Nutreco and its parent company SHV are partnering with FoodTechAfrica and African Parks to promote sustainable aquaculture in Africa.
The first project under the initiative, the Gishanda Fish Farm in Rwanda, opened this week and will help meet Rwanda’s growing demand for protein.
Nutreco chief executive Fulco van Lede said that half of the projected global population growth in coming decades is expected to take place in Africa. “Our purpose of Feeding the Future is focused on helping produce more sustainable protein to feed the growing population here and across the globe,” he said.
FoodTechAfrica is a public-private partnership headed by Larive International focused on improving food security in East Africa whilst conservation organisation African Parks manages a diverse range of 22 protected areas.
The initiative aims to help solve supply chain challenges in Africa by promoting protein production in lakes outside of the parks. SHV will make a financial investment in the project and Nutreco, through its Middle East and Africa business, will act as sponsor and feed partner.
The first project
The Gishanda Fish Farm officially opened on 18 October outside African Parks-managed Akagera National Park in Rwanda and will continue to be developed over the coming years.
A recirculating aquaculture system tilapia nucleus demo farm, it will produce up to 30 tonnes of tilapia annually, of which at least 10% will be supplied locally at affordable prices. It will also produce up to 1.5 million tilapia fingerlings each year, for farm production, restocking of the national park lakes and commercial sale.
