Triple Bottom Line: The future of agriculture is in the ocean
The global population currently peaks at 7.9 billion people and is projected to reach nearly 9.7 billion by 2050. More people means more industrialization and greater competition for scarce resources, such as arable land and water. As demand grows and agriculture suppliers struggle to produce sufficient food quantities, scientists are brainstorming ways to best increase the efficiency of our food production systems.
As the demand for food spikes, the agriculture industry is under more stress than ever. In the past 40 years, the Earth has lost one-third of its arable land because of factors such as pollution, erosion and human expansion. These pressures demand that farmers and food producers do the impossible — exponentially increase their output while minimizing their environmental impact.
While I wish I could explore all the creative ways scientists are working to maximize food production, let me pivot to a potential food production alternative that’s increased in popularity these past several decades — aquaculture. The practice of farming fish, bivalves — such as oysters and mussels — and even kelp has taken off in the past few decades, presenting us with an opportunity to expand crop production to an entirely new realm.
From freshwater tanks on land to large, open-ocean sea cages, ocean domestication is beyond interesting and definitely worth exploring. Not to mention the fact that these methods are significantly less carbon-intensive than traditional farming and animal domestication. While wild fisheries have plateaued in terms of productivity, aquaculture is an untapped frontier with a potentially huge global market. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, fish now accounts for 17% of the world’s protein intake.
Aquaculture can take many forms — from coastal salmon farms in the Pacific Northwest to lagoons full of bivalves in my hometown of San Diego — and contains undeniable benefits waiting to be reaped. Aquaculture can potentially reduce stress and overfishing of wild marine fisheries while creating jobs for locals in coastal areas around the world. Additionally, sticking to species that occupy lower trophic levels means minimal resource input on farmers’ parts — photosynthesizers and filter feeders can essentially feed themselves with what already exists in their environments. Especially when it comes to crops like kelp and bivalves, widespread aquaculture could produce a cheaper and more widely accessible source of protein.
Particularly, seaweed has high potential to become an ocean superfood. It yields an extremely high growth rate, requires minimal nutrient input because it photosynthesizes, and has high nutritional benefits. Because it is produced in such great quantities, it can be a viable food source for humans and livestock as well as an energy-dense biofuel.
Climate sciences also herald seaweed as a potential solution to climate change. As the ocean continues to acidify, it grows even more efficiently by capturing carbon dioxide for photosynthetic processes. This process of carbon sequestration essentially siphons out excess carbon dioxide in the water and could actually help mitigate the acidification process if implemented on a large enough scale.
Aquaculture isn’t completely immune to some of the drawbacks that afflict terrestrial farming. The so-called sustainability of any aquaculture system highly depends on the system’s resources and their impact on the surrounding ecosystem. Additionally, some of the larger species grown in captivity require high levels of feedstock inputs, making the entire process just as energy intensive as land processes.
In open bodies of water, the risk of aquaculture-raised fish escaping runs high, with consequences such as genetic alteration and disease spread into wild populations at stake. It’s also worth mentioning that excessively large aquaculture operations can cause pollution in the surrounding ecosystem and disease outbreaks among fish can lead to antibiotic and growth hormone usage to maintain quality levels.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t address the biggest dilemma facing the budding industry — the farmed fish debate. Consumers assume wild-caught seafood is more nutritious and natural than its farmed counterpart; however, this isn’t always the case. While farm-raised varieties can contain higher levels of contaminants and antibiotics, bioaccumulation becaused pollution conditions may make wild-caught fish just as susceptible to the same contaminants. The best solution we have to decode the kind of fish we’re eating? Don’t trust everything you read on labels — it’s crucial to educate ourselves on common aquaculture and commercial fishing processes.
Aquaculture is at a pivotal point — most practices are still relatively small in size and revenue, and greater commercial and scientific investment would popularize the idea to create a greater global market of potential consumers.
As for now, establishing good sustainability practices and minimizing ecosystem impacts is the most important investment in our future. Traditional agriculture alternatives are imperative, and we aren’t doing ourselves any favors if we expand to the oceans without adequate scientific research and protective policies in place.
The most logical path forward is a dual focus on greater sustainability and scalability. Keeping aquaculture practices relatively small and local while prioritizing good environmental stewardship is a necessary investment in the industry’s renewability and longevity. Aquaculture is no longer a question of technological capacity but one of increasing governmental support and furthering scientific development.
Perhaps eating sushi made from farmed fish or commercially-sourced seaweed salad doesn’t have the same ring to it as a wild-caught king salmon dinner. But, for the sake of our food security, it’s time to reconsider — and improve — the way things end up on our plate.
Montana Denton is a senior writing about environmental issues, sustainability and society. Her column, “Triple Bottom Line,” runs every other Wednesday.