Pursuing Sustainable Agriculture in the Bahamas

Thomas, Carrie

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/113672 Copy

Description

Title

Pursuing Sustainable Agriculture in the Bahamas

Author(s)

Thomas, Carrie

Issue Date

2017

Keyword(s)

• Agriculture
• Sustainability
• The Bahamas

Geographic Coverage

The Bahamas

Abstract

There is currently a distinct lack of domestic agricultural production in the Bahamas. As a result, food imports cost the country nearly $1 billion annually, causing both economic stress and food scarcity in some areas. The land in the Bahamas does not have characteristics suited to industrialized agriculture, but modern sustainable technologies could be viable agricultural options for Bahamians to pursue. These include hydroponics, aquaponics, and permaculture. Hydroponics and aquaponics use similar soilless technologies to produce food while permaculture is a land‐based agricultural method that focuses on imitating natural ecosystems. While each of these methods have benefits and drawbacks, aquaponics seems to be the most promising method for the Bahamas because it can be used anywhere, regardless of soil quality or availability and provides the opportunity to produce both a protein food source in the form of fish and a vegetable or fruit food source. Producing sustainable food domestically through the use of aquaponics technology can boost the Bahamian economy by reducing agricultural imports and creating job opportunities in the agricultural sector.

Publisher

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/113672

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2017 Carrie Thomas

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