Aquaponics

Sustainable Food Production for the Future

The Project

Aquaponics is an innovative and sustainable system combining growing vegetables with fish farming. This approach saves both space and water, perfectly aligning with our mission to contribute to healthy, environmentally friendly food production. We purchased five interconnected aquaponic systems from the South African company “La Pieus Aqua” and transported them to Parakou, Benin.

Goals

Through aquaponics, we aim to improve the local food supply by making fresh vegetables and fish more accessible. At the same time, we focus on efficient water use, which is essential in a country like Benin.

Project Description

The five aquaponic systems have been installed at three locations: two at the training farm in Sokounon, two at the University of Parakou, and one at the headquarters of our Foundation.

Since the imported systems are too expensive for large-scale use, we are collaborating with the Laboratory for Research in Aquaculture and Aquatic Ecotoxicology (LaRAEAq) at the Faculty of Agronomy of the University of Parakou to develop a more affordable, locally-produced prototype.

Students and researchers are actively involved in refining the techniques and materials to make the systems more cost-effective, including experiments with a decoupled aquaponics system.

Results and Developments

Since 2019, four master’s students have thoroughly tested the five interconnected systems for their final projects. Additionally, ten locally designed and produced aquaponic systems are now in use, and a decoupled system is being tested at the university. Another decoupled system has been installed at our incubation centre to train young agricultural entrepreneurs.

The LaRAEAq has successfully tested and documented several crop cycles, including lettuce, amaranth, African eggplant, parsley, celery, and leeks. A technical guide will soon be available, making it easier for anyone interested to install and use aquaponics systems.