In this first episode of The Loop, Mario and Saru explore a surprising question: can shrimp help grow better tomatoes?

Atarraya tested whether shrimp biofloc — a living mix of nutrients, organic matter, and beneficial microorganisms — could support tomato plants in challenging alkaline soil in Oaxaca, Mexico.

The episode explores biofloc, soil biology, regenerative farming, and the possibility of designing more circular food systems where one system’s output becomes another system’s input.

The Loop is a What is Food for You series exploring the hidden systems behind the future of food.