Supporting Communities and Ecosystems
Located in Southeast Guatemala, Mayasal is a shining example of what environmentally and socially responsible shrimp farming could look like. Zandy DeBeausett, Mayasal’s owner and general manager, has gone to great lengths to ensure that his farm contributes positively to the local community and ecosystem. In addition to deploying a smart aeration system, Zandy and his team have been planting mangroves alongside the farm, restoring a total of 15 hectares so far. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which has documented bird abundance and diversity on the farm, found that it supports upwards of 100 species.
After achieving success on his own operation, Zandy recognized that one of the best ways he could help communities is to share his knowledge. He developed a program to train farmers on the production and business practices needed to run a prosperous small-scale shrimp operation. The program has been incredibly successful, educating more than two hundred farmers. This positive result can be attributed in part to a partnership with the Guatemalan government and lenders, which provided low-cost loans to help farmers purchase equipment and get started.
Similar lending programs could support farmers throughout the Americas and Asia. Unlike most shrimp farming in the Americas, which is characterized by farms that exceed several hundred or even several thousand hectares, most of Asia’s shrimp farms are a few acres or smaller. While this structure provides livelihood opportunities, many farmers struggle financially. Additionally, it can be difficult to implement sustainability programs when there is a larger number of geographically dispersed farms. Lending programs that require borrowers to make environmental improvements could help address both problems by supporting farmers financially while reducing on-farm carbon emissions and resource use.