Innovative Agricultural Model Blends Aquaculture with Sustainable Crop Production
Eauzons! is pioneering a revolutionary approach to agriculture in the Gers department of France, producing salmon, vegetables, exotic fruits, and shrimp using an advanced aquaponics system and residual heat. This initiative, launched in 2019 by nine experts in the agricultural sector, aims to offer high-quality products through an eco-friendly agricultural model. The system, designed to save water and eliminate the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers, integrates a fish farm, a bacterial farm, and above-ground plant cultivation in a closed, recirculated water system.
Pilot Farm in the Gers
The project began with a 1,800 m² pilot farm in Gers, which serves as a testing ground for various crops, including traditional ratatouille vegetables, hanging strawberries, and tropical fruits like passion fruit, vanilla, and pitayas. According to Félix Haget, managing director of Eauzons!, the farm is more than an experiment; it is already marketing products at affordable prices.
Utilizing Waste Heat for Tropicalization
To support the cultivation of tropical fruits, the greenhouses are heated using waste heat from industrial processes. This innovative use of residual heat makes the system even more sustainable. Eauzons! collaborates with industries such as oil groups, methanation companies, and waste incineration units, which are required to recover waste heat. This heat is then used to warm the water and greenhouses, facilitating the growth of tropical crops in non-tropical climates. The project began with vanilla and has expanded to include passion fruit and pitayas over the past two years.
High-Quality Tropical Fruits
Although still in the testing phase, Eauzons! has achieved promising results with its tropical fruits, producing high-quality, locally-harvested varieties that rival those imported after long transport periods. This ensures better taste, appearance, and nutritional value, offering significant advantages over fruits that travel long distances to market.
Economic Impact and Future Plans
The tropicalization of crops offers significant economic benefits, balancing livestock farming with fruit and vegetable production. Increasing margins on vegetable production, which currently occupies over 70% of the farm’s area and employs 60% of its workforce but contributes less than 30% of sales, is a primary goal.
Looking to the future, Eauzons! is expanding its model. A new farm six times the size of the pilot is under construction near Pau. The company is also seeking additional funding to scale up the model and eventually offer it as a franchise, aiming to create a network of local, sustainable, and agro-ecological farms that complement existing agricultural systems.
