Enhancing food security on Ascension Island

Currently, Ascension Island benefits from relatively low and unsustainable agricultural production, threatened by the effects of global warming: the territory lacks land available for grazing or farming, which are also subject to the semi-arid climate of this subtropical island. To overcome these shortages, and thanks to the emphasis on renewable energies, some producers have begun to develop hydroponic farming methods, which the Ascension Island government plans to stimulate and encourage by 2030.
The aim of this GO facility is therefore to support the island's government in this strategy, which requires a detailed study of the food habits and needs of Ascension Island's inhabitants, the feasibility of growing certain species using this particular technology, and the definition of import requirements for substitute products. The facility thus aims to provide this information, and to determine the forms of agricultural production best suited to Ascension Island's current situation, in anticipation of long-term climate change. The aim is therefore to develop new knowledge concerning the expansion of local agricultural innovations, to explore the possibilities of implementing other innovative production techniques (such as aeroponic, aquaponic methods, or greenhouse production).
The work carried out as part of the GO Programme, which supports the Ascension Island government's strategy (which aims to increase hydroponic production yields by 50% by 2030) will therefore reduce the Island's dependence on food imports, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the territory's food sector production chain.