AI-Integrated Agroponics for Arid Regions: A Circular Farming Model for Desert Food Security

Abstract

Arid and desert regions face acute water scarcity, limited arable land, and a heavy reliance on food imports. This paper examines an advanced agroponic system (US Patent 12356905B2) that integrates aquaculture and hydroponics with AI-driven monitoring to enable sustainable crop production in such environments. The technology recirculates water and recycles nutrients from animal (fish) waste in a closed-loop, circular ecological model, providing a rich, natural nutrient solution for plants while purifying water for reuse. We describe the system’s design, including its sensor networks and machine-learning feedback controls, and detail its 5-year pilot operation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The pilot demonstrated high productivity and water efficiency, growing a wide variety of crops year-round with up to 80–90% less water than traditional farming methods. We analyse the large-scale benefits of desert agriculture, such as enabling local cultivation of vegetables, fruits, and even grains with minimal water, thereby bolstering food security and socioeconomic resilience. The system’s closed-loop design yields two products (fish protein and crops) while avoiding synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, aligning with organic farming principles and providing a pathway to organic certification. We compare the patented agroponic approach with conventional hydroponics and aquaponics, highlighting its advantages in nutrient diversity, environmental sustainability, and yield predictability under extreme climatic conditions. Finally, we discuss the potential to scale this technology across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Sub-Saharan Africa, and project its role in reducing import dependency, creating rural employment opportunities, and building climate-resilient agricultural systems in non-fertile, dry geographies.