As an emerging technology, there is very limited information on aquaponics in Africa. Questions about the ecological and socio-economic sustainability of aquaponics are answered in this comprehensive review.
A newly presented review considers aquaponics projects in Africa, categorizes the technology by evidence of their effectiveness, fish and plant yields. It juxtaposes the technology within best-use practices to make recommendations that will inform evidence-based policymaking.
It also maps the present spatial adoption of the technology in sub-Saharan Africa and highlights the system's contribution to improving food security on the continent. Egypt and South Africa are countries where aquaponics is emerging and being adopted at faster rates and contributing to food security.
In West Africa, significantly lower net-discounted benefit-cost ratios were realized when aquaponics systems were constructed using imported materials compared to using locally available materials. Despite aquaponics systems generally having higher start-up costs currently, their potential to be economically viable when undertaken with local materials is very high.
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