>Is there some reason that this is not taking off on an industrial scale? Fish get sick and die when kept in big groups. It's a huge problem in fish farming, a

>Is there some reason that this is not taking off on an industrial scale? Fish get sick and die when kept in big groups. It's a huge problem in fish farming, and they have a billion gallons of water at their disposal. There simply isn't the water/infrastructure to provide the fish what then need at the scale they need it out in the middle of Iowa while also trying to profit from it. >But why are there not legions of startups farming in the desert No water, and permaculture methods to reverse desertification take decades with little monetary payoff. The shear cost of building a pipeline to the desert would trounce any profit. That is if you could find a place to take the water from, which is unlikely. >Nutrients are greatly simplified by the fish and insect side of the system When it's working. How do you troubleshoot a fish? How do you ask an insect to please move over a field? These methods are great for an acre but collapse at scale. The advantage of synthetic and mined fertilizers is precision and quantity. >Automation in aquaponics is unheard of, but it should be much cheaper The number one rule in farming tech should be "you can't beat the economics of dirt and sun". In aquaponics you are taking on a tremendous technical burden for little benefit. All of the variables that are naturally regulated within healthy soil are now on part of your farming overhead. It can be done, but it eats into your margins. A lot of aquaponics food is sold as luxury items because of the care and cleanliness that goes into their growth. Luxury however, doesn't scale. >This all looks so good on a small scale. Famous last words.