AquaBioTech Group was very excited to participate in the official Kick-Off meeting of the Horizon Europe PrAEctiCe project last week with our Project Officer European Commission EU Digital & Tech. The project is now officially up and running.
The first task is already ongoing agro ecology stakeholder mapping along with the identification of capacity needs for each of them led by RUFORUM Network with the contribution of iAgribiz Africa, Maseno University, AquaBioTech Group, University of Gothenburg, National Agricultural Research Organisation – NARO and Uganda Martyrs University
What is the project about?
PrAEctiCe Project (November 2022 – May 2026)
PrAEctiCe (Potentials of Agro-ecological practices in East Africa with a focus on Circular water-energy-nutrient systems), aims to provide a novel Agro-Ecology indicator framework for East Africa, aimed at helping smallholder farmers. This project will also build on the results of the previous Horizon 2020 project VicInAqua by further developing the state-of the art hatchery in Kisumu, Kenya. The project will also develop two more living labs in Uganda and Tanzania and AquaBioTech Group will play a leading role in the installation and operation of smarts sensors for integrated aquaculture/aquaponics management which will support the circular water-energy-nutrient systems and the overall goal to develop a decision support tool for Agro-Ecology advisors in East Africa.
AquaBioTech Group’s main tasks in the PrAEctiCe project include:
- Assisting and supporting in the development of the three integrated aqua-agriculture living labs in Kenya, Uganda (Aquaponics) and Tanzania
- Stakeholder mapping and co-creation activities
- Leading the mapping of integrated aqua-agriculture in East Africa
- Leading the installation and operations of smart sensors for integrated aquaculture/aquaponics management
The Horizon Europe PrAEctiCe project aims to provide a new system of Integrated Agriculture and Aquaculture, for the agro-ecological transition of smallholder farmers and a solution to the levels of malnutrition in East-Africa. Part of the project involves the establishment of three living labs in different East-African countries which will be water efficient, energy efficient and nutrient efficient. The three systems will involve the use of solar power for their energy requirements, the use of wastewater after membrane filtration for fishponds and the irrigation of crops with filtrated wastewater from the aquaculture systems, rich in nutrients.
In addition, natural feeds from local sources and the combination of poultry and fish farming will be tested, to minimise the dependency on fish-feed factories. At the same time physico-chemical and other water-quality parameters will be monitored and recorded. This will allow farmers to have a better view of their farming conditions and alter conditions if parameters are out of range. At the end, the collection and assessment of all these data will provide a useful decision support tool adjusted to the specific socio-economic conditions of each region. A detailed cost-benefit analysis will be carried out to quantify the financial and social benefits.
Partners on the project:
Prototipi, RUFORUM Network, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum, Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, AquaBioTech Group, Maseno University, Africa Agribusiness Academy(AAA)-Kenya,NARO, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, Uganda Martyrs University Official,Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania, Department of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries Kenya, Aquagri, Makerere University, Uganda Martyrs University, University of Gothenburg and Univerza v Mariboru.
Stay tuned more activities coming soon. In the meantime, you can subscribe to the Newsletter.
