Save Our Agriculture: Sustainable agriculture to conquer African cities

Food supply is a real issue in many cities in sub-Saharan Africa. This is due to the almost non-existence of infrastructure and efficient means of transport, problems related to conservation or traceability. In Cameroon, Save Our Agriculture has developed a major innovation to produce food close to where it is consumed.

Aquaponic container being assembled

In 2015, Flavien Kouatcha, an engineer from Cameroon, created the start-up “Save Our Agriculture” to address the food problems of urban populations. The young company specializes in aquaponics. Aquaponics is a technique that combines fish farming (aquaculture) with the cultivation of above-ground plants (hydroponics), and involves recreating an ecosystem in which cultivated plants feed on fish excrement. These feces are used as natural fertilizers. Organized as a closed circuit, the water circulating there is completely recycled. This technique is therefore part of the dynamics of sustainable agriculture: it is water-efficient, it does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. In addition, this solution is incredibly productive, as it can generate two or three times as much output as traditional agriculture. Already widely used in Asian island countries (e.g. Japan and Singapore), aquaponics is essential for developed countries wishing to optimize their agriculture.

Innovative agriculture and digital innovation

Save Our Agriculture manufactures aquaponic kits and units, intended for individuals but also for restaurants, hotels and even farmers. They are used to grow tomatoes, eggplants and okra. Composed of a team of 7 people, the company wants to democratize aquaponics and make its products accessible to as many people as possible. In December 2016, Save Our Agriculture inaugurated its first containerized units in Douala. These are large aquaponic containers, used to make more abundant crops. For example, the 40-foot container aquaponic units, inaugurated in December, will produce the volume equivalent of half a hectare of traditional agricultural land! In the era of digitalization, the start-up is also developing a technological tool, a mobile control application for containerized units.

The educational aspect is of course one of the priorities of the start-up. In Cameroon, as in many other African countries, consumers don’t really care what they eat. According to the World Health Organization, more than 500,000 people died in 2015 from the consumption of contaminated food, with the most affected regions being Africa and Asia. Save Our Agriculture has set up a program to raise awareness of sustainable agriculture, primarily aimed at its customers, with the aim of extending it to a wider population in the coming years. Of course, training young people in this technique is part of the plans of the start-up.

Aquaponics, an essential link for the sustainable city

In Cameroon, the rate of urbanization has skyrocketed, creating food problems for the population of the cities. Logistics, distribution, preservation and local processing are the main causes of food waste. For example, more than 40% of food rots in villages and food prices in urban markets continue to rise. In return, aquaponics is a form of urban agriculture that favors short circuits: it makes it possible to reduce the distance between the place of production and the place of consumption. Moreover, it fits perfectly into the logic of the sustainable city.

This innovation has earned Flavien and his team several awards, including the Digital Champion Award, awarded at the Africa 4 Tech conference. The goal of the start-up is clearly stated: to boost Cameroonian agriculture, but more broadly, African agriculture. Senegal, Nigeria, and Mauritania represent prodigious markets and are next in line for action. In the face of demographic and environmental challenges, aquaponics could change the lives of millions of people… We can only congratulate and encourage this young company, which is working for sustainable development in Africa.

To go further:

Follow Save Our Agriculture Facebook page!

Learn more about sustainable African cities!

Photo credit: Save Our Agriculture