REVIEW article
Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Aquatic Foods
Volume 9 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1553335
Overcoming barriers to aquaponics adoption in schools: A practical implementation guide
Provisionally accepted
- 1Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências de Lisboa (ISEC Lisboa), Lisbon, Portugal
- 2Centro de Investigação, Desenvolvimento e Inovação em Turismo (CiTUR) - Polo Estoril, Estoril, Portugal
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Aquaponics emerges as a promising approach to sustainable food production by integrating aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (soil-less plant cultivation) within a closed-loop system that fosters a symbiotic relationship between aquatic organisms and plants. This study presents the development of a practical and accessible guide for constructing small-scale aquaponics systems tailored for educational settings. A systematic review of academic databases was conducted to consolidate dispersed knowledge into a clear, step-by-step methodology. It also highlighted the unique potential of aquaponics in schools, where it can serve as a dynamic tool for teaching a wide range of subjects, while simultaneously raising students' awareness of the climate crisis and the urgent need for alternative food sources. Aquaponics provides an excellent opportunity for integrating STEM education or Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method, enriching the learning experience with real-world applications. Beyond its educational advantages, aquaponics systems present a holistic and forward-thinking approach to agriculture, addressing environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Adopting aquaponics not only contributes to sustainable food practices but also nurtures a generation with a deeper understanding of the interconnected global challenges and solutions in a rapidly changing world.
Keywords: Aquaponics, food production, sustainability, Education, stem, PBL
Received: 08 Jan 2025; Accepted: 30 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Oliveira and Baltazar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ana Paula Oliveira, Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências de Lisboa (ISEC Lisboa), Lisbon, Portugal
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