He is till among the top ten running for the Africa’s Business Heroes competition. He evetually answered present during the Paris Agriculture show 2020 as he presents his talents to French President Emmanuel Macron.
This major agricultural event was an ideal opportunity for the young Cameroonian engineer Falvien Kouatcha, promoter of “Save Our Agriculture”, to present aquaponics to the French president in particular. The Cameroonian start-up “Save Our Agriculture”, which specialises in aquaponics, a technique that combines fish farming and vegetable growing, was present at the last edition of the Paris agriculture fair.
“Aquaponics is a very old method of cultivation, which consists of combining fish farming with plant cultivation in a closed circuit. The fish excrement serves as nutrients for the vegetables, which in turn purify the water in the pond,” he explained to La Croix newspaper.
This technique has many advantages for African countries like Cameroon, where setting up supply chains is not easy. “Setting up an efficient supply chain between the hinterland with its thousands of small producers and urban consumers is a very expensive and time-consuming task. Hence the idea of bringing the countryside to the city through my aquaponics project,” he explains.
IAC says that Falvien Kouatcha’s idea consists of building kits that allow individuals living in the city to practice aquaponics and thus produce their own vegetables and fish without harming the environment. Thanks to the support of the “Pierre Castel-Agir pour l’Afrique endowment fund”, the start-up launched by Flavien Kouatcha has been experimenting for several months with an “urban farm” in the port of Douala, the Cameroonian economic capital. The young Cameroonian engineer has learned that two stacked containers, connected by piping, can produce 400 kg of fish and 800 kg of market garden produce per semester, with minimal environmental impact.
But Flavien Kouatcha is thinking even bigger. He is looking for investors to expand his business. He has certainly entrusted this concern to the French Head of State, reports the same source.
ABH Top 10 FINALIST
The competition attracted more than 21,000 applications from 54 African countries. Entries from Central Africa increased by 20%, representing 9% of the total number of entries received. Southern Africa presented 17% of the entries, East Africa 17% and West Africa 43%.
He told JDC “It is an honour for me to be in the top 10. Because we are still in a competition that has mobilized more than 21,000 entrepreneurs on the continent. When the names of the 10 winners were announced, I was extremely proud. Firstly because I saw the profile of the other entrepreneurs and sincerely the level is high … Also, because I liked to value the French-speaking entrepreneurs, “said Flavien Kouatcha.
“In the top 50 we were five Francophones, in the top 20 I was the only Francophone, so in the top 10 I am still the only Francophone, I have a feeling of pride. I have the feeling that I value not only the country, but also Central Africa, and even all of French-speaking Africa,” he added.
JDC TV, Video news 
