Saturday, October 22, 2011

What is a Disruptive Food Technology?

First Question - Define Disruptive Technology?
Here is a quote from Wikipedia, 
"A disruptive technology or disruptive innovation is one that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually goes on to disrupt an existing market and value network (over a few years or decades), displacing an earlier technology there. The term is used in business and technology literature to describe innovations that improve a product or service in ways that the market does not expect." 
Second Question: - Define Disruptive Food Technology
This sounds like it was written to describe The Family Fish Farms Network.  We are the very embodiment of a "disruptive technology."  We have the potential to fundamentally change the existing markets and, by extension, the entire food value chain.  Our approach (technology) will de facto improve the quality and availability of food.  The above definition goes on to state, once more our exact predicted impact on food markets nationally.  Once again to quote Wikepedia  to wit:
"...first by designing for a different set of consumers in the new market and later by lowering prices in the existing market."
By building a network of distributive aquponics urban farms located in the inner cities where the population exists, we bring high quality, nutritious food production to the market.  By removal of the distribution step from the value chain we change (disrupt) the costly transport costs and the hidden carbon costs as well.   Through our planned national network (through economies of scale) we can drastically reduce food production costs as well.

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

We Are a Disruptive Food Production and Distribution Technology

It is Time to Re Think the Food Value Chain
The Traditional Cost of Food - A confluence of natural and man made events has opened the door to a shift in the conventional food production and distribution model.  The Family Fish Farms Network is about to introduce a disruptive new technology bundle that will revolutionize our food system.

End The Industrialization of Food
 One of the largest ecological detriments of the industrialization of food in the last 50-years is the cost of transporting food hundreds of miles from where it is produced to where it is consumed.  Government subsidy of food production, as well as major petroleum subsidies have made it feasible to transport food economically from places as far away as China and Chile to North America for American consumers.  Events of the last few years have exposed the inherent un-sustainability of this kind of food system, and the interest in local food in America has skyrocketed.  The numbers of farmers markets and community gardens continue to increase from year to year, and more and more of the population is seeking ways to reduce their dependence on industrialized food and its deep dependence on subsidized fossil fuels.

Sustainability Means Local Food
Many people easily associate sustainability with energy efficiency, recycling, biking, public transportation, solar power, hybrid vehicles, and even shopping at local businesses, but few readily associate sustainability with food. ...
Publish Date: 10/18/2011 13:00
http://vodaplan.com/2011/10/sustainability-means-local-food/


A Disruptive Technology - Changing the Growing and Distribution Model
Our production and business models are disruptive and revolutionary in that they turn the present system around.  Instead of large centrally located farms located hundreds or some times thousands of miles from centers of population,  we envision a national network of urban micro farms located within the inner cities.  Ours is a sustainable food production and distribution system that will disrupt and restructure how America produces food...local food, locally grown.  Many people easily associate sustainability with energy efficiency, recycling, biking, public transportation, solar power, hybrid vehicles, and even shopping at local businesses, but few readily associate sustainability with food.  How and what we eat as a community has a major impact on long-term sustainability.  “Eating locally” is more than just a pleasant aphorism for the wealthier among us, it is an absolutely essential goal for any community wishing to encourage a healthier population, create local jobs, and support local business.












Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Aquaponics: Scale up, or Scale Down?


The Argument for Small Scale Local Food Production
If you serve a salad using lettuce harvested today from a local source it will taste measurably better that one harvested last week!  Given that the average head of lettuce travels 1,500 miles to market ... ?  Our argument is for a network of small micro farms circling a large city.  New York, Phil, DC, Atlanta, Chicago ... etc etc.

This will provide for security (one down system does not end production) Flexible consumer demand (each unit can produce 2 different products) and freshness (a local site can provide food that is hours not days from harvest)

The argument that large scale production is necessary to amortize plant and equipment is illusory in the

And ... it creates community economic development possibilities as well.  More jobs, more opportunity for ownership and community prosperity.  A national network of Reciriculating Aquaponics Systems (RAS) will provide an attractive opportunity for fresh local food, enhanced nutrition, and local engagement in the production of staple foods.  Scaling down in this case beats the scale up model every time.  Availability (12 months a year) Freshness (taste is the test) and Nutrition ( time erodes nutrient content of food)