Entrepreneur dives into aquaponics
By Zhuomin Lee |
May 5, 2013, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
DETERMINED that everyone in China should "eat well and be healthy," ambitious 26-year-old entrepreneur Irving Steel has set himself a mission: To ensure that all households have access to a safe and sustainable food supply.
To achieve this vision, the American has gone about innovating with aquaponics in Shanghai, actively engaging people - from the grassroots to government officials - to join in what he calls the "evolution of revolution."
Right now he has a rooftop garden in Hongkou DOBE Creative Park and a high technology demonstration farm in Pudong, which just opened last month. He has customers lined up, including hotels and restaurants such as Kush.
Aquaponics is an efficient, soil-less way of rasing fish and growing vegetables - using no pesticides or fertilizers in closed-loop eco system representing "harmony" in raising fish and vegetables. It uses only 10 percent of the amount of water used in traditional agriculture. The ecosystem can be controlled, producing yields about three times faster than by traditional means.
That said, this soil-less farming technique is not new in China, but a lot more can be done to promote it and for a good reason: It is a less expensive and more efficient way of producing clean food.
Steel, a native of East Lyme, Connecticut, says aquaponics can be one solution to China's food safety and agriculture sustainability.
Too ambitious?
"No! We have to dream big!" said Steel, who also goes by the Chinese name of Aiwen. He has lived in Shanghai for five years since he bought a one-way plane ticket from Hartford, Connecticut, on a whim. He didn't have a job, housing or connections, but he was lucky. And he hasn't looked back.
He holds a degree in international affairs from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, and is a certified LEED professional. He spent a year in France doing global management. He's a quick learner.
Working out of a small rooftop office in Hongkou's DOBE Creative Park, Steel conducts innovation sessions, teaching people how to think out of the box and how to develop an idea into a meaningful business. Then he pitches his agri-business and personal project - soil-less agriculture, its benefits and profitability.
These innovation sessions have been a source of both moral and financial support, he says. Enrollment in his project has spiked. Hotels and restaurants have approached him for advice on how to grow their own supply of safe vegetables.
Five months ago, Steel started a social enterprise, Original Life, with Tsinghua University graduate Jay Chen whom he met five years ago when he first arrived in Shanghai. They have an international team of 10 - from teenagers to people in their 60s - all of whom are equally passionate about the future of "original" food.
"Shanghai is a terrific city to begin for the success and adoption of original food because of the city's unique energy and emphasis on health and innovative solutions," said the young entrepreneur.
He is encouraged by government measures that encourage innovation, allowing progress at "amazing" speed. He joined the Shanghai Innovation Competition, which is organized by the municipal government.
Funding is a common problem for most social enterprises, and Steel said growing awareness of the possibilities of aquaponics will lead to increased demand and increased business.
"Our business model works because we're constantly innovating and perfecting product market fit," he said. "We also make a huge impact on society by addressing a key social issue, achieving the triple bottom line success: economical, environmental, and social."
As a social entrepreneur, Steel's aim is not so much to generate funds and publicity for his business, but to create awareness about a more efficient way to grow clean and healthy vegetables. This awareness will create demand which leads to supply, he explained. When more people get into the business, economies of scale and mass-market adoption will create efficiencies in the market in the long-run.
He advises a small group of master's-degree students from Tongji University. He is linked with the University of Virginia SEED program and the University of Shanghai Science and Technology; he advises local and international students on managing start-ups.
Last October Steel started the Aquaponics Association of China. He is also one of the founders of the Green Building Professional Partnership, a committee that advises the building and construction community on building green and sustainable best practices.
"With a population of 1.4 billion people to feed, there needs to be a better way to ensure that future generations have access to safe and 'original' food," he said. "But it's not just about China. It's about the future of the world and our children. Something as simple as food affects everyone from all walks of life," he said.
"This is an incredible place with an amazing energy and buzz. I've seen it go from three subway lines to over 12 in a few years," he said. "There is nothing like living the 'Hai Life'."
'You're in China. Anything is possible. When you hear that once, it is nice. When you hear it every day you start believing it. Our only limitation is our own mind."
Irving Steel
Nationality: American
Profession: Social entrepreneur, teacher, student
Age: 26
Q&A
Self-description:Simple. Happy. Healthy
Motto for life:It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
Strangest sight: Seeing blue sky during the World Expo.
Favorite place: Original Life
Advice for newcomers: Try. Follow your passion. Cherish every moment. Dream big.
