Floating farms

Zi Ying Joelle Chan

Kerry Castro
Fig 1 : May, Gareth. A Farm That Floats on Water Could EDGSN 100 Section 022
Help Solve Global Food Shortage. Munchies, 28 Dec.
2015,
munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/aeyqy8/a-farm-that-floats
-on-water-could-help-solve-global-food-shortage.
Outline Slide
Todays problems
History
Floating farms system:
-top level: photovoltaics
-middle level: hydroponic
-bottom level: aquaculture
Advantages
Efficiency and viability
Conclusion
References
Todays problems
According to statistics, the global population will hit 9.6 billion by 2050 (Calderone, Julia).
To meet the hungry demands of so many people, food production will have to
increase by 70 percent. Less agricultural space will be available.

Water scarcity is becoming a serious problem. According to the World Resources Institute,
one third of our current food production takes place where water is running out.

Farms are generally situated far away from the cities

Increase use of fossils fuels = emissions of CO2
 History
Created by Javier Ponce, founder and CEO of
Forward Thinking Architecture in Barcelona.
(Calderone, Julia)

Inspired by the past, these floating farms

already existed in the past and used by the Maya
civilization for the Chinampas agriculture which
allowed them to support up to 230,000 people

Were called Floating Garden and were built on

freshwater using vegetable and mud.The wet
environment allows for a cycle of decomposition
and irrigation which fertilizes the soil, creating
a productive area for agriculture. Fig 2: May, Gareth. A Farm That Floats on Water Could
Help Solve Global Food Shortage. Munchies, 28 Dec. 2015,
munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/aeyqy8/a-farm-that-floats-on-
water-could-help-solve-global-food-shortage.
 Floating Farms system

rectangular farm : 656 by 1,150 feet

with a total size of 2.2 million square
feet
Fig 2 and 3: Calderone, Julia. This futuristic floating
farm may take a bite out of global hunger - or totally composed of three different levels
sink. Business Insider, Business Insider, 12 Oct. 2015,
www.businessinsider.com/smart-floating-farms-sustaina
ble-forward-thinking-architecture-global-hunger-2015-9.
Top level: Photovoltaics
Solar panels on the roof will
provide energy to power the
system.

Also used to collect rain

water.

Area of waste and energy

management takes place,
this includes bio-digesters,
water recycling, and
Fig 4: Smart Floating Farms. Smart Floating Farms, organic energy creation.
smartfloatingfarms.com/.
Middle level: Hydroponics
Sunlight and energy
from the top level will
used to cultivate the
organic crop farm on
the second level

Does not require

pesticides, land and
ton of space

Water waste will go to

the bottom level

Fig 5: Smart Floating Farms. Smart Floating Farms,

smartfloatingfarms.com/.
 Bottom Level: Aquaculture

Used to for fish farming and

desalination of the water

The waste produced by the

aquaculture will be used as
fertilizer for the crop farm

Fig 6: Smart Floating Farms. Smart Floating Farms,

smartfloatingfarms.com/.
Advantages
The floating barge would also house a desalination plant, a slaughter house, a
packaging facility;
Wind turbines and machines will convert waves from the water into energy for extra
power.
Most of the part of the farm will be self-operating and will not
need a lot of workers to keep it working

Can be operated anywhere, where water is available

Size and form can be modified according to the needs
can be built near to big cities
Efficiency and Viability
The efficiency of floating farms is astronomical because of their dimensions , they
can produce up to 8 tons of vegetables and 1.7 tons of fishes per year (Are Floating
Farms in Our Future?.

this quantity is not negligible when we know that a man eat up to 25 tons of
food during his life

The project encounters some obstacles:

- the cost/investment will be too large and the revenue from the sell of the food
might not be able to cover the cost
- this project can not feed the masses.
Conclusions
Emissions in the agricultural sector has increased by 50% in 50 years, and will keep increasing
to 30 % until 2050

Javier Ponce goal is not to replace the existing agricultural system but to provide future
alternative that can prevent environmental problems.

At this moment this project is still not viable but the foundator is optimistic and is working on
the sizes, different options and technologies to make the project happen

This project is still on its conceptual stage but if it can be realized these floating farms can
produce 365 days a year regardless of water scarcity and natural disasters.

Most megacities are near water, the floating farms will be able to directly supply food for the
cities, which will reduce transportation and emission of CO2
 References
3.) World Resources Institute | Making Big Ideas Happen. World Resources Institute | Making Big Ideas Happen,

www.wri.org/.

3-4.) Calderone, Julia. This futuristic floating farm may take a bite out of global hunger - or totally sink. Business Insider,

Business Insider, 12 Oct. 2015,

www.businessinsider.com/smart-floating-farms-sustainable-forward-thinking-architecture-global-hunger-2015-9.

5-8.) May, Gareth. A Farm That Floats on Water Could Help Solve Global Food Shortage. Munchies, 28 Dec. 2015,

munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/aeyqy8/a-farm-that-floats-on-water-could-help-solve-global-food-shortage.

10.) Are Floating Farms in Our Future? Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Sept. 2015,

www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/are-floating-farms-our-future-180956476/.

11.) Smart Floating Farms. Smart Floating Farms, smartfloatingfarms.com/.