When you think of sustainable innovations, a room filled with fish tanks is probably not the first image that comes to mind. Fësch Haff’s leading work on aquaponic farming might make you reconsider this.
Although more than 50% of Luxembourg’s land is farmland, only 3% of all agricultural goods and only 1% of all fish consumed locally are produced here. Fësch Haff’s co-founders Daryl Fuchs and Manuel Arrillaga hope to change this.
Equipped with degrees in Materials Science and Bio-Engineering, the co-founders first put their minds to learning about aquaponics at the beginning of the pandemic. With ‘real jobs’ being hard to find at the time, Fësch Haff, which started out as a passion project, quickly turned into a full-time job when the co-founders realised the potential of their solution.
Controlling The Environment
Inspired by the work of the ancient Aztecs, aquaponic farming is a closed-loop farming technique that produces both agricultural goods such as lettuce and vegetables as well as fish all year round.
Since it’s a closed-loop system, there is no need for artificial fertilisers, pesticides, or antibiotics because the vegetables get all their nutrients from the fish, and the fish get their water cleaned by the vegetables.
“Of the 2000 farmers currently in Luxembourg, very few of them are able to grow food for human consumption.”
Manuel Arrillaga, Co-founder of Fësch Haff
Furthermore, the process does not dump any aquaculture waste-water or hydroponic water into our local water sources, therefore saving up to 99% of the water which is otherwise wasted in traditional agriculture.
“We’re enabling a completely natural ecosystem to exist in harmony by just controlling the environment around the entire system. This includes temperature, lighting, water quality and humidity. We exclusively rely on the biological relationship between the fish, the bacteria, and the plants to do the rest,” says Daryl.
By ensuring a constant supply of water and nutrients and by using their very own remote IOT monitoring and controlling software, Fësch Haff’s solution ensures 30% faster growth rates of their vegetable produce, while also being 14 times more productive per hectare than an average German vegetable farm.
More Local Food
Fësch Haff’s doesn’t just want to sell their produce to locals and restaurants, they also want to increase their impact and target local food security.
“Of the 2000 farmers currently in Luxembourg, very few of them are able to grow food for human consumption. This is something we are hoping to solve,” says Manuel.
By selling farmers a key-in-hand, modular aquaponic farm that is tailored to their size and needs, and by selling their operational and retail services, the startup hopes to tap into the growing market of local food production.
Currently, still in their proof of concept stage, Fësch Haff is working on setting up their first commercially-sized farm.
“Right now, we’re working together with some partners and investors to build the first pilot commercial farm of around 300 m2. This pilot farm will be able to produce enough fresh and local greens and vegetables for six to eight restaurants a week,” concludes Daryl.
This article was first published in the Silicon Luxembourg magazine. Read the full digital version of the magazine on our website, here. You can also choose to receive a hard copy at the office or at home. Subscribe now.
