The introduction of fish powder derived from aquaculture fish for low-income household nutrition has been tried in several contexts around the world with usually modest outcomes. Key barriers to widespread adoption are achieving commercial level production, a product that has a look and taste that is appealing to consumers, awareness of options for product usage, and the common consumer perception that fish powder is more of a medicine than a desirable product.
To address these barriers, we have developed the Designed by Women for Women project in central Bolivia. The initiative builds on over a decade of aquaculture development in central Bolivia where women have played key roles and contributed to the country having one of the fastest growing aquaculture systems in the world. The project has introduced a new fish powder product made from small free-rider fish (Sardinas - Triportheus sp., Tilapia - Oreochromis niloticus, and others) that populate aquaculture ponds. These fish exist alongside the primary commercial fish of Pacu or Tambaqui (P. brachypomus or C. macropomum) and enter the ponds through birds, seeding of commercial Tambaqui, and through waterways, and reproduce on their own. They have limited commercial use or value and are sometimes viewed as pests but usually are seen as a benign aspect of aquaculture production. The powder derived from these fish utilizes the heads, skin, and bones and is nutrient-rich. Its production follows a simple handling and drying process and requires minimal additional inputs. The commercial product, known as Sabropez, is owned and produced by a consortium of women aquaculture producers. All aspects of the product’s design, labeling, name, messaging, and advertising was driven by the women producers as well. The purpose of the project and product is to improve nutrition and livelihoods in central Bolivia through sales of a new commercial fish powder. It is also intended to contribute to the need for further expansion and growth of the aquaculture sector by supporting diversification and value-added products derived from aquaculture.
This paper will present the results of quantitative and qualitative research carried out during 2025 on the efficacy of the approach, a nutritional analysis of the product, and its impact on the livelihoods of the involved women. It will also discuss a framework for introducing community-based value-added aquaculture products owned by small-scale producers, especially women.
This research is highly valuable as it sheds light on the effectiveness of utilizing a women-centric approach to product development. It also helps us address a key question in rural small-scale aquaculture development, which is how to maintain growth momentum and transition to the next phase in aquaculture system development beyond basic production.