Aquaponics as a Valuable Addition to Cuba's Organoponic Infrastructure

28 Pages·2014·0.48 MB·English

Aquaponics as a Valuable Addition to Cuba’s
Organoponic Infrastructure

Damian Garcia-Sarraff
Jhon Cores
Eric Bulnes
Julian Rey

Association of the Study for the Cuban Economy Student Paper Competition
May 20, 2013
Cuba in Transition ASCE 2013

INTRODUCTION takes advantage of the complementary

The circumstances of the economic crisis of aspects of plant and animal physiology to
the 1990s forced the Cuban leadership to grow each in favorable conditions set up by
divorce the agricultural model of the previous the other. This forms a condensed, controlled
three decades characterized by large Soviet- ecosystem that will help satisfy the dietary
style farms, copious petrochemical use, and needs of the urban populace efficiently and
sugar monoculture, for a far more diverse, with negligible negative environmental
direct, and sustainable model that continues effects.
to develop today. Within this abstract
framework, the phenomena of urban gardens HISTORY
called organoponicos has emerged to serve The infrastructural problem addressed by the
city dwellers fresh, organic produce, thus contents of this paper cannot be understood
elevating food security and improving their without considering the historical context in
diets. which it arose. Our solution serves as another
step away from monoculture and sensitivity
Our objective is to enhance the productivity to exogenous economic conditions and
of these urban gardens while maintaining a toward agricultural autonomy and
sustainable practice. In particular, we seek to sustainability.
address protein deficiencies in urban diets

with local livestock production, in the form Unstable and insecure agricultural and trade
of freshwater fish such as tilapia. This will be practices in Cuba originated in the years prior
accomplished with an aquaponic system that to the Castro revolution. During this time, the

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United States and Cuba had an intimate Of its many objectives, the Castro revolution
economic relationship, characterized by of 1959 intended to return the Cuban
favorable tariff reductions and the presence countryside to Cuban hands, curb the
of U.S. companies in most of the Cuban dependence on sugar, and improve the living
countryside. Cuba’s economy relied on the conditions of the rural populace. Concretely,
export of sugar and the import of food and it enacted the first and second agrarian reform
beverages, primarily from the U.S. (Alvarez laws which, in combination, proscribed and
15). This economy was very sensitive to nationalized all farms larger than 67 hectares
international sugar price fluctuations and and domineered foreign-owned lands
vicissitudes of other sorts, which caused (Alvarez 39-40). Initially there was a
domestic revenue instability and insecurity movement toward diversification; however,
(Alvarez 14). Although sugar production and this movement was “technically ill-advised
profits fluctuated, it was the most profitable and had to be abandoned” (Koont 14). Cuba
enterprise, preventing the growth of other then joined the Council for Mutual Economic
sectors and agrarian diversification (Alvarez Assistance, the economic conglomerate of
12). In addition, Cuba’s rural population the Soviet Union and its allies, trading sugar,
endured a dismal standard of living petroleum, and food products (Koont 14).
characterized by low income, inconsistent

employment, high illiteracy, In the decades following the revolution, three
malnourishment, and harmful sanitation important circumstances caused the major
levels (Alvarez 20-24). reconfiguration of the agricultural sector in
the early 1990s and continue to influence

contemporary agrarian practices. The first

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Cuba in Transition ASCE 2013
was the diminishing productivity of large, Livestock production and the Cuban diet
Soviet-style farms owned and operated by the were also negatively affected. Millions of
state. Alvarez argues non-state farms were cattle, hogs and goats died as a result of
more productive than state farms although resource depletion (Mark 2007). In 1989, the
the latter had greater access to resources and average caloric intake was 2900/day and it
inputs (54). The second incident was the dropped steeply to 1800/day. Protein
dismantling of the Soviet Union and the trade consumption also dropped by 40%. Animals
agreements with it and its neighboring that were once considered pets now became
countries. This caused a dramatic decrease in targets for consumption (e.g. cats) (Mark
imports and exports and jolted Cuba into a 2007).
crisis. Foreign trade dropped by 75%, and

from 1989 to 1993, the economy contracted The U.S. then tightened its economic
by 35% (Mark 2007). Oil imports from the sanctions. Overall, agricultural production
USSR dropped by 90%; consumer goods, fell by 54% in approximately five years
grains, and foodstuff greatly declined; raw (FAS, USDA 2008). The inability to import
materials and spare parts for machinery petroleum and agricultural equipment
stopped altogether; fertilizer imports dropped precluded the perpetuation of Soviet-style
by 80%; and animal feed plummeted by 70% farming. Because revenues from sugar
(Perez 2006). Cheap Soviet oil was no longer exports could no longer offset the cost of
available, and sources of energy quickly importing food, a novel means of producing
became scarce in a country facing economic sustenance had to emerge.
collapse.

