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Sustainability aquaponics in Urabá, Colombia: A path toward gender equality and ecological and socioeconomic development

 

1. How it all started

 

In the Gulf of Urabá, a region historically affected by armed conflict, it was born an initiative for change: sustainable aquaponics. Led by Professor Jenny León and supported by the Municipality of Turbo, SENA, and researchers from the University de Antioquia, Universidad de los Andes, Justus Liebig University Giessen, and CEMarin, we launched a co-creation process with local communities, especially women heads of households, to install a system that integrates fish farming and plant cultivation in a sustainable model.

 

This project, located in the municipality of Turbo, seeks to implement two sustainable aquaponics systems (a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics using native species), as follows:

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Aquaponics training system for marginalized groups to be established at the Marine Sciences Campus of the University of Antioquia in Tulenapa.

Best practices in aquaponics system for regional species operated by fisherwomen and/or fishermen’s wives at their local school near Turbo.

The project has three main components

Culturally respectful and participatory training, socioeconomic empowerment, and local monitoring.

Implementation of aquaponics systems that are environmentally, socially, and financially sustainable.

Market research and business planning, including an assessment of the economic value of ecosystem services impacted or preserved through the project.

This project aims to help implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the region. In particular, to contribute to reducing poverty (SDG 1), achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture (SDG 2), achieving gender equality and empowering women (SDG 5), and ensuring sustainable production patterns and the efficient and sustainable use of aquatic and terrestrial resources (SDG 12 & 14, Fair Trade).

A night happened a tragedy

On the night of February 24, 2023, a technical failure in the oxygen supply tube caused the death of all the fish and the loss of associated crops.

 

The economic losses reached approximately 30 million Colombian pesos (around $7,000 USD), but the emotional and personal impacts on those who had dedicated their time and hopes to the project are immeasurable.

2. Why are we restarting the project?

 

The communities of Urabá have long fought to protect their ecosystems, relying almost exclusively on fishing for survival. But today, fishing is no longer sustainable. Overfishing and pollution have sharply reduced catches, at risk of the food security of hundreds of families.

Sustainable aquaponics is our solution, a deveploment way to produce food without exhausting natural resources.

Our team is working to adapt this technology to Urabá’s conditions so that fishing communities can embrace this knowledge and diversify their livelihoods.

Help us at the Experiment 

 

We’re raising funds through Experiment.com, a crowdfunding platform that supports science with purpose. We have just 45 days to raise $4,000 USD to breathe life back into this project.

Support the campaign here:

3. What comes next: a collective promise

 

If we reach our objective, we’ll make you part of this transformation story. From CEMarin and the University de Antioquia, we commit to:

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 Sharing audiovisual content of the “before and after” of the systems.

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Documenting stories and testimonials from the communities involved

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 Publishing scientific and social insights about the techniques used

Join our project. Let’s make science the foundation of a more sustainable future.