Solution description
El Salvador is located within the Central American Dry Corridor, making it vulnerable to Climate-related stocks, such as tropical storms and periods of drought. This intervention will support the vulnerable population in the department of Morazán, which is one of the most affected by the dry corridor. According to WFP’s National Food Security Survey (2023), about 50% of households are in a situation of food vulnerability, susceptible to changes in food availability, and 11% face regular difficulties in obtaining adequate food. These challenges are exacerbated by factors such as dependence on imported foods, such as rice and maize, adverse weather conditions, which affect local agricultural production, and lack of resources to purchase agricultural inputs. In addition, the population in Morazán has limited access to formal employment; 83% of the population is economically dependent on remittances from family members abroad.
To increase food security sustainably, WFP will strengthen the capacities of smallholder farmers by establishing aquaponics modules and training communities in their management. This will increase the production of healthy food (fish and vegetables) efficiently and with an ecofriendly approach. The project will include practical workshops on system management and maintenance. Pilot units will be set up in the communities to showcase the system’s benefits. The initiative will focus on women smallholder farmers and their families, particularly those in associations with access to irrigation water.
Aquaponics is an innovative solution that uses water to combine fish and soil-less vegetable production. The metabolic wastes produced by the fish serve as nutrient-filled fertilizers, promoting the growth of the vegetables. At the same time, the plants clean the water and remove compounds toxic to fish (mainly ammonium and nitrites), reducing the frequency of water renewal. The aquaponics system includes microorganisms, primarily nitrifying bacteria, that influence mineralization and nitrification processes, converting ammonia into nutrients that plants can absorb. These microorganisms are essential for maintaining the system’s balance and health. This sustainable production system is especially useful in areas where the soil is poor, and water is scarce, as it saves this valuable resource and does not impact the soil.
The project will aim for women’s empowerment, achieved through capacity strengthening in innovative technologies, nutritious food production, equitable household task distribution, and income generation to enhance economic autonomy. Women will be trained to operate and maintain aquaponics systems, becoming sustainable producers of fish and vegetables, improving household nutrition and diversifying their income.
Aquaponics offers a sustainable solution for food security, water scarcity, and limited arable land, particularly for communities in the Central American dry corridor.
WFP has identified strategic partners, both locally and regionally, that could potentially provide technical expertise, funding, and advanced technologies, ensuring effective implementation.
The project aligns with a circular economy model, which reduces waste and maximizes resource efficiency through closed production and consumption cycles. In aquaponics, fish waste becomes plant nutrients, and plants purify water for fish, reflecting circular economy principles. This system significantly reduces water use compared to traditional agriculture, reinforcing sustainable practices.
Innovation alignment
Innovation and Research
Aquaponics is a practice increasingly present in the agricultural sector in El Salvador, due to its eco-friendly approach and its focus on sustainability. In that context, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) launched in 2023 the “Productive Cities and Communities” project, implemented through the Center for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (CENDEPESCA), which aims to install aquaponics systems across various urban areas. WFP will leverage on the strategic partnership with MAG to learn from this experience and use this knowledge in rural settings.
Beneficiaries for this intervention will focus on producing tomatoes, sweet chili, aromatic herbs, radish, lettuce, and chives; however, WFP efforts will aim to identify a wider variety of crops like strawberries, peppers, medicinal plants, and fish species that can thrive in aquaponics systems, such as trout, perch, and ornamental fish, that can enhance system productivity and diversity.
Further aquaponics research should also aim to determine how the systems can be adapted to different environmental contexts, including varying climates and local flora and fauna. This would involve studying the specific nutrient requirements, growth rates, and yield potentials of these crops and fish within an aquaponic setup. For example, in arid regions like the Dry Corridor, integrating drought-resistant crops and fish species that can tolerate higher temperatures would be beneficial. This adaptability research would involve testing different system designs, materials, and management practices to ensure optimal performance in diverse conditions.
Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals:
This project aims to support several Sustainable Development Goals by promoting sustainable agricultural practices that address multiple global challenges:
- SDG 2 – Zero Hunger: The Aquaponic systems will produce both fish and vegetables, improving food security and providing a reliable source of nutritious food.
- SDG 5 – Gender Equality by empowering women through capacity strengthening.
- SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation, as these systems use less water compared to traditional agriculture, preserving water by recirculating it within the system.
- SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth: Aquaponics promotes environmentally friendly farming practices by eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, contributing to sustainable agriculture.
- SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production: Recycling water and nutrients minimizes the need for chemical inputs, thereby lowering the carbon footprint. Additionally, aquaponics fosters awareness and education about sustainable practices, contributing to more responsible consumption and production patterns.
SDG 13 – Climate Action: With a lower environmental footprint, aquaponics helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promotes climate-resilient agricultural practices.
Solution impact
Implementing aquaponic production systems can have diverse economic, social and environmental impacts. These impacts and how they could be estimated and measured during the implementation process are described below:
Economic Impacts
Income Generation:
By producing both fish and vegetables in a small space, communities can diversify their sources of income and market these products within their communities or in local markets.
Measurement:
- Income before and after production.
Improved Food Security:
Improved availability of fresh and nutritious food (fish and vegetables) improves nutrient and calorie consumption and diversifies diets. Therefore, it is essential in rural areas where access to healthy food is limited.
Measurement:
- Number of households benefiting from access to fresh produce.
- Increased consumption of proteins and vegetables in the local diet.