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Cuba in Transition ASCE 2013
Cuba’s inefficiency and misallocation of resulted from the implementation of UBPCs
resources were exposed once the abundance set the framework for the urban agricultural
of massive subsidies from the Soviet Union movement that has developed since.
and its allies ended (FAS, USDA 2008). The

situation was such that Cuba was forced to A lack of resources and food ushered in a
abandon the decades-old tradition of great deal of innovation, adaptation, and
monoculture and find a way to sustain itself invention. The Cuban people began to grow
domestically. Thus, what Fidel Castro called their produce everywhere – empty lots,
“The Special Period [in a time of peace]” backyards, balconies, and roof-tops. When
began. New regiments of rationing were the government took notice in 1994, the
instated, industrial plants and factories Ministry of Agriculture created an urban
drastically cut work hours – some stopped agriculture initiative to promote the practice
working altogether – and 200 consumer and improve the food security of urban
goods were added to the ration list to provide populations. A rampant lack of fuel called for
substitutes for scarcities in other foods (Perez drawing the locations of production closer to
2006). Parcels of state farms were leased the places of consumption, and only organic
indefinitely to units called Basic Units of farming methodologies were implemented
Cooperative Production (UBPC) that (Koont 21). Available spaces near and within
purchased inputs independently, were the cities were converted into raised planting
owners of their product, and could sell beds called organponicos and their
amounts beyond a quota in a farmers market derivatives, which provided the surrounding
(Alvarez, 76) Despite mixed productivity population with fresh produce and livestock.
results, the organizational structure that These innovative approaches were

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anticipated to fade after the Special Period greener alternative, it still faces many
scarcities ended; however, these methods challenges including soil scarcity, organic
proved to be so productive, that other matter, arable land, water, natural fertilizer,
countries began to adopt them. In fact, and volumetric yields. Due to these many
lineamiento number 174, as part of the difficulties and a struggling Cuban economy,
“lineamientos” by the Cuban government Raul Castro has taken initiatives to give the
released in 2011, states that “the urban private sector more power. Cubans are set to
agriculture program … should be extended to move into an “incipient private sector [by]
the entire country” (Friendman-Rudovsky 2015” (Leaders 2012). It is believed that he
2012). wishes to adopt an industrial, top-down
method. However, this is a pivotal moment

The mechanism of the organoponico is as for Cuba to adopt a strong, healthy and
follows: organic matter is taken from rural sustainable method of agricultural
areas to cities with family housing units; this production. In this paper we propose the
organic matter is laid into long beds where implementation of aquaponics as an
the plants are placed. Ample sunlight and innovative method to meet these criteria.
sustainable crop management allow

vegetables, medicinal plants and condiments PROPOSED SOLUTION
to grow (Taboulchanas 2001). Over 400,000 Aquaponics Technology
people are employed by urban agriculture.
For example, the Vivero Alamar cooperative Aquaponics is an integrated and symbiotic
organoponico provides jobs for 163 people system of both aquaculture and hydroponics.
(Friedman-Rudovsky 2012). Although it is a Aquaculture is fish breeding; in this case,

