Green Innovators - Trove Aquaponics

[Additional Information] Acoustic uplifting music plays throughout the video.

[Opening Screen Title]

RMIT University Presents

2016 Green Innovators

Trove Aquaponics

[Visuals]

Close up shots of vegetables taken at a market.

Narrator: Simon Berman

Today’s systems of food production, consumption and transportation are unsustainable.

[Screen Title] Simon Berman, Master of Information Technology

[Visuals] Headshot of Simon Berman in a studio talking to the camera.

Narrator Simon Berman:

Current predictions estimate that the world’s population will grow by 2.5 billion people by 2050.

[Visuals] Animated info graphics displaying population growth and the growing amount of resources the earth needs.

Narrator Sam Berman:

In order to feed this many people the planet will need to produce in the next 50 years the same amount of food in the past 10,000 years combined.

Using current methods, this would take the resources of 2.5 Earths.

[Visual] Wide shot of a tractor on a farm and a cut to people shopping at a market.

Narrator Sam Berman:

Agricultural production and processing already contributes to one third of our global greenhouse gas emissions, and refrigerated food transportation also has a significant environmental impact in a globalised food system.

[Visual] Head-shot of Sam Berman talking to the camera with animated images of seafood swimming across the screen

Narrator: Sam Berman

For example, seafood found in Australian supermarket will have travelled on average, 9000 kilometres.

[Visual] Medium shots of greenery, home-grown vegetables and fish in a tank.

Narrator Sam Berman:

Local “locavore” food movements have arisen to address this challenge. Reconnecting efficient local food production with local food consumers on a large scale has the potential to improve local economies

[Visuals] Close up shots of food in a market and community vegetables gardens.

Narrator Sam Berman:

In a world of diminishing resources and growing demand how can we empower individuals and local communities to reliably and sustainably produce their own food.

[Visual] Shot of a rotating graphic depiction of Sam’s Trove project.

Narrator Sam Berman:

The Trove project is one potential solution, providing organic, low carbon, high-yield and easily maintainable farming in any environment.

The Trove aquaponics innovative design provides a simple, modular aquaponics platform that is completely customisable and scalable.

[Visual] Graphic image of how the loop shared between fish, plants, nutrients and waste water work together.

Narrator Sam Berman:

It utilises a closed loop between fish and plants, where plants absorb the nutrients from the fish waste while filtering the water.

[Visual] A rotating graphic of the Trove with modules being added.

Narrator Sam Berman:

Each module handles its own data, communication, water and power, automatically reconfiguring itself to an optimal state when a new node is added.

This new method is estimated to yield up to 10 times more produce than traditional farming, while simultaneously producing edible fish.

[Visual] Shots of Sam feeding fish in giant tanks, monitoring the power levels and observing the growth of his fish.

Narrator Sam Berman:

The only inputs required are fish food and power. The Trove system can be run on solar power though, making the sun the main ingredient for creating a thriving home garden or urban oasis.

[Visuals] Shots of outdoor plants and greenery before cutting to a head shot of Sam in his studio speaking to the camera.

Narrator Sam Berman:

It decentralises food production and decouples supply from unreliable environmental factors, increasing food security on a personal, regional, national and global scale.

[Closing title]

RMIT University

www.rmit.edu.au

Thank you Melbourne Polytechnic for allowing RMIT University to film on the premises.

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