With a growing world population and concerns about the environment being majors issues of the time many are concerned about the food sources of the future. Where will future food supplies come from and how will that food arrive to the consumer are the subject of much research recently. One of the leading technologies at the forefront is hydroponics.
There is a growing body of evidence that systems such as hydroponics and aquaponics which are commonly referred to as “closed loop” water recirculation systems may have distinct advantages over soil based organic growing. Some of these advantages relate to the ability to manipulate the water chemistry in these systems which can boost natural plant bio actives increasing their health benefits.
With all the concerns about population growth and food production, the debate of food safety and crop growing practices has never been more intense. Individuals are inclined to eat more healthy produce, even when they are dining out, giving rise to a host of restaurants that promise ‘organically grown’ food ingredients in their cuisine. This has caused organic farming methods to gain great popularity in recent times.
But the debate over which growing methods are healthier continues. More recently there have been some questions brought up as to the actual characteristics of organic farming and how they relate to health concerns. Organic farming involves choosing not to use inorganic fertilizers in the growing process. In order to be considered certified organic, a plant can be grown using only unrefined minerals. The issue however is that a number of these unrefined minerals, although natural, can be toxic in nature. For example, mined phosphate contains excessive amounts of fluoride and radioactive radium, both of which can be extremely harmful to humans.
Since the hydroponic method of farming involves no soil, the presence of dangerous contaminants in the soil is not an issue.
The good news is that both methods of food production, organic, or hydroponic offer better healthier alternatives to present methods.
