SSAAK - Bayrise Fish

Summary

Soy for Sustainable Aquaculture Alliance Kenya (SSAAK) works to create opportunities for soybean farmers within a growing domestic and international market of aquaculture. The future of Kenyan aquaculture depends on availability of locally made high quality fish feeds, and soya is one of the main ingredients in fish feeds manufacturing. By promoting locally grown soya, international fish feeds companies will be encouraged to start producing high quality feeds locally. The result is new developed markets for our soya farmers, and affordable quality fish feeds for our expanding aquaculture value chain. SSAAK will promote programs and research that increases growth of our local soy and local manufacturing of high-quality feeds through affiliations with academic and private researchers and industry leaders.

Membership is open to soybean farmers, academicians, development organizations, NGOs, public and private entities in the agrobusinesses and aquaculture value chain. SSAAK will be governed by a volunteer board representing soybean farmers and industry members. The long-term vision of success for this project is to contribute to a prosperous, peaceful, and greener Kenya, where women, men and young people can fulfil their aspirations and enjoy their right to a dignified life. We believe that agrobusiness and aquaculture value chain will be key in delivering on the need for more and better foods towards the 2030 goal of ending hunger, through a sustainable, climate and carbon friendly food sector, which is locally produced, and has high protein sources. As such, we believe this project can serve as inspiration and replication for how to boost local farming and fish production and smallholder inclusion through solid partnerships between academics, public and private entities. Will you join Us?

Alliance Objective

SSAAK welcomes all qualified farmers and entities as part of the effort, using your knowledge and resources input into our effort. SSAAK will work on unprecedented opportunities to feed a growing population with the most feed‐efficient farm‐raised protein and build and creating a prosperous enabling environment for our untapped aquaculture value chain and soybean farmers alike. Income opportunities will be created for both our soyabean and fish farmers, leading to disposable income that they can use to improve their livelihoods through access to education, health services and re-investments. Then our soyabean farmers and fishing communities can increase their resilience, reduce poverty, secure their land and fish rights in our natural waters, become food and income secure and then they can live a productive, healthy life.

There are many promising developments in process and on the horizon. The expansion of our Blue economy, aquiculture being an important element of our Vision 2030 and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals will create more opportunities in this area. Some additional collaboration efforts may be coming from these developments, plus those identified by SSAAK.

Deliverables

SSAAK will be the soybean farmer and aquaculture value chain advocate for our locally grown soyabean into our aquafeeds. It will deliver:

Research and education projects around soya bean and aquaculture value chain
Fund education and outreach, plus cooperative efforts in aquaculture program.

SSAAK will use membership funds in its operations for the organization as it seeks additional
funds for additional research and educational. Benefits are tailored to benefit soybean farmers through benefiting our additional partners, industry organizations, private companies, aquaculture nutritionists, aquaculture farmers and aquaculture researchers.

Benefit To Soybean Farmer and Aquaculture Value Chain

There are a number of clear benefits to soybean farmers from starting to grow soy in their farms and availability of locally grown soy as an input to our aquafeeds. These include the following:

Farmers gets training and technical support assistance to grow soyabean in most of their idle lands that will generate income to improve their livelihoods. Rural farming communities would be supported and strengthened.
Feed ingredients for our aquafeeds are sourced from Kenya, which should make the cost of feeds affordable to all fish farmers, hence reduced production costs and high profitability.
Availability of locally grown soyabean will attract reputable quality aquafeed manufactures in the country, leading to better feeds for our farmers, job opportunist and modern feed technologies technical capacity building to our people.
An inclusive agribusinesses and aquaculture value chain
Job creation through value additions like soybean crushing mills.
Sustaining availability of healthier protein foods security for the country.
Job creation and economic empowerment for all; including the youth and women.

Alliance Focus

SSAAK will be governed by a volunteer board representing soybean farmers, fish farmers and industry members. Membership is open to all soybean farmers, public and private entities in the soy, aquaculture, and seafood industries. SSAAK works on the unprecedented opportunities to feed a growing population with the most feed‐efficient farm‐raised protein and Build a lucrative domestic and international market for fish farmers and soybean farmers alike.

Budget and Funding

SSAAK will be funded by membership dues and grants and donations from members or other sources. The funds will be used to:

Farmers outreach to support providing seedlings, and equipment, extension workers support for effective farm output.
Aqua‐Feed Producer Outreach program
Do research and educational projects but also to solicit funding from other funding organizations to perform additional. Research Program focusing on soy‐based feeds and new feeding technologies
Assist fish farmers with better feeds management in their farms
Marketing Program for soybean and fish
Industry Relations: Collaborate with national, regional, state and international soybean and aquaculture related organizations.
Funder Relations – Communicating with all funders on objectives and accomplishments.
Administration - Board meetings, etc.
Policy – Lobbying for better policies to advance the growth of soya and aquaculture value chain.
Others – Any additional efforts at the board’s discretion.