Leave it to a Beaver to Build a Duck Raft...

Integrated aquaculture/agriculture is one tool among many to combat the rampant problem of food security in the developing world. The idea is simple: Instead of having one piece of land devoted to one thing (i.e.-a rice paddy, a fish pond, a livestock enclosure), you combine various types of food production in a way that benefits the harvest, while also conserving land.

There are many examples, from the simple to the complex, but they almost always involve the utilization of livestock for manure. In my village—where there was already a stocked fish pond when I arrived­—I have been working with the groupement piscicultutre to try, among other things, to improve the water quality of the pond. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by combining the fish farming with appropriate animal husbandry, usually by creating an enclosure for the animals either in, or directly next to the pond. The idea is that the animals will create both manure as well as lots of food scraps that the fish will then eat, thus creating a much needed nitrogen source that will speed up the rate of growth. This technique is most popular in SE Asia, where often times large fish farming centers feature pig, duck, goose, chicken and other husbandry.

I quickly became a fan of the scheme, not only because of the already mentioned benefits of integrated aquaculture, but also because it was something that is rarely, if ever, tried in Togo. Having worked with farmers here for over a year now I can say that one of the hardest obstacles in the way of food security is the overarching sameness of food production here. The majority of the Togolese population farms or owns livestock or both, and yet there are only a few individuals I know that have actively searched for creative new farming methods to implement. With that in mind, I wanted to introduce a way of creating and harvesting food that was completely unique—not necessarily so that it could be replicated by everyone, but so that locals could see that its always worth trying something new!

After researching I decided that I would introduce ducks into the fish pond, mostly because they aren’t incredibly expensive, and they are quite efficient producers of waste. Yet, there is only a couple feet of flat land next to the pond, so a typical little land structure for them to sleep and nest in wouldn’t be appropriate. Instead, I decided I would venture way outside the box and design a covered raft that would be set afloat in the pond. I realize that sounds like a pretty straight forward project, but I really can’t stress enough how new the idea of a raft was for my town. Indeed, until the raft was actually put in, I don’t think anyone actually knew what I was concocting; I told them it was a raft, but apparently the French word for raft isn’t exactly universally understood.

Now, though, since having stocked the raft with ducks a few weeks ago, I’ve been receiving daily visitors curious and usually surprised about the élévage sur l’eau. I’m not done yet, though: next up is a bamboo pier for ducklings (easier access) and I’d like to eventually try my hand at pig rearing.

Anyway, here are a few pictures for you to get an idea, and if you’re more curious about specifics then leave a question and I’ll be sure to get back to you!

Take care,
J