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freshwater fish are the primary source (IOW). 2006). This waste is comprised mainly of
Hydroponics is a method of plant cultivation ammonia, nitrogen rich gases, magnesium,
in which nutrient-rich solutions are used in sulfate, and iron – all of which are nutritious
place of soil (IOW). Aquaponics enacts both minerals for plant growth (Rakocy, Bailey
of these farming methods to achieve the 2006).
symbiotic interaction of plant and animal life.
The aquaponic system recirculates the water This aquaponic theory is not without
from the aquaculture portion into hydroponic experimentation and precedent. There are
beds. Most recirculating systems are various systems currently in place, primarily
designed with filters to remove fish effluent in regions that have a scarcity of resources.
and continue the circulation of water. The main aquaponic system that is of note is
However, in this system, a small volume of that of the University of the Virgin Islands,
water houses massive quantities of fish in West Indies (UVI). The United States Virgin
tanks and the effluent-filled water is Islands (USVI) is a prime example of a
circulated through long hydroponic beds. As tropical country with shortages and
the wastewater flows through the beds, the difficulties in resource management adopting
plants absorb small amounts of water and aquaponics as an agricultural production
waste as nutrients. The roots of the plants act system. According to the USVI Water
as biofilters, removing waste from the water Resources Research Institute 2011 annual
which could prove hazardous to the fish if report, there are various problems giving rise
accumulated. Once filtered by the to freshwater scarcity: rainfall is seasonal, no
hydroponic beds, the clean freshwater is perennial streams or lakes, and the
returned to the fish tanks (Rakocy, Masser desalinated water provided by the local

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government is exorbitant. However, research a fully operational aquaponic system
and implementation efforts of Dr. James E. (Rakocy, Bailey 2006). Below is a schematic
Rakocy, a professor and researcher at UVI, of the aquaponic layout at the UVI:
have proven to be quite successful in creating

Figure 1: Rakocy, Bailey 2006 beds (tanks), one sump, and one base addition

The system is composed of four fish rearing tank. This occupies a total land area of about
tanks, two cylindro-conical clarifiers, four 0.05 hectares (Rakocy, Bailey 2006).
filter tanks, one degasser, six hydroponic

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Cuba in Transition ASCE 2013
This system, although it yields great results, and staggering the types. Using the UVI
requires some treatment processes. These system as a model, this includes: feeding
include modification through air stone three times daily, stocking fish per unit
addition (air diffusion without filtration), volume, staggering the types of fish on a 24
degassing for methane, CO, HS, and week cycle and harvesting every 6 weeks
2 2
nitrogen gas, denitrification filters, solids (Nile or Red Tilapia), and monitoring the pH
removal three times a day from a clarifier, balance to a value of approximately 7 to 7.5.
and direct nitrification in a hydroponic tank The energy consumption of the UVI system
(Rakocy, Bailey 2006). The hydroponic is relatively low, resulting in a combined total
portion of the system requires 13 nutrients for of 3 HP. (Rakocy, Bailey 2006).
the proper growth of the plants. Ten are

supplemented by the fish effluent and the In the UVI aquaponic system, a basil growth
remaining three are supplied in the form of experiment was carefully monitored. The
Ca(OH), KOH and chelated iron, which are results comparing traditional field growth
2
pH regulators. (Rakocy, Bailey 2006). yields vs the aquaponic system yields are
shown below. The data illustrates the

The production of both fish and plants performance capacity of the aquaponic
requires optimal management in the areas of model:
feeding, stocking, monitoring environments

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ECONOMICS hydrodynamic, physiochemical, biological,
and technological know-hows are a must
Aquaponics owes its growing popularity, in (Bailey 2012).
part, to the attractive economic gains that go

hand in hand with a proper implementation. The following case study is an interpretation
Aquaponic crops grow faster and use less of the economic analysis conducted by the
land, water, and labor than traditional researchers at UVI, who developed a
agriculture. The organic systems also save on commercial scale aquaponic system that
fertilizer costs since the introduction of grows leaf lettuce using red tilapia. Three
chemical fertilizers could harm the fish- farm sizes were analyzed, consisting of 6, 12,
stock. The emerging technology has inspired and 24 production units. Each unit contains
a wave of entrepreneurs who risk the the elements illustrated in Figure 1. This
financial uncertainties and start their own paper will address the 24 unit model, as it is
farms. Some argue that this technology works the most appropriate for large scale
best as a small scale, community level production.
supplement to existing infrastructure, which

is how it is often used. The question is Capital Costs
whether these emerging farms can be

commercially feasible on a larger scale. The initial investment was made for
According to a study done by the UVI, the development of a lettuce and tilapia
economic potential is present and substantial, production component, storage facilities,
but in order to make this a realistic and office and work space, vehicles, greenhouses,
prosperous agricultural system, and fish nurseries for hatching and breeding.