Greenhouse Shrimp Farming: A Sustainable Model with Lower Environmental Impact and Higher Profitability

Why It Matters

Understanding the full life cycle costs and environmental impacts of aquaculture systems is crucial for developing sustainable food production practices. This research provides a data-driven comparison, highlighting opportunities for design interventions that can further optimize resource use and minimize ecological footprints.

Key Finding

Greenhouse shrimp farming is more profitable and has a lower environmental footprint than intensive indoor systems, with construction materials and feed being significant cost and impact drivers.

Key Findings

• Greenhouse shrimp farming achieved a life cycle cost of 3.56 USD kg⁻¹ shrimp.
• Construction costs were dominated by steel pipes and film materials.
• Feed and land rent were the primary expenses during the farming phase.
• The greenhouse model yielded a net profit of USD 5.31 per m² per cycle and a cost-profit ratio of 60.47%, significantly outperforming the Indoor Super-Intensive Culture (ISIC) model.
• Key environmental impacts per kilogram of shrimp produced included a global warming potential (GWP) of 3.279 kg CO₂ eq, acidification potential (AP) of 0.369 kg SO₂ eq, and eutrophication potential (EP) of 0.212 kg PO₄ eq.
• The construction phase, particularly steel consumption, was the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
• Farming phase emissions were primarily driven by GWP, AP, and EP.

Research Evidence

Aim: To systematically evaluate the economic and environmental performance of greenhouse shrimp farming compared to other intensive aquaculture models.

Method: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC)

Procedure: Data on construction and farming processes were collected through field surveys and enterprise production records. LCC was used to determine costs per kilogram of shrimp and identify major expense categories. LCA was employed to quantify environmental impacts such as global warming potential, acidification potential, and eutrophication potential across different life cycle stages.

Context: Aquaculture, specifically greenhouse shrimp farming.

Design Principle

Holistic Life Cycle Design: Evaluate and optimize designs based on their complete environmental and economic impact from cradle to grave.

How to Apply

Conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) for any new aquaculture system design to identify environmental hotspots and cost drivers, guiding material selection and operational strategies.

Limitations

The study focuses on a specific greenhouse model and geographic location, which may limit generalizability. Specific technological advancements or regional variations in resource availability could influence results.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: Farming shrimp in a greenhouse is better for the planet and your wallet than farming them indoors in super-intensive systems. The biggest costs and environmental problems come from building the greenhouse (especially the metal parts) and the feed you use.

Why This Matters: This research shows that thinking about the whole life of a product, not just how it works, is key to making good design choices that are both profitable and kind to the environment.

Critical Thinking: How might the choice of energy source for heating and lighting in the greenhouse impact its overall environmental sustainability and economic viability?

IA-Ready Paragraph: This research highlights the importance of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) approach in evaluating design solutions. By analyzing the environmental and economic impacts from material sourcing through to end-of-life, it is possible to identify more sustainable and cost-effective designs, such as the greenhouse shrimp farming model which outperformed intensive indoor systems due to its improved profitability and reduced environmental footprint, particularly in its construction and operational phases.

Project Tips

• When researching materials for your design, look for data on their embodied energy and environmental impact.
• Consider the entire lifespan of your product, including disposal or recycling, when assessing its sustainability.

How to Use in IA

• Use the principles of LCA and LCC to justify material choices and design decisions in your design project, demonstrating a consideration for environmental and economic factors.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of how material choices impact both the cost and environmental footprint of a product throughout its life cycle.

Independent Variable: Aquaculture system type (Greenhouse vs. Indoor Super-Intensive Culture)

Dependent Variable: Life Cycle Cost (USD kg⁻¹ shrimp), Net Profit (USD m⁻² per cycle), Cost-Profit Ratio (%), Global Warming Potential (kg CO₂ eq kg⁻¹ shrimp), Acidification Potential (kg SO₂ eq kg⁻¹ shrimp), Eutrophication Potential (kg PO₄ eq kg⁻¹ shrimp).

Controlled Variables: Shrimp species (Litopenaeus vannamei), farming processes, data collection methods.

Strengths

• Comprehensive analysis using both economic and environmental metrics.
• Comparison with an established alternative model (ISIC) provides context.

Critical Questions

• To what extent can the findings be generalized to different geographical locations and scales of operation?
• What are the potential trade-offs between minimizing construction impact and maximizing operational efficiency in greenhouse aquaculture?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could investigate the LCA and LCC of a specific component or material used in sustainable design, such as recycled plastics in furniture or the embodied energy of bamboo construction.

Source

Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing of a Greenhouse Culture Model for <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> · Fishes · 2026 · 10.3390/fishes11030131