SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND INNOVATION. Growing vegetables in the desert is no easy feat, especially with very little water. And what about fish farming? It seems like a mirage. However, the Montreal-based startup Leedana is making it all possible with surprising ingenuity.
Founded by Hassan Elrakhawy in 2021, the startup has succeeded in growing cherry tomatoes, herbs, kale, and other vegetables, while producing tilapia in the Egyptian desert, about forty kilometers from Cairo. The Montrealer of Egyptian origin explains that he has refined a method developed by an American over fifty years ago.
The principle is quite simple. First, you build a greenhouse that also houses a tank filled with water in which fish are farmed. Then, the water in which the fish swim is used to nourish the soil where the plants will grow. « This water contains ammonia from the fish waste, » says the 24-year-old, who immigrated to Quebec at the age of 13. « It turns into nitrites in the sand, which naturally hosts bacteria. This serves as food for the plants that grow and produce vegetables. »
The beauty of this process is that the specially chosen sand for this type of cultivation absorbs very little water, while filtering it. The water is brought to the end of the greenhouse through pipes from the tank, flowing through sand trenches where it originally came from. Cleansed of ammonia, the water returns to the tank and is later reused to nourish the plants in this virtuous cycle.
« It’s a simple, low-cost technological solution, » he points out. « We maximize water conservation. For example, in our greenhouse in Egypt, we recycle 12 million liters of water per year. We only need to add between two and eight liters per month depending on the time of year, starting with a 100-liter tank. The only water lost is due to evaporation. »
Local Economy
Not requiring huge investments, Leedana’s approach benefits not only those who want to grow vegetables and farm fish economically in harsh regions, but also the surrounding populations.
« We offer a local, low-cost supply to restaurants and grocery stores, » notes Hassan Elrakhawy. « We avoid transport costs and carbon emissions, and allow people in the region to eat well at little cost. »
The young entrepreneur tried his first experiment in Pointe-Claire on Montreal Island in 2021, growing cherry tomatoes on sand purchased locally. Then, a greenhouse was set up in Egypt in January 2022. Another pilot facility will be built in Tulum, Mexico, early next year.
« This new facility will be our showcase for expanding into North America, » he says. « We also want to expand into other Gulf countries, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as other desert regions. »
Selling Expertise
Leedana’s goal is not to become a producer of vegetables and fish in deserts worldwide, but to sell its expertise and technology so that local farmers in arid regions can adopt it. The startup has created an app that explains how to do it. This includes information on what type of sand to use, which vegetables to choose, the size of the tanks, and the number of fish needed based on the area cultivated, etc.
« I hope there will be around 300 farms based on sabloponics worldwide within three years, » he says.
Hassan Elrakhawy states that buying fish fry and feed to raise them are the main expenses of a project. But it’s worth the investment. « For every kilogram of fish feed, we produce a total of 6 kg of food in vegetables and fish per year, » he mentions. « If our greenhouse produces 10,000 kg of food, 8,000 kg will be vegetables and 2,000 kg will be fish. The role of the animals is to provide nutrients for the plants. »
With the growing desertification of the planet, the food needs of many populations, and the imperative to produce with minimal carbon emissions, Leedana has an idea on its plate that could take root in deserts around the world.
Source: les affaires
