Literature Review on Aquaponics as Commercial Food Production and suggestions for improvements to the Matthaei Aquaponics system

Abstract

This paper is a review of the body of literature related to the implementation of commercial aquaponics. This review was conducted after issues with an experimental aquaponics system developed into an interest in the relationship between the issues identified with the aquaponics system in the experiment and the issues identified with commercial aquaponics in the literature in the literature. Previous research on the development and commercialization of aquaponics does exists and overs a diversity of topics. This research is gaining in its importance as the FAO has identified a need to improve the sustainability of the methods used to produce fish products. Commercial aquaponics if developed properly could fill this need in the food system. In this analysis the review was conducted using Citation Network Explorer and Visualization of Similarities Viewer which allowed the researchers to narrow in on the literature within the aquaponics field specifically focused on commercial aquaponics systems. It was found that there is broad coverage of the issues related to commercial aquaponics; however, the technology remains complex and expensive, there is little cross pollination of research within the field focused on commercialization, and there is a lack of understanding of both consumer and producer priorities which limits the applicability of the system designs in the food system. Developing solutions aimed at reducing the complexity and costs of commercial systems, integrating research from all of the identified areas of interest, and identifying consumer and producer priorities could be used to develop more appropriate system designs, increase ethe adoption of commercial aquaponics, and increase the resilience of the production systems.