Social Impact
Training and Empowerment:
Implementing aquaponics systems would involve families and the community learning new technical skills, strengthening their agricultural capacities and making them resilient to climate change.
Measurement:
- Number of people who have strengthened their capacities through asset building.
- Number of family/community people participating in the implementation process.
Environmental Impacts
Efficient Use of Resources:
Aquaponics is a highly efficient system for water use, as it recycles water, significantly reducing waste compared to conventional agricultural systems. Additionally, by avoiding the use of chemicals and synthetic fertilizers, it minimizes the environmental impact on both soil and water.
By using organic waste (such as fish waste) as fertilizer for crops, aquaponics helps to close the waste cycle, which contributes to pollution reduction.
Measurement:
- Monitoring of water consumption compared to traditional agricultural practices.
- Measurement of water quality in aquaponics systems (pH, nutrients, electrical conductivity).
- Hectares of cultivated land where organic waste from aquaponics has been used.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Baseline: Prior to implementation, a baseline should be established that measures current conditions in terms of income, food, natural resources and other indicators.
Ongoing Monitoring: An ongoing monitoring system should be implemented that periodically collects data on the key indicators mentioned above.
Impact Evaluation: assessing the effects and outcomes of the project on the economic, social and environmental aspects of the intervention.
Replicability / scalability
Replicability:
- Local adaptability: The combination of aquaculture and hydroponics allows aquaponics to adapt to a variety of climates. In rural areas such as San Simon, the system can be adapted to local conditions, provided there is access to basic resources such as water, training and technical assistance. This will serve as evidence to how these systems work under the local given conditions.
- Local resources: Aquaponics systems can be implemented using local resources (e.g., plastic tanks, pipes, etc.) and training farmers in accessible and simple techniques. This reduces dependence on expensive or difficult-to-achieve inputs and improves the system’s reproducibility in communities with limited resources.
Scalability:
- Increased production: Aquaponics systems can be started on a small scale and scaled up as knowledge and infrastructure improve. This also includes the possibility of increasing water consumption, the number of tanks, and the cultivation area. However, to ensure scalability, the system must remain efficient even as production increases.
- Long-term sustainability: a model that allows for long-term self-sufficiency from economic, social and ecological perspectives is needed.
Resources: The implementation of an aquaponics system is replicable due to its adaptability to local conditions, use of available resources and adequate training. However, the scalability of this approach depends on the ability to scale up infrastructure, availability of inputs, continuous training and market linkage.
Cooperation potential
WFP’s South-South Cooperation Strategy seeks to strengthen food security in El Salvador through the implementation of innovative and sustainable technologies. This strategy includes engaging Government institutions, such as the Ministry of Agriculture, and opening up South-South and Triangular cooperation opportunities with pair Government institutions in the Latin American region.
The project will promote the exchange of knowledge and technical assistance between the population intervened in San Simón and similar experiences in the region.
Additionally, projects in the Atlántico department have proven to be successful, such as the aquaponic system in Santa Verónica, which combines the farming of tilapia with the cultivation of ornamental and aquatic plants. These efforts not only promote sustainable food production but also have a positive impact on the local economy.
WFP El Salvador will implement this initiative systematically, integrating all interventions throughout the food production chain, from production to processing, distribution, preparation, and consumption. It will engage a diversity of strategic partners, generating cooperation networks between research institutions and international organizations that will be promoted for the project’s development and scalability. Collaboration between WFP, partner governments, and technical experts will contribute significantly for the development of local capacities. Some of these partners are:
- Private and government donors to WFP El Salvador Office, such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Korean Office of International Cooperation.
- Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MINEDUCYT)
- Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG)
- National Center for Agricultural Technology (CENTA)
- Small maize and sorghum producers and agricultural producers’ cooperatives
- Commercial intermediaries
Given the similar agricultural challenges faced by countries in the Central American Region, aquaponics offers a unique opportunity for regional cooperation. Countries can collectively enhance their food security and agricultural sustainability by sharing knowledge, resources, and best practices. Initiatives like the FAO’s aquaponics training programs in the Caribbean have shown how regional collaboration can strengthen the aquaponics sector and build resilience against natural disasters and economic crises.
Therefore, this intervention has the potential to addresses regional critical needs by enhancing food security, providing climate-smart agricultural practices, and fostering regional cooperation. The region can build a more sustainable and resilient future by adopting and expanding these systems.
Territory coverage
The intervention will cover three locations in the municipality of San Simón, department of Morazán department: Valle Grande, El Carrizal and Potrero.
Collaborators
- Project Coordinator
The Resilience and Climate Change Program Assistant is an agricultural engineer with over 10 years of experience. For the past six years in WFP, she has focused her work on implementing early recovery and resilience projects, supervising cooperating partners and providing technical assistance to small producers in the dry corridor. Her experience includes climate-smart agriculture, soil and water conservation, community organization, poultry production, fisheries, staple crops, and post-harvest management, among others.
- Field Technician
Agricultural technician with more than 10 years of experience in agricultural projects. Among his main functions are providing technical assistance, training farmers, implementing agricultural technologies to increase production and his ability to resolve implementation setbacks.
- Monitoring coordinator
Agronomist with 5 years of experience in designing and implementing monitoring plans for WFP programs and projects. She has extensive knowledge of the WFP indicator framework, particularly those related to resilience interventions. Keilim will serve as the monitoring specialist responsible for designing the M&E Plan for the project, as well as overseeing data collection activities to ensure continuous follow-up on outcome and process indicators throughout the project’s duration.
