the agenda of the world for a very long time, but unfortunately, it is not
enough. Because population growth and climate change are moving at the same
pace. However, agricultural production cannot meet the needs of the population
and the damage to the environment is increasing day by day. When all this comes
together, new methods will inevitably be developed in agricultural production.
In recent years, many scientists and entrepreneurs have
developed highly futuristic projects for food supply, going beyond traditional
farming methods. Production trials are currently being carried out in projects
that have been implemented beyond development. Among these new approaches,
vertical agriculture is long known and best known. The newest and most shocking
are the agricultural productions in space, on the moon and in the desert. One
of the newest addresses that attract attention in agricultural production is
underwater farming. This new method also called "floating greenhouses";
promises landless, safe and sustainable production. The only common purpose of
these methods, each with different technical characteristics, is to solve the
looming food crisis as a result of climate change.
THE FUTURE OF THE SEA IS UNDERWATER IN THE FARM
Underwater agriculture or underwater farming is on the
agenda of all countries that do not have enough space for agricultural land.
Thanks to this system, space is saved in food production and at the same time,
very beneficial results are achieved for the underwater ecosystem. Vincent
Doumeizel, the UN's ocean-based solutions consultancy, said in a statement
about underwater farming: “It is possible to obtain enough protein for 12
billion people with agriculture in only 2% of the ocean. For the production of
seaweed, which is the most important protein source It doesn't need soil, clean
water or pesticides. In other words, if animals are fed algae-based products
instead of soy, methane gas emissions can be reduced by 90 per cent. This
practice has already been implemented in countries such as Scotland and Iceland.”
said.
Coastal
ecosystems; it has been threatened for a very long time due to coastal
pollution, habitat loss and overfishing. Underwater farming and
aquaculture production can ensure sustainable seafood and a green future in
coastal communities, while at the same time accelerating the improvement of the
ecosystem. Especially seaweed farms, which are one of the most efficient
in restorative aquaculture, have a noticeable positive effect on the
environment. Research shows that seaweed farms experience almost twice as
much fish and invertebrate diversity around them than in other
regions. Aquaculture has long been used to grow foodstuffs such as
seafood, but under the leadership of several companies, traditional crops have
started to be grown under the sea.
UNDERWATER PRODUCTION PROCESS
Dome-shaped plastic greenhouses, where plants are produced,
hang at different depths under the surface of the water, ranging from 4.5 to 11
meters. Each greenhouse is equipped with precise sensor mechanisms to measure
carbon dioxide and oxygen levels. Sensors are also responsible for humidity,
air temperature and lighting levels in the environment. Developed in 2012 by
the global dive company Ocean Reef Group, the project has yielded positive
results in the production of almost every plant, from tomatoes to zucchini,
beans to mushrooms, lettuce to orchids and aloe vera plants. The project aims
to produce the grown foods without soil, and hydroponic technology is used in
all air-filled compartments underwater. Plants planted thanks to this
technology; It is grown in a controlled environment, in a nutrient-rich
solution, without the need for soil to give water and minerals to its roots.
Each greenhouse dome is equipped with a 10-meter spiral pipe
with seedbeds. Irrigation water and fertilizer are also delivered to the plants
by pump from a tank at the bottom of the spiral. All stages carried out
throughout the production are controlled from the overwater control tower,
equipped with solar panels that control the reduction of moisture in plants.
NO PESTICIDE REQUIRED IN PRODUCTION
Sergio Gamberini, the owner of the underwater farm idea, is
a professional diver and amateur gardener. When Gamberini's small trials on the
road he set out with a dream yielded results, he develops the project he calls
Nemo's Garden through the family company Ocean Reef. The project, which started
with a few basil seeds, now hosts over 700 plants such as tomatoes,
strawberries, aloe vera and mint. As part of the project they created in Genoa,
Italy, there are six greenhouses underwater today. Plants grown underwater also
draw attention with their higher eugenol and chlorophyll ratios than plants
grown on land.
The biggest environmental benefit of underwater agriculture, which has the potential to reduce carbon emissions, is that it eliminates the need for pesticides. Since no pests can come to underwater crops, the insecticide option ceases to be part of food production completely. The seawater in the compartments evaporates first and then condenses again to provide fresh water to the plants, thus saving a great deal of water usage thanks to the project.
DEMAND FOR UNDERWATER PRODUCTS IS INCREASING
The world's population is expected to grow to almost 10
billion by 2050. According to UN reports from this point, using water that
covers the earth's surface in the production of sweat can help to feed in the
coming years. Everything is fine for the moment, especially in the last few
years there has been increased interest in local products supplied by sea.
Products such as seaweed, sea beets and sea cabbage are now specially requested
in restaurants. In addition, in a world where veganism is widely adopted day by
day, moss is in serious demand with its sustainable, healthy and high supply of
iodine.
While it is promising to see an interest in locally grown
food, it is not yet clear whether underwater farming can support the food
demands of a growing global population. Currently, there is no great pioneer
other than Nemo's Garden as the founder and developer of this method. Although
efficient production is provided from underwater agriculture, which progresses
in a microstate, the biggest handicap of this agricultural management is its
high cost. If underwater farming, which requires a serious cost, is
commercialized with more support in the coming years, a larger scale and more
efficient production can be realized.
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