LUXORUS

My name is Lucie Thiao.  I am an entrepreneur.

 For the past three years, I  worked in community development as a consultant in public and private institutions (UNDP / PUDC, Sismar and Techno-Controle), and have allowed me to travel almost all over the country.  I noticed the insufficiency and the high cost of fish and plant-based foods in many localities of Senegal because of their geographical position to the production areas and the excessive used of pesticides.

 Basis of these observations is born  LUXORUS. LUXORUS is an agrifood structure producing biological vegetables and fish using a method called aquaponics. This method is today one of the main alternatives for sustainable food production and supply.

  In the first year, LUXORUS will start with a small operating system.we need $12,516 for the prototype.

  LUXORUS is a social development project.  The revenues generated by the first system will be used to finance other systems within the country.  the energy supply  will be provided by solar panels. 

 LUXORUS goal is to establish  production of organic vegetable and fish across the whole year and anywhere in Senegal, to preserve customers’ health, above inequalities in access to basic foods, clean environment, resolve the  problem of rural exodus.

Half of the country of Senegal is characterized by severe droughts and poor soils quality, limiting crop production and supply. The food vegetable production, which occurs mainly in the coastal region is limited by a lack of arable lands due to the strong urbanization and the overexploitation of the groundwater. This decreased groundwater also increases the risk of salinization of existing arable lands.

Pesticides are considerably used on vegetable crops, leading to pest resistance, groundwater pollution, and serious health problems. In addition, food vegetables production declines during the rainy season. Post-harvest losses are quite high because most crops mature at the same time during the growing season while there is lack of adequate food storage facilities for growers.

The over exploitation of fish due to international exports makes fish products rarely accessible to low income communities and people living in localities far from production areas. The  insufficiency and high cost of fish and plant-based foods in many localities of Senegal due to their geographic location from food production areas. The fingerling tilapia is produce only by the national agency of aquaculture and seventy percent of fish feed used in Senegal is imported from Europe, making the fish farming difficult.

Local communities are more aware of the importance of diversified diet; however, biological farming represent less than one percent of the national agricultural production.

LUXORUS is a structure to produce vegetables and fish across the whole year using the aquaponic system. Aquaponic is a sustainable aquaponic method to grow fish and vegetables simultaneously in a greenhouse or indoor without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. This system is a key alternative to increase food production and supply to local communities. This will also contribute to resolving the high rate of rural exodus and the lack of youth employment. 

To facilitate the management of growing environments, we will mainly implement environment-friendly technology. This includes the installation of digital monitoring and management to continuously collect data and control the aquaponic system remotely. Such as technology will provide real time data on growing conditions that can serve for training and model prediction. In addition, we will principally use solar panels as energy supply to promote the use of clean energy to preserve the healthy environment and also avoid the problem of recurrent power outages. Our training center on aquaponics design and production will enable the development of sustainable modern farming system across the region by offering efficient training sessions in collaboration with our partners. This contributes to increasing the adoption of modern farming techniques.

The production of high amounts of fish and green leafy vegetables will contribute to increasing people's standard of living in low income areas and localities situated far away from the main production areas. We seek to participate in social and economic development, provide access to healthy food without interruption across the whole year to reduce nutrient deficiency, and raise awareness of the use of pesticides to protect people's health and preserve the natural environment. 

The organic farming system in Senegal is composed of pioneers that are mostly supported by NGOs. We will collaborate with NGOs and farmer organizations to promote the adoption of modern farming technology while collecting information about sensitivity to taste, flavor and quality of produce to develop sustainable agriculture. In addition, we will mainly focus on product quality, affordable price-performance ratio, and customer service. To assess the effectiveness of our service and supply, we will develop online surveys to get customers feedback and understand their needs or concerns. We will develop the communication strategy using direct marketing with restaurants, grocery, local community and social media platforms such Facebook and WhatsApp. We will also create a website and blog where customers can express their needs and comments.

