Industrial Symbiosis for the Food-Water-Energy Nexus: Optimizing the Implementation of Circularity Frameworks and Aquaponic Systems

Abstract

Critical infrastructure sectors are integral to the functioning of civilizations, among which food, water, and energy systems interact closely. To proactively adapt and innovate these systems to mitigate further contributions to global climate change, sustainable and resilient solutions are needed in critical Food-Water-Energy-infrastructure and dedicated transdisciplinary efforts are crucial. Particularly, there is a need to consider and deconstruct practical implementation challenges to achieve feasibility and actualize intended impacts. Circular economy strategies are viewed with increasing promise and may be advanced through resource symbiosis measures within Food-Water-Energy systems. To support effective implementation, this work furthers theoretical frameworks and evaluates critical gaps and development needs to effectively operationalize resource circularity, focusing on the case typology of aquaponics. Aquaponics, the land-based symbiotic production of plants and fish, is a form of controlled-environment agriculture with high potential for sustainable food production. Key resources are recycled within the growing system itself and production can be further integrated with other renewable resources and industries in symbiotic partnerships. To support the application of industrial symbiosis measures toward circular economy in the Food-Water-Energy nexus, three investigations are advanced in this work. It first assesses relevant circular sustainability frameworks through systematic literature review, clarifying their ideological relationships and creating a centralized reference of framework definitions and implementation strategies to help streamline and support future research with circular and sustainable aims. It then considers the implementation strategy of aquaponics, evaluating the state of environmental efficiency in commercial aquaponics to identify development needs. Findings illuminate previously unexplored gaps between research and practice, advance a new aquaponic systems framework, and introduce a novel engineered-process analysis of nutrient recovery identifying inconsistent technology usage through interviews, qualitative thematic analysis, and engineered process analysis. Next considering a means of closing one of these identified gaps, this work then analyzes existing examples of industrial symbiosis with Controlled-Environment-Agriculture operations to identify key factors for successful implementation and symbiotic resource exchange through an exploratory cross-case synthesis utilizing interview and document analysis and qualitative thematic analysis, documenting and advancing understanding of this emergent typology. This analysis identifies crucial material exchanges and organizational and institutional factors that impact existing cases, creating a conceptual platform for future research of industrial symbiosis implementation within the Food-Water-Energy nexus.