A Decision Support System for Urban Agriculture Using Digital Twin: A Case Study With Aquaponics

Abstract

There are many pressures on the global food system such as urbanization, climate change, and environmental degradation. Urban agriculture is an approach to producing food inside cities where, globally, more than half the worlds population live. It has been shown to have a range of potential benefits, for instance in reducing waste and logistics costs. Increased uptake of urban farming can even relieve pressure on the natural environment by reducing the burden of production required from farmland by creating space for it to recover from accumulated damage as a result of the use of unsustainable farming practices historically. This article describes an approach for a new type of decision support system suitable for urban farming production. We discuss differences between the requirements and the users of decision support in urban agriculture, and those of ordinary agribusiness enterprises. A case study is performed using a novel technology for urban farming: a cyber-physical implementation of aquaponics is enhanced with adaptive capabilities using a digital twin system and machine learning. Aquaponics is a farming technique that utilizes a harmonious nutrient exchange cycle for growing plants and fish together, while conserving water, and possibly without the need for soil or even sunlight. Empirical results are provided that evaluate the use of data driven decision analytics and a digital twin model to plan production from the aquaponic system during a three month trial. Another set of results evaluate a proposed modelling framework for large scale urban agriculture ecosystems. This concept forms the basis of the suggested approach for an urban farming decision support system that coordinates the activities of many independent producers to target collective goals.