Scientists in Senegal are testing whether adding tilapia to rice fields can simultaneously boost food security, reduce poverty, and combat disease—particularly parasitic worms that affect local communities. The experiment, led by environmental engineer Momy Seck Ndao and colleagues, leverages fish waste as natural fertilizer while integrating aquaculture with traditional rice farming in a system inspired by Senegal’s national dish, thieboudienne (rice and fish). Over 60 fields across the region are participating in the trial, which began before dawn with fish being carefully transported from ponds to farms. Researchers hope this “win-win-win” approach will prove scalable and sustainable for smallholder farmers.
Original Article Source Link:
https://www.npr.org/2026/07/12/nx-s1-5803170/farmers-fish-rice-snails-tropical-disease