Aquaculture and vegetables Integration System: Integrated Aquaculture and Agriculture Systems

Aquaculture and Crops system for better yield

The "Integrated Aquaculture and Agriculture Systems" is like a teamwork between fish and plants. It puts fish tanks or ponds close to fields or greenhouses. This way, the water and nutrients from the fish can also be used to help the plants grow. The fish waste turns into food for the plants, and the plants help keep the water clean for the fish. It's like a natural cycle that saves money on food and helps both fish and crops grow better. It's a clever way to get more out of both fish farming and crop growing.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

9•9

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 9/9; level of use 9/9

50-100 USD

one square metter of hydroponic plastic beds

2,466 USD

average net income per acre

250,000 USD

for 0.5 ha of fully equipped aquaponic system

IP

Open source / open access

Problem

High production costs: Declining soil fertility increases fertilizer needs, while commercial fish feed adds substantial costs to aquaculture production.
Limited resource efficiency: Separate crop and fish production systems limit opportunities to reuse water and nutrients across production activities.
Land and water constraints: Limited land availability and competing water needs constrain opportunities to expand production.

Solution

Reduced production costs: Nutrient-rich water and organic residues from fish production are reused for crop production, reducing dependence on external fertilizers, while locally available feed resources can supplement commercial fish feed.
Improved resource efficiency: Integrating fish and vegetable production enables water and nutrients to be reused across production activities instead of being managed separately.
More production from available resources: Combining aquaculture and crop production enables businesses to produce multiple outputs from the same land and water resources.

Key points to design your business plan

For farmers:

To integrate aquaponics in your farming system and enjoy a more productive, sustainable, and resource-efficient African farm, follow these indications:

Master aquaponics principles (water cycle, nutrient conversion).
Research fish & plant varieties suited for your region and market.
Seek training from experienced aquaponic practitioners.
Choose a location with good sunlight, water access, and proper drainage.
Design your system with appropriate fish tank size, grow beds, and biofilter.
Consider consulting an agricultural engineer for optimal design.
Develop a budget for essential components (fish tank, liner, pump, etc.).
Explore used or locally sourced materials for cost-effectiveness.
Procure healthy fish stock and high-quality seeds for hydroponic crops.
Monitor water quality for fish and plant health (pH, ammonia, nitrates/nitrites).
Manage nutrients through monitoring and water changes if necessary.
Develop a fish feeding strategy using slow-release aquaponic food.
Establish a plan for fish harvesting and marketing.
Conduct market research to understand local preferences and pricing.
Identify buyers and establish marketing channels for your products.
Develop a plan for transporting and storing perishable fish and crops.
Research and comply with any permits or regulations for aquaponics in your area.

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Under 18: No impact

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Much less carbon released

Environmental health: Does not improve environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: Much less water used

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology's development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology's readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 9 out of 9

Uncontrolled environment: validated

Level of use 9 out of 9

Common use by intended users, in the real world

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Botswana	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Burundi	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Cameroon	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Central African Republic	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Equatorial Guinea	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Ghana	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Liberia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Madagascar	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Niger	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Rwanda	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Senegal	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Sierra Leone	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
South Sudan	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Sudan	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Togo	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Goal 11: sustainable cities and communities

Goal 13: climate action

Fish tanks or ponds are placed close to fields or greenhouses.
Water and nutrients from the fish tanks or ponds are used to help plants grow.
Fish waste acts as natural food for the plants, and the plants help keep the water clean for the fish.
This creates a cycle where both fish and crops benefit from each other.
The system saves money on expensive fish feed and maximizes the use of water and nutrients.
It's like a teamwork between fish and plants to make farming more efficient and productive.

Last updated on Sep 22, 2026