Fish on the Farm: Where Sustenance Meets Sustainability

Photo Kelly Martin
Mark Kull, ILC Director, stands inside the aquaponics lab in Dallas, Texas.

(January 2019) Begun as an initiative of John Cheng and Mark Kull in December of 2016, the ILC lab demonstrates an ingenious approach to healthy, environmentally responsible, and affordable food production. The aquaponics system is a way to contribute to UNESCO’s second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Zero Hunger by increasing food security and promoting sustainable agricultural methods. This step towards sustainable community development presents a valuable resource in many areas where SIL International works.

Sustainable and versatile, the aquaponics approach to growing crops offers numerous advantages which are both substantial and strategic. 

  • Combats food scarcity. With crops yielding year-round and requiring six times less space to grow, consumers have ready access to fresh, locally-sourced food, even in areas of limited water availability or poor soil quality.
  • Protects the environment. The chemical-free, self-contained system avoids land degradation. It produces virtually no waste, thereby protecting soil, lakes and rivers from harmful pollutants. By limiting the need to import produce over a long distance, carbon emissions are also decreased.

  • Clean energy alternatives. Because it relies on electrical energy to operate, the system may be designed to harness alternative sources of power like wind, solar, and hydroelectric.
  • Cost-efficient and consolidates space. The efficient design costs little to maintain, and the size of the system can be adapted to serve private or commercial interests. The system can make use of existing space or structures within the home or community, including patios, balconies, and rooftops.
     

The ILC lab, being the largest aquaponics system of its type in the area, presents significant educational and community engagement opportunities for surrounding Dallas communities. Tours are available regularly, and invite local schools and urban farming enthusiasts to view the system in action. Students at nearby Dallas International University are able to study the system, which  could serve as a valuable resource in the various international contexts where they will work upon graduation. Each April, the ILC commemorates Earth Day by opening the lab to the public.

SIL works alongside ethnolinguistic groups as they build their capacity for the sustainable development of their own languages and communities. SIL is committed to supporting these communities as they seek to reach their goals and thrive, passing down a vibrant heritage to the next generation. Community-based, sustainable development of local resources in environmentally responsible ways is, for many of these communities, a key requisite of preserving their cultural heritage and way of life.

 

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