The Aquarev Aproach
Proven to increase productivity and improve smallholder
shrimp farmers’ income, and:
- Instill environmentally responsible shrimp farming practices
- Preserve critical mangrove aind coral reef habitats
- Reduce extensive land use and deforestation
- Promote efficient energy use
- Improve smallholder shrimp farmers’ livelihoods
Background
Seafood consumption will exceed meat and poultry by 2024. The global shrimp market is expected to grow 9.2% annually from 2021 to 2027.
Indonesia is:
- the world’s third largest producer of farmed shrimp (a 12% market share)
- pursuing aggressive growth in shrimp production targeting 578,000 metric tons with a 250% increase in export value by 2024.
Roughly 80% of Indonesia’s 95,000+ shrimp farms are “extensive” (inefficient)
- low shrimp yields / poor productivity
- low income for smallholder farmers
- inefficient use of inputs and resources, including land & water
- destructive impacts on coastal ecosystems.
Mangrove deforestation is an environmental disaster, and extensive shrimp farming is a primary cause of mangrove deforestation. Over the last two decades, converting land for shrimp farming has destroyed over 1,811 square kilometres of mangroves in Indonesia.
Essential to the environment (air, sea and land), biodiversity, and the local economy, mangrove forests:
- provide an essential habitat for thousands of marine species.
- stabilize shorelines, preventing erosion and protecting the land
- store vast amounts of carbon – thus, mangrove forests are critical to the fight against climate change,
- maintain water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants and trap ping sediments
More sustainable, “intensive” (efficient) farming methods are out of reach for most of Indonesia’s shrimp farmers because they lack
- access to financing to buy inputs needed for more efficient
- farming technical and managerial expertise.
Aquarev is a venture-backed social enterprise created by The Meloy Fund to renovate, revitalize, and provide revolving lines of credit for up to 75,000 shrimp farms in Indonesia.
Aquarev started its Pilot Program in 2018 with seven farmers in Lampung, Indonesia. Since then, we have expanded our operations in other regions in Indonesia.
The Aquarev Aproach meets all international sustainability standards (including key standards by Aquaculture Stewardship Council and Best Aquaculture Practices). Critically, the Program also reduces pressure to deforest critical mangrove habitats by allowing farmers to sell the first shrimp from Indonesia that is fully traced as mangrove forest conversion-free.
Using a proprietary agtech + fintech platform, Aquarev offers shrimp farmers:
- Financial support for best-practice renovations and climate-smart intensification of their shrimp ponds.
- Hands-on training and guidance at the vfarm level to optimize day-to-day cultivation.
Our Goal:
To help 300 – 500 smallholder farmers transition to sustainable farming practices, obtain certification in sustainable shrimp farming, and triple their incomes over the next 5 years. We plan to extend the program to thousands of farmers thereafter.
Via a technical assistance fund, we also aim to reduce pressure on critical mangrove habitats by connecting loans and services to shrimp farmers with afforestation/reforestation initiatives.
The Aquarev ApProach
Our Aproach
Technical Assistance: This includes ongoing farm management expertise and monitoring to help smallholder farmers improve their farming practices & results
Sustainable Practices: Sustainability is embedded in our Approach. We emphasize water quality, traceability, and protecting mangroves (generating certified carbon credits when possible).
Our Technology Platform
A bespoke fintech solution that manages financial transactions, farm and farmer data, and traceability. By recording data on daily feed consumption, water and weather conditions, shrimp sample weights, harvest, and more, the App provides analytics and forecasts shrimp growth.
Our IoT-based hardware and software solution helps farmers improve farm performance, with a warning and recommendation system that monitors water quality in their shrimp ponds.
Results and Testimonials
Operational and financial results: Aquarev’s approach vastly improves shrimp farmers’ profitability. In our pilot program,
- Survival Rate increased by 1.8x
- Farm Yield increased by 10x
- Farm Revenue increased by 12x
- Operating Profit increased by 6x
Sustainability results: Outcomes from Aquarev farm model exceeded all key standards for aquaculture sustainability (including the Fish-in:Fish-out ratio, survival rate, land use, feed conversion ratio, and energy use)
Competitive Advantage
Aquarev has the most comprehensive program designed to meet the
needs of smallholder farmers in Indonesia:
Impact & Sustainability
Target impact:
- 300+ shrimp ponds renovated, financed, and managed with internationally-certifiable sustainable practices (e.g. ASC) by year 5.
- Improved livelihoods of small-scale farmers (potential to triple their income)
- Ensure reduced pressure and afforestation/reforestation of critical mangrove habitats
- Improved coral reef ecosystem habitat.
Sustainability enhancement:
- Farm transition from extensive to intensive system, supported by farm certification (e.g. ASC, BAP, CBIB)
- Mangrove Rehabilitation Program via conservation and reforestation/aforestation
- Implementation of Traceability system
- Support transition to clean power
- Improved waste water treatment
Key Partners
Careers
Current job Opening
Aquaculture Technical Director
The technical lead will be responsible for overseeing the daily operations of shrimp farms, acting as a representative of Aquarev within the farming community, providing advice on best-practice shrimp farming practices and ensuring improved outcomes. This position requires extensive knowledge of shrimp farming methods, practices, and operations in Indonesia, and has the energy and enthusiasm to improve yields, incomes, and sustainability on behalf of smallholder farmers. Extensive domestic travel is required.
SEE ALL REQUIREMENTS
Roles and Responsibilities
- Farm site selection: Design and implement site selection requirements, conduct site surveys and review site viability; manage and coordinate with technical implementation partners for site selection and pond renovation models.
- Farmer recruitment: Design and implement farmer selection requirements; closely coordinate with corporate, local and government partners for farmer recruitment; support farmer onboarding processes.
- Farm supervision: Supervise overall operations of farm clusters, and maintain close communications with all partners and farmers; implement regular shrimp production monitoring and evaluation reporting
- Farm data analysis: Review shrimp production of each farms; provide weekly insights to Aquarev on production performance; analyze and approve the shrimp production planning proposals as prepared by farms in the Aquarev network.
- Monitoring and evaluation: Create protocols and conduct regular monitoring and evaluation of farm data with after every cycle, leading to recommendations to improve farm performance in response to data analytics.
- Partnerships: Manage key technical and implementing contractors and partners at the farm and pond level. Recommend and provide feedback on input selection, R&D, water treatment, product quality, and more.
- Risk mitigation: Develop risk mitigation strategies to prevent harvest failure and be able to quickly react and handle issues related to shrimp operations on the ground
Candidate Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in farming, aquaculture, biology or related field
- 10+ years of experience in best practice shrimp farming operations and a deep understanding in shrimp production data and parameters
- Knowledge of shrimp farming science and recent developments in improving yields and reducing environmental impacts, including new feed sources, energy use, etc.
- Superb communication skills both with farmers at the local level and with corporate partners.
- Willingness to travel to domestic farm sites
- Bahasa and English fluency required.
To Apply:
Send CV and Cover Letter to jobs@meloyfund.com