InsectiPro

Solution Pitch

The Problem

With population growth comes an increased demand for meat and animal feed, and a subsequent increase in waste. These factors all contribute to an increase in CO2 emissions. A growing population also cuts down on available grazing land, making it increasingly difficult for pastoralists to reach new grasslands, prompting competition and even conflicts. Due to the high cost of protein-rich animal feed, these pastoralists are forced to spend 70 percent of their production costs on pricey feeds like soy and fishmeal. This is a global problem, but will hit Africa harder than the developed world. 

The Solution

InsectiPro’s solution is insects. InsectiPro raises black soldier flies to produce alternative protein sources for the feed industry using a low-tech, circular production process. This process means that farmers can use less land and grow more than with soy and fishmeal. These flies also feed on food waste from the community, thus upcycling organic waste. 

InsectiPro is also working to solve the food crisis by promoting insect consumption. InsectiPro’s cricket powder is designed for the general market, and can be added to anything from cookies to baby formula, as a nutritious protein supplement. 

Stats 

Black soldier flies contain upwards of 50 percent protein which makes them a better option than soy.

Market Opportunity

By 2050, 34.8 million tonnes of meat will be produced in Africa, and the feed market will need to catch up with that production. Traditional feed has a high price tag resulting in high production costs. Currently, animal feed takes up 70 percent of the cost of production. When breaking feed costs down into its components, 60 percent of that production cost is because of the protein component in animal feed. InsectiPro’s black soldier flies contain upwards of 50 percent protein which makes them a better and more affordable option than soy. Beyond animal feed, the value of the global edible insects market is expected to hit $1.5 billion by 2026.

Organization Highlights

• Spoke at the AGRF Summit in 2019 and 2020

• Featured in Reuters, Mongabay, Business Insider, and more

• The president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, visited InsectiPro’s operations in 2019 

Partnerships Goals

InsectiPro currently seeks: 

• Partners in various areas of the feed value chain to expand sales of Black Soldier Fly feed and cricket powder

• Expertise in creating  an out-grower model focused on aquaculture. 

• Expanding production to other Black Soldier Fly products such as frass fertilizer and chitin which has natural antibiotic properties. 

• Engineering experts to design an insect harvesting machine to scale operations