Integrating aquaponics production systems into the Romanian green procurement network

This study aims to evaluate the opportunity of integrating aquaponics as an environmentally preferable procurement (EPP) solution in Romania, meant to improve productivity and sustainability of both agriculture and aquaculture and to reduce conflicts between these two sectors. The Romanian production of plant species is evaluated and forecasted considering only the main species that can be commonly produced in aquaponics conditions, as follows: coriander, spinach, lettuce, tobacco, garlic, cucumber, tomatoes, and strawberries. The evaluation of the opportunity for integrating aquaponics into Romania, at a large scale, is evaluated using forecast analysis comparison between Romania and the European Union (EU), by applying six methods (exponential smoothing, Holt, Holt exponential, Holt damped, ARIMA, LSTM). Thus, comparative forecast analysis between Romania and the EU average values were developed considering four dimensions, as follows: aquaculture production, agriculture plant production for main species suitable to be cultivated in aquaponics conditions, organic agriculture surface and the amount of pesticides and insecticides used. Romania’s aquaculture production forecast indicates a superior upward trend compared with the EU average. Also, the agriculture production of the main plant species suitable for cultivation in aquaponics conditions records an inconsistent decreasing trend in Romania, compared with the upward trend recorded by analyzing the EU average value. The forecast of organic agriculture surface in Romania emphasizes a higher increasing trend compared to the EU average, situation which reveals a sustainable development direction, confirmed also by the decreasing forecasted trend of the amount of pesticides and insecticides used in agriculture. The registered results recommend the integration of aquaponics production systems into the Romanian green procurement network, considering also the EU context.