How do you grow vegetables when the soil is dry, farming space is extremely limited, and water is scarce? In southern Honduras, the answer has come through an innovative combination of fish, plant tubs, pumps, and pipes.

World Renew works alongside Diaconia Nacional of Honduras on an agricultural project that is making a meaningful difference for families facing chronic food insecurity. Using aquaponics—a system that grows fish and plants together—communities are finding new ways to produce nutritious food in places where traditional farming is becoming increasingly difficult.

Aquaponics combines two food‑production methods into one efficient, recirculating system. The first is aquaculture, which focuses on raising fish and shellfish. The second is hydroponics, a method of growing plants in water without soil. When combined, the two systems work in balance. Fish produce ammonia in their waste, which, with the help of beneficial bacteria, is converted into nitrates that fertilize the plants. In return, the plants help keep the water clean for the fish.

Farming in the Dry Corridor

Southern Honduras lies within what is often called the “dry corridor,” a region especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Laura Soriano, Preventive Health Coordinator and part of the team implementing the project, explains:

“This part of the country is known as the dry corridor. Sometimes in the summer the temperatures go too high, up to 40°C (104°F). In the dry corridor, high temperatures happen regularly and summers are extremely long—no rain at all. Farmers during this time face the challenge of losing their crops. They wonder if it is even worth it to plant because they are losing so much of their crops.”

Dilia Aguiriano, Executive Director of Diaconia Nacional of Honduras, echoes these concerns:

“There is no food in those communities. How do we take care of the kids [that live here]? How do we fill them? Because of the hurricanes last year, 80% of the crops were a complete loss.”

Food shortages and limited job opportunities create ongoing hardship. Across Honduras, many families live in extreme poverty, and in rural areas, the majority of household income is spent simply to secure food.

A Resilient Approach to Food Security

Aquaponics is proving to be a practical and resilient response to these challenges. Families who previously relied almost entirely on staples like beans and rice are now able to produce fresh vegetables and red tilapia year‑round. Through this initiative, aquaponics systems have been provided to around 100 families—impacting close to 500 people with improved access to nutritious food.

Unlike traditional agriculture, aquaponics systems can continue producing even during droughts and extreme heat. Each setup is tailored to the space, resources, and needs of the participating household, making it adaptable for small‑scale farmers.

Managing the system requires only about one hour of daily attention. Eight different crops can be grown using native seeds, and each system produces approximately 20–25 pounds of fresh food every month.

Families Experiencing Change

One participant shared that fresh produce and fish were once too expensive to obtain. Now, her backyard provides what her family needs:

“My backyard has very hard soil so I cannot grow anything very easily, and even when I try, it won’t produce much. But with this [aquaponics] project, I know it will produce abundantly. I have tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, oregano, onions, celery. We now have fresh vegetables!”

For Maria, aquaponics has also opened doors for income generation and community support:

“This has been a success for me and my family. Also for my community, because people come to my house to buy my produce. So in this manner, we have more food stability. People know that we have these vegetables and the fish.”

Despite the scale of the need, Aguiriano reflects on the motivation behind this work:

“What we are doing is very small in comparison and sometimes we get frustrated. Yet when we see all the people that are very excited to have water and to have their own gardens, that is very special. That’s what makes us go on, to get up and go visit these communities. It makes us think and look for new alternatives, for how to innovate. I know this is God’s grace. We are being led by Him.”

Around the world, communities facing climate‑related food challenges are seeking solutions that are sustainable, adaptable, and rooted in local strengths. Aquaponics offers one example of what’s possible when innovation meets determination.