According to the Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey (RNAS) conducted by the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) last 3 November to 3 December 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to enormously impact the country’s economic and healthcare systems and the nutritional and food security status of Filipinos. This survey revealed that 6 out of 10 or 62.1% of surveyed households have experienced moderate to severe food insecurity, and that food security is highest in households with children (7 out of 10) and households with pregnant members (8 out of 10). The survey also showed that food insecurity peaked between April and May 2020 during the imposition of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). The Expanded National Nutrition Survey also noted that there has been a significant increase in the percentage of food-insecure households from 53.9% in 2018 to 64.1% in 2019.
Food insecurity is defined as the state in which people are at risk or suffering from inadequate consumption to meet nutritional requirements. It is the result of physical unavailability of food, people’s lack of social or economic access to adequate food, and/or inadequate food utilization, according to the Global Forum on Food Security of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 2012). So can hydroponics improve food security? Yes, hydroponics can help improve global food security. When compared to soil-based gardening, hydroponics produces more while using less water, making it the ideal solution for improving food security, particularly in third-world countries. Hydroponics gardening does not only address food insecurity, but it can also reduce the net discharge of CO2, one of the gases speculated to contribute to global warming. This is because plants and trees need CO2 for photosynthesis.
Hydroponics is a climate-smart agriculture technology that uses mineral nutrient solutions in water to grow plants without soil. Plants are grown in an inert medium and a balanced pH-adjusted nutrient solution is delivered to the roots in a highly soluble form. This enables plants to absorb their food with minimal effort. Most of the hydroponic systems are found indoors. Growing indoors has made it less susceptible to pest infestation. Although this can still happen, it is much less likely to occur. Another advantage of indoor growing is that growers can optimize most growth factors such as growing lights to provide the optimal light spectrum for a specific life stage. Not only can they control growing lights, but they can also regulate factors such as carbon dioxide and temperature. By optimizing the previous growth factors, plants can be at their maximum growth rate almost all the time. Based on precision agriculture, hydroponic crop growing systems can increase yields by at least 30% and harvest in a short period while converting inputs such as seeds, nutrients, and time invested into bigger and healthier profits.
Hydroponically grown plants can be grown in a variety of ways. One popular method involves placing plants in a plastic trough and allowing a nutrient solution to trickle past their roots (with the help of gravity and a pump). This is known as the nutrient-film technique: the nutrient acts like a liquid conveyor belt, constantly sliding past the roots and delivering the nutrients they require. Plants can also be grown with their roots supported by a nutrient-rich medium such as rock wool, sand, or vermiculite, which acts as a sterile substitute for soil. Another method is aeroponics, which is exemplified by a popular product called the AeroGarden. Although the name implies that plants are grown in the air, the roots are suspended inside a container full of extremely humid air. Effectively, the roots grow in a nutrient-rich aerosol a bit like a cloud packed full of minerals.
Having all this information, for sure it makes you interested in putting one for yourself. Try hydroponics at home and surely, you’ll have the best yields you can get out of your produce. To have the best advice, visit your local agriculturist for significant tips.
-ZDN-PNFP Rowence F. Zorilla
References:
1. More Food-Insecure Families during Covid-19 Pandemic, Dost-Fnri Survey Reveals
https://www.dost.gov.ph/knowledge-resources/news/72-2021-news/2207-more-food-insecure-families-during-covid-19-pandemic-dost-fnri-survey-reveals.html
2. How Can Hydroponics Improve Food Security?
https://hydroponicsspace.com/how-can-hydroponics-improve-food-security/
3. Urban Agriculture: Coping with Crisis Towards Food Security
By Myer Mula, SAAD Program Director, Jemiema Arro, SAAD Public Relations and Communications Officer
http://saad.da.gov.ph/2020/06/urban-agriculture-coping-with-crisis-towards-food-security-4/
