Aquaponics combines aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish, crayfish or prawns) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water). In a recirculating system in which bacteria convert fish waste to nitrates to nourish the plants, the clean water is returned to the fish. The operator feeds the fish, and, other than a bit of maintenance and monitoring, natural processes take care of the rest.

The practice of aquaponics dates back millennia, to the Aztec Empire, ancient China, and, at the dawn of the common era, Southeast Asia, where fish were incorporated into rice paddies.

Capax World is bringing modern aquaponics back to Southeast Asia, at the Glorious Families Program, a model farm and education center in Kampong Thom, Cambodia. The Glorious Families aquaponics facility will create jobs and improve nutrition in the community, producing approximately 850 pounds of vegetables per week, and more than one ton of fish per year. Many thanks to Mark Bogart of Valley Aquaponics for designing this system for Capax World.

The Khmer word for “glorious” is rich in meaning, encompassing healthy, wealthy, happy and excellent. In Khmer, Glorious Families Program is written កម្មវិធីគ្រួសាររុងរឿង, or Kam Vithy Krousa Rong Roeung.

We are excited to work with our international team to develop this project, and then transfer the technology to other regions of the world.