The Chronicle of an Aquaponics Project That Began in a Supermarket

In Labastide-Saint-Pierre, the Super U has expanded. The supermarket has grown from approximately 1,200 to 2,000 square meters, and during the expansion project, a long-standing idea came to fruition: incorporating an aquaponics greenhouse into the store, visible from the produce section, able to produce some of the produce right in front of customers.

This choice was not made by chance, nor was it simply a matter of jumping on the “green” trend. It came about as a result of a very local tension between commerce, agriculture, product availability, and the future of the region.

A Project Born from a Local Conviction

It all began seven years ago, when Éric, a market gardener from Montauban and a supplier to Super U for nearly a decade, first mentioned aquaponics to Patrice Marchi, the store director. The idea gradually took root. And when the store expansion project became a reality, the greenhouse emerged as an obvious architectural, commercial, and regional solution.

Behind this vision lies a concrete reality: according to the Chamber of Agriculture, 25% of market gardening farms in Tarn-et-Garonne shut down each year due to a lack of successors.
In addition to uncertainty about succession, producers face other worrying challenges: pressure on water resources and labor shortages, making certain crops increasingly difficult to grow (cherry tomatoes, baby lettuce, etc.).

In this context, the aquaponic greenhouse is not presented as a total revolution, nor as a miracle solution. It is conceived as a useful prototype and a practical response to a food sovereignty issue: another way to produce locally, secure certain crops, and perhaps inspire new generations to view agriculture differently.
The Super U greenhouse aims to produce 2 tons of plant crops per year, focusing on varieties that local producers can no longer supply profitably.

Aquaponics: An Ecological Closed-Loop Synergy

The principle of aquaponics is based on a remarkable biological balance, combining aquaculture and hydroponics:

• Trout produce nitrogen-rich waste in their tanks.
• Nitrifying bacteria convert this waste into nitrates that plants can absorb.
• Plants (baby lettuce, coriander, parsley, chard, pak choi, etc.) absorb these nutrients and naturally filter the water.
• The purified water is then returned to the fish tanks.

This closed-loop system saves up to 90% of water compared to traditional field cultivation and completely eliminates the need for pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
Water quality, particularly its oxygenation level, is the cornerstone of the system.

BIBUS France & AQUARES: Technical Expertise Serving Living Systems

For the installation of the oxygenation system in this greenhouse unique in a supermarket setting in France the engineering firm AQUARES was commissioned by Super U. AQUARES provided the full engineering support: tank layout, network design, specifications, equipment selection, overall system coherence, as well as setup and ongoing guidance.

The Envirotech range from BIBUS France was deployed to meet the key technical requirements of the system design:

• Continuous oxygenation of the four trout tanks (6 m³ each, capable of housing up to 2 tons of fish per year), an essential condition for fish survival and growth.
• Maintenance of nitrifying bacterial activity, which forms the link between fish and plants.
• Long-term security of a significant investment thanks to the proven robustness of the equipment.

The equipment supplied includes:

• SECOH air compressors, known for their reliability and energy efficiency.
• JÄGER fine-bubble diffuser discs, ensuring optimal oxygen dissolution in the water.

Each Envirotech component was selected for its precision, compact design, low energy consumption, and safety in a humid, enclosed environment.

A New Consumer Experience

A glass partition connects the store to the greenhouse. Super U customers can watch the crops grow. They witness the harvests. They comment on the leaves, the lettuces, and the development of the plants.

Patrice Marchi recounts these scenes with amusement: some customers follow the greenhouse almost as if it were their own garden. And this is undoubtedly one of the strengths of the initiative it restores visibility to production, which retail distribution had long removed from the consumer’s view.

Commercial and Media Success

The farm’s inauguration generated unprecedented enthusiasm: a packed parking lot on opening day, national coverage on TF1, France 2, M6 (which led both its 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. news broadcasts with the story), and Sud Radio.

Since then, the Super U in Labastide-Saint-Pierre has received visit requests from schools, professionals, and other Super U network members interested in replicating the model.
The first products from the greenhouse were immediately well received by customers. The aquaponic baby lettuce greener, fresher, and free from the plastic packaging used for Spanish imports is especially praised for its taste.

Learn more on our Envirotech website, dedicated to water treatment and industrial processes