Lattice Aqua

Provide sustainable protein and economic growth
for East Africa’s fast growing population

Lattice Aqua believes in the possibility of the Aquaculture Sector in Eastern Africa to drive the production of much needed high-quality protein to feed our growing population.  In so doing the sector will create meaningful and dignified jobs for people, particularly women and youth.

Lattice Aqua works with likeminded partners to realize the potential of this sector, by providing the services below:

  1. Program design and management
  2. Market studies and technical research
  3. Feasibility studies and business for commercial players along the aquaculture value chain, e.g., large, and mid-scale farms, feed producers, logistics providers and education

The Lattice Aquaculture Family includes Lattice Aquaculture Trust (which enables us to work with players in the non-for-profit space) and the Aquaculture Academy.

The Opportunity For Aquaculture In East Africa

Provide sustainable protein and economic growth
for East Africa’s fast growing population

Background

East Africa is facing a growing demand for animal protein, due to population growth, rising incomes, urbanization and changing food habits. This results in rapidly growing demand for sustainably produced, safe, nutritious and protein rich food.

Opportunity

The farming of fish provides a unique opportunity to address this growing demand. Fish is healthy, low-fat, contains key amino acids and valuable nutritional properties, whilst preventing disease. Traditionally, fish makes up a significant share of East Africa’s diet.

Fish are the most resource-efficient protein available (aside from insects):

  • Has the lowest carbon footprint.
  • Uses the least fresh water per kg produced.
  • 1 kg of fish can be cultured with 1.3 kg of feed (compared to a 1-to-8 ratio for beef).

In recent years, spurred by investments by the private sector, public institutions and NGOS in the value chain, the aquaculture industry in East Africa has been developing rapidly.

Ten years ago, fish farming in cages on Lake Victoria was non-existent. Now, in Kenya, over 4,000 cages are registered on Lake Victoria. In the three main counties for cage farming (Homa Bay, Siaya, Kisumu) alone, a total of 2,961 fish farmers are registered.

However, critically, the available number of skilled people is drastically lagging, constraining the entire sector.

Aquaculture Academy

Lattice Aqua launched the Aquaculture Academy in 2021 with a vision of training Aquapreneurs across the value chain. We define Aquapreners as anyone in the Aquaculture value chain. This includes farmers, farm staff, students, input suppliers, buyers, and extension workers.

The Aquaculture Academy provides essential tools for East African (future) fish farmers. We engage young people to become farmers, through practical, accessible, and business-oriented training programs covering all essential aspects of aquaculture production. Different from other training programs, the courses offered are based on the practical skills needed to obtain dignified work in the job market.

The Aquaculture Academy has two campuses:

  1. Jewlet Fish Farm (Homabay County)
  2. Kamuthanga Fish Farm (Machakos County)

We believe that this training creates meaningful, dignified jobs, while also improving nutrition and food security.

We are always on the lookout for like-minded partners to work with to enable us to realise our goals.

Aquaculture Academy’s Online Courses

  • To increase the reach and accessibility of the Aquaculture Academy, a curriculum with over 100 e-learning videos is available, including courses and exams.
  • Farmers can learn about the detailed procedures of fish farming and access this knowledge at their own farm.
  • Courses include business skills, water quality, feeding practices, animal health management, farm management.
  • Young students easily adopt online learning materials.
  • Efficient method to visualize internal procedures.
  • Improve young farmers’ skills to match the labour market requirements.

Our Past Assignments

Lattice together with its partners have conducted the following Research assignments Fisheries & Aquaculture East Africa;

No.Project NameDescription Country ClientPartner(s)
1.Assessing East Africa’s Tilapia market: Size, Sustainability and Opportunities for growth in Aquaculture (2016). • Quantitative analysis into Tilapia imports into East Africa from China.

• Case studies on effects of Tilapia importation on fish farming in across Kenya.

• Quantitative research on international markets and bench marks.
Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and KenyaMsingi East Africa (funded by UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Gatsby FoundationLarive
Lattice
Holland Aqua BV
2.Impact of Tilapia Imports on Aquaculture Development (2016).• Analysis of the presence and impact of imported Chinese fish in the Kenyan and East African region currently and in the future.
• Providing insights into countering the threats, if any, that may be posed by these imports to the growing aquaculture industry and recommend approaches to counteract these challenges.
East AfricaNetherlands Ministry of Foreign AffairsLarive
Lattice
3.Kenya Aquaculture Market Research (2017)• Background on developments in the aquaculture space in Kenya.

• Estimate of current demand for aquaculture fish species by type of market.
• Analysis of future demand and gap in supply by fish species and type of market in Kenya.
• Potential for export farmed fish.
• Analysis of the key constraints and opportunities of the aquaculture sector.
• Best practice case: Egypt.
• Key recommendations for the investment in smallholder aquaculture in Kenya.
Kenya International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)Larive
Lattice
4.Aquaculture marketing and Sales channel analysis in East Africa (2014)• Distribution of Fish in East Africa: farmers, distributors, markets and hotels.
• Challenges facing aquaculture in the region.
• Recommendations FoodTechAfrica regarding type of fish, distribution and markets.
East Africa Netherlands Ministry of Foreign AffairsLarive
Lattice
5.Aquaculture value chain in East Africa: fish feed producers research and visit program (2014)• Research seeking to identify key players in the animal feed industry and opportunities for investment in East African countries.
• A Market Study on the size and sustainability of East Africa’s Consumer market for Tilapia.
• Highlight the key players, what they produce and identify the companies with great potential to be strategic partners for FTA.
• Develop a long list and short list of feed companies which produce feed for sale to the retail market and are run professionally.
• Preparation and implementation of visit to relevant feed producers.
East AfricaNetherlands Ministry of Foreign AffairsLarive
Lattice
6.From Fish To VegetablesA feasibility study on re-using aquaculture wastewater for crop production in KenyaKenyaThe Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RvO) under the Small Business Innovation Research program

Our Partners