Synergy Cultivation of
Fish & Greens
At Desertfoods we aim to address food security by combined synergy cultivation of fish & greens. Desertfoods runs climate-smart decoupled multi-loop aquaponic farms on various commercial scales by using natural resources wisely.
The Problem
Climate change, desertification of farmland, food security, food safety, and water shortages are at the centre of worldwide awareness with a sensitive nature, in particular across arid and semi-arid environments.
As such, feeding the planet’s increasing population while the resources are finite remains a major global aim to solve.
In short, production of high-quality, year-round food with ultra-high efficiency is one of the utmost priorities for the time to come.
The opportunity
In line with the global aims, consumer behaviour is shifting towards locally harvested, ultra-fresh, organic, and healthy food. Today, this sub-sector is already the catalyst of the entire food security industry with flourishing prospects for the next decades.
However, the booming climate offers tremendous market opportunities for smart farming and harvesting concepts that manage to meet the raising demand for locally produced nutritious food while safeguarding the world’s environment.
Our solution
- At Desertfoods we aim to address food security by combined synergy cultivation of fish & greens.
- Desertfoods aquaponics farms are all unique in the sense that location based requirements such as climate conditions, availability and type of natural resources (e.g. utilization of well ground or brackish water), commercial aspects (e.g. farm-gate selling prices) are all taken into account during the customized design & sizing stage of the entire food production facility with the key objective to implement a viable business model.
- Desertfoods’ decoupled multi-loop aquaponics system combines the most advanced sub-elements of hydroponics and aquaculture technologies ensuring optimal and stable growth conditions for both fish and crops.
- Desertfoods is highly science-backed with migration of a field proven numerical modelling approach that is continuously enhanced in close collaboration with world-class universities and research institutes.
- Desertfoods’ farming solution allows for sustainable all year food produce and delivers predictable and controllable supplies on a massive large scale.
- Delivering turn-key farming and white-label solutions for third-party vendors.
Our Vision
- Our maxim is to revolutionize food security by proving that nutrient and water efficient systems are location-independent along with the claim to boost local food-independence and to impart domestic farming skills.
- We will intensify existing collaborations and form new partnerships with both international and local universities and research institutes with the aim of fortifying the two-way interaction of science and technology, while focusing on local education, too.
- Our vision is to become the market leader for innovative, climate-resilient, and resource-friendly farming systems generating premium, natural, pure, fresh, and above all secure flavour products.
- We have a footprint in Kenya with the commercial mid-tech aquaponics farm situated at the outskirts of Nairobi. Desertfoods’ next multi-trophic food production facility will be installed in Johannesburg/South Africa with the support of a local integrated aquaculture expert and a credible B-BBEE partner. Along with those efforts, Desertfoods’ team is currently involved in a few other (pre-construction stage) project assessments across the Sub-Sahara and beyond.
Desertfoods – the new era of smart farming
The innovation
Our desert-tech system comprises several innovations that are required to revolutionise the agriculture industry:
- We have designed the world’s first numerical aquaponics simulator that is based on an empirically proven MATLAB model.
- Sensor enabled automated real-time control and decision support IoT capabilities.
- The multi-loop approach optimizes both nutrient-efficiencies and growth rates.
- Our closed-to-close system only requires a marginal fraction of fresh water compared to conventional agriculture.
- Waste stream reduction by implementation of a two-stage biorefinery technology
- Our technology is patent pending.
- Strong alignment with SDG 2030 agenda (see below) qualifying Desertfoods as impact project case.
- Desertfoods strives to equip each farm with solar PV and solar thermal power systems with the key benefit that each facility can be operated fully autonomously.
Meeting SDG’s
Even though our business approach is profit-oriented, we are convinced that impact and benefits go hand in hand. By having an attractive business case, there are means available for us to make a change for the better. Both environmental and social impact are not only technology related, but tightly anchored to the company’s vision for the world’s future.
With our impact business model we are committed to contribute substantial value in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Project-wise our impact approach aims to fulfil in particular:
1. NO POVERTY
Economic transformation and partnering with (previously) disadvantaged communities or groups is a core of our company policy.
2. ZERO HUNGER
Our climate-resilient integrated aqua-agriculture farming practice promotes local food security & safety by supplying stable and year-round produce of highest-quality.
3. GOOD HEALTH AND
WELL-BEING
Our decoupled multi-loop aquaponics farms create nutrient-rich vegetables and fresh water fish cultivated organically and in line with ‘buy-local’ initiatives.
4. QUALITY EDUCATION
Knowledge-exchange and a two-pillar skill development program represents an integral part of our aquaponics farming playbook.
5. Gender Equality
As equal-opportunity employer we are committed to promote gender mainstreaming.
8. DECENT WORK AND
ECONOMIC GROWTH
Our next-gen farming practice contributes value to local efforts in achieving higher productivity levels next to creating new job opportunities, entrepreneurship, and encouraging the formalization and growth of in particular small- and medium-sized enterprises.
9. Industry, innovation, infrastructure
Our pioneering desert-tech farming solution is resource efficient, sustainable and resilient with strong ties to enhancing local scientific research and to engaging with local partners in promoting digitization strategies such as industry-specific IoT and/or AI features.
10. Reduced Inequalities
Promoting equality is a top-priority for us to the benefit of each team member’s intangible value, quality of life and well-being.
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
Farm-to-fork food production backed by community stakeholders and ESI greenlighting.
12. Responsible consumption
and production
With our circular economy farming methodology we ensure that natural resources are deployed most wisely both from an efficiency and waste-stream reduction perspective along with continues efforts to optimizing processes along the entire value chain, such as minimizing food waste.
13. Climate Action
We are demonstrating that nutrient and water efficient farming is location independent by shifting commercial-scale food production to (semi) arid lands and utilizing the desert’s free energy to deploy our system with renewable electricity and heating/cooling power.
14. Life Below Water
With our land based recirculating aquaculture systems we are creating a sustainable alternative to wild caught fish which helps to reduce the loads of the oceans that already caused overfishing and ecosystem collapse.
15. Life on Land
Our technology allows for environmentally-friendly and sustainable farming.
Contact Us
Feel free to contact.