The LUXORUS farming method will establish healthy food production. Our model will reduce the insufficiency and high cost of food vegetables and fish in many localities in the country mainly due to their geographic location from the areas of production. By developing business plans based on aquaponics and training center, producers can leverage production skills to increase food supply and develop strong network with local markets. The aquaponic method will enable farmers to grow anywhere in the country and across the year regardless of the rainfall. The use of solar power will definitely enhance sustainable growth.

We are currently implementing our business plan and we expect to reach out to people within the cities of Sebikontane, Thies, Mbour, Saly, and Dakar in the first year.

your solution is the key to resolve trees problems of 
Firstly, Most farming systems are based on traditional practices with the use of a high amount of chemical products. Secondly, 

food vegetable production declines during the rainy season because of the negative effect of rains on vegetables.

Thirdly, insufficiency and high cost of fish and plant-based foods in many localities of Senegal due to their geographic location from food production areas.

By promoting the developing of business plans based on aquaponics and establishing a training center on aquaponics, producers can leverage production skills to increase food supply and develop strong network with local markets. The aquaponic system is a method for growing fish and vegetables simultaneously in a greenhouse or indoor with limited use of water in recycling mode with less evaporation and no chemical fertilizer or pesticide inputs. This method is nowadays experiencing high interests as one of the key alternatives for sustainable food production and supply. And establish continuously a healthy food production and supply system across the whole year, to preserve customers’ health and clean environment.

We are currently implementing our business plan and we expect to reach out to people within the cities of Sebikontane, Thies, Mbour, Saly, and Dakar in the first year. In five years, we expect to develop our model across all the country and expand it to West Africa.

We have done research at the National agency of aquaculture.

Presently I am own but I had the support of Kira Everhart-Valentin, John Hacunda and Jacques Faye in my research and writing of the business plan.

Lucie Thiao is the Chief Executive Officer of LUXORUS

Kira Everhart-Valentin is working network development, funding opportunity, as an adviser. She has a lot of experience in working on international development, especially crop improvement in smallholder farming systems.

John Hacunda is the founder of Aquanet with great knowledge on aquaculture, aquaponics and many other development projects with strong networks in the field. 

Jacques Faye is supporting in the realization of the business plan as well.

My partners team help me to reach my objective.

LUXORUS is applying to Solve to implement to implement a highly efficient monitoring system that can collect time series data while controlling the growing environment in growers fields; develop cost-effective monitoring prototypes that would affordable to low-income growers in Senegal; develop solar panels that are efficient and cost-effective for rural communities; to construct a greenhouse and drilling well.

In order to achieve our goals mentioned above, LUXORUS seeks partnerships to:

• Mentor and advise product development and strategic planning

• Support the development of solar power and digital monitoring prototypes that would fit the low income growers partners.

• Develop connections to investors to expand the business model across West Africa

LUXORUS would like to partner with MIT faculty or initiatives for the development of cost-effective solar power and digital monitoring prototypes that will help to collect data and control the growing environment in aquaponics. LUXORUS would like to partner in the development of fingerlings tilapia fish and feed production to facilitate growers.

LUXORUS is a woman enterprise. Our long term goal is to demonstrate the capacity for women to contribute in technology innovation, particularly in aquaponics to provide a diversified diet and establish food security in low-income communities.

And The objective of the LUXORUS project is to establish  production of organic vegetable and fish throughout the year and throughout Senegal, in order to preserve the health of consumers.  And above fight against inequalities in access to basic foods and exodus in the rural world. the project will particularly impact women rural life.

LUXORUS is an agrifood structure producing fresh and healthy vegetables and fish using a method called aquaponics.  This method combines the advantages of hydroponics as much as of aquaculture but without their drawbacks: no need to make massive water changes or to use chemical fertilizers and need little space, It is a method of organic cultivation.  .  This method is today one of the main alternatives for sustainable food production and supply.

LUXORUS is an agrifood structure producing fresh and healthy vegetables and fish using a method called aquaponics.  This method combines the advantages of hydroponics as much as of aquaculture but without their drawbacks: no need to make massive water changes or to use chemical fertilizers and need little space, It is a method of organic cultivation.  .  This method is today one of the main alternatives for sustainable food production and supply.

The energy supply of the system will be provided by solar panels in order to preserve the environment.