Worst experience:
Looking at PM2.5 figures, pollution in Huangpu River, and food scandals.
How to improve the city: More people join the 'original food' revolution.
To achieve this vision, the American has gone about innovating with aquaponics in Shanghai, actively engaging people - from the grassroots to government officials - to join in what he calls the "evolution of revolution."
Right now he has a rooftop garden in Hongkou DOBE Creative Park and a high technology demonstration farm in Pudong, which just opened last month. He has customers lined up, including hotels and restaurants such as Kush.
Aquaponics is an efficient, soil-less way of rasing fish and growing vegetables - using no pesticides or fertilizers in closed-loop eco system representing "harmony" in raising fish and vegetables. It uses only 10 percent of the amount of water used in traditional agriculture. The ecosystem can be controlled, producing yields about three times faster than by traditional means.
That said, this soil-less farming technique is not new in China, but a lot more can be done to promote it and for a good reason: It is a less expensive and more efficient way of producing clean food.
Steel, a native of East Lyme, Connecticut, says aquaponics can be one solution to China's food safety and agriculture sustainability.
Too ambitious?
"No! We have to dream big!" said Steel, who also goes by the Chinese name of Aiwen. He has lived in Shanghai for five years since he bought a one-way plane ticket from Hartford, Connecticut, on a whim. He didn't have a job, housing or connections, but he was lucky. And he hasn't looked back.
He holds a degree in international affairs from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, and is a certified LEED professional. He spent a year in France doing global management. He's a quick learner.
Working out of a small rooftop office in Hongkou's DOBE Creative Park, Steel conducts innovation sessions, teaching people how to think out of the box and how to develop an idea into a meaningful business. Then he pitches his agri-business and personal project - soil-less agriculture, its benefits and profitability.
These innovation sessions have been a source of both moral and financial support, he says. Enrollment in his project has spiked. Hotels and restaurants have approached him for advice on how to grow their own supply of safe vegetables.
Five months ago, Steel started a social enterprise, Original Life, with Tsinghua University graduate Jay Chen whom he met five years ago when he first arrived in Shanghai. They have an international team of 10 - from teenagers to people in their 60s - all of whom are equally passionate about the future of "original" food.
"Shanghai is a terrific city to begin for the success and adoption of original food because of the city's unique energy and emphasis on health and innovative solutions," said the young entrepreneur.
He is encouraged by government measures that encourage innovation, allowing progress at "amazing" speed. He joined the Shanghai Innovation Competition, which is organized by the municipal government.
Funding is a common problem for most social enterprises, and Steel said growing awareness of the possibilities of aquaponics will lead to increased demand and increased business.
"Our business model works because we're constantly innovating and perfecting product market fit," he said. "We also make a huge impact on society by addressing a key social issue, achieving the triple bottom line success: economical, environmental, and social."
As a social entrepreneur, Steel's aim is not so much to generate funds and publicity for his business, but to create awareness about a more efficient way to grow clean and healthy vegetables. This awareness will create demand which leads to supply, he explained. When more people get into the business, economies of scale and mass-market adoption will create efficiencies in the market in the long-run.
He advises a small group of master's-degree students from Tongji University. He is linked with the University of Virginia SEED program and the University of Shanghai Science and Technology; he advises local and international students on managing start-ups.
Last October Steel started the Aquaponics Association of China. He is also one of the founders of the Green Building Professional Partnership, a committee that advises the building and construction community on building green and sustainable best practices.
"With a population of 1.4 billion people to feed, there needs to be a better way to ensure that future generations have access to safe and 'original' food," he said. "But it's not just about China. It's about the future of the world and our children. Something as simple as food affects everyone from all walks of life," he said.
"This is an incredible place with an amazing energy and buzz. I've seen it go from three subway lines to over 12 in a few years," he said. "There is nothing like living the 'Hai Life'."
'You're in China. Anything is possible. When you hear that once, it is nice. When you hear it every day you start believing it. Our only limitation is our own mind."
Irving Steel
Nationality: American
Profession: Social entrepreneur, teacher, student
Age: 26
Q&A
Self-description:Simple. Happy. Healthy
Motto for life:It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
Strangest sight: Seeing blue sky during the World Expo.
Favorite place: Original Life
Advice for newcomers: Try. Follow your passion. Cherish every moment. Dream big.
Worst experience:
Looking at PM2.5 figures, pollution in Huangpu River, and food scandals.
How to improve the city: More people join the 'original food' revolution.
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