Insect-Powered Regenerative Farming

Several isolated initiatives and agri-business technologies have been developed from research in Entomology, Agriculture, Livestock and Fish. We propose to co-create more linkages between these clusters for new business niches through innovative Circular Entomology-Agriculture-Livestock+Fish (CEAL) initiative. We will transform existing insect-based agribusinesses from linear into circular and regenerative system, generating income and food, while preserving ecosystem health and services. We will focus on organic-waste management technologies, utilizing nutrient-rich larval biomass and frass, for improving crop-livestock-fish productivity and communities’ livelihoods. The model will yield a diversified, healthy and high-quality diet by the use of organic waste that provides safe bio-nutrients and reduce dependence on inorganic fertilizers/products. The CEAL initiative emphasizes on “natural food systems” centered on people with a primary goal to provide quality food rooted in culture and diversity of the communities making it easy to scale globally.

Most ecosystems in developing countries are impacted by loss of biodiversity, resource scarcities, diminution of arable land and climate change. Farming inputs like fertilizer for crop production, low-cost and effective feed for livestock and fish, sustainable ecosystem services are generally lacking.  These limitations contribute to low productivity. Access to farm inputs is inadequate and costs are prohibitive for most resource-poor farmers in developing countries, resulting into poor yields. For instance, the fish sector generates an estimated 0.4million jobs across the value chain in developing countries, with women accounting for over 60% of the producers. However, a major constraint to fish production is the prohibitive cost of feed, which represents 60–70% of production costs. Youth below the age of 30 constitute over 20% of the national population. Cultural and religious practices influence the perception of use and ownership of land, especially for women. While overall employment levels are low, the situation is worse for women who usually have limited skills or no experience to access employment opportunities or manage their own agribusinesses. Women and youth constitute an untapped workforce and are our targeted groups. Lack of access to financial services, technical and marketing information further renders them vulnerable to exploitation.

Our solution is an insect-powered package of farming technologies where black soldier fly (BSF) is used to decompose agro-processing by-products and organic waste from landfills into fertilizer for agricultural production of crops, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and environmental impacts while BSF larva is used as low-cost and effective protein ingredient for feed for livestock and aquaculture. In return, the livestock manure and fish pond water is used to fertilise crops thereby improving soil health while reducing use of synthetic fertiliser leading to improved human and environmental health.  Any food/ farm waste and animal carcasses are then recycled to feed the black soldier flies, keeping products and materials in use for sustainable production and consumption. In addition, fertilizer enhance crop productivity using pollinators and commercial insect production system for income generation. The CEAL initiative emphasizes on “natural food systems” centered on people with a primary goal to provide quality food rooted in culture and diversity of the communities.

This initiative is targeted at the most vulnerable and neglected groups identified herein as women and youth. The initiative offers multiple and innovative agri-business opportunities for income generation to alleviate poverty, ensure food security and improved human health.

Since 2012, icipe has been conducting research on Insects for Food, Feed and other uses. This program has transferred relevant skills and knowledge to women and youth on insect-based agribusinesses with a focus on mass production, processing and value addition for animal feed (poultry and aquaculture) and human food. This initiative will bank on ongoing projects targeting CEAL pillars, requiring that we collaborate with relevant institutions that work in clusters of Agriculture, Livestock and fish. The initiative will strategically leverage already existing activities, partnerships and networks comprising of a consortium team. The consortium members made up of three IARCs (icipe, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), WorldFish, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)) with considerable international R4D expertise in insects, staple crops, fish and livestock value chains in Africa. Each of our consortium partners is best placed in their field of expertise namely techniques for mass rearing of insects (icipe); fisheries and aquaculture (WorldFish); and farming, agronomy and soil health (IITA).

We aim to empower resource poor communities to sustainably produce food by creating linkages/opportunities to benefit from insect-based waste recycling system that produces low-cost, high-quality larval biomass as ingredient for livestock and fish feeds and human food; Organic fertilizer system pulverized by feeding the insects on waste for improved soil health and crop productivity; pond aquaculture system that adds value through insect feed while contributing pond water for crop fertilization; the reversal in the use of food and animal wastes for recycling and feeding of insects. The overall result is improved food and nutritional security and creation of wealth.

We are aware of similar projects on waste management, biogas production from waste, use of organic fertilisers for production of organic vegetables and field crops, hydroponic farming and aquaponic farming. However, we consider these initiatives as stand-alone closed loops while our solution is a true instance of circular economy, a nested system where multiple processes and products are interlinked requiring multiple partners and stakeholders. All materials and waste from one process are used as a resource by another, creating a network of responsible production and consumption. Our initiative increases revenue and create new business niches as resource efficiency benefits multiply across the entire value chain.

Our solution is ‎hitched on Black Soldier fly technology. The International Centre for Insects Physiology and Ecology (icipe) has been working on mass production of Black Soldier fly since 2012 when icipe launched its program on insects for feed. Initially a colony of black soldier fly was established from eggs of wild population of black soldier fly in Nairobi and reared at the Centre’s Animal Rearing and Containment Unit. Different rearing substrates have since been studied and indeed black soldier fly can be reared using a whole range of waste; agro-processing industrial waste, biodegradable domestic waste and many others. While the larva is used as source of protein for poultry, livestock and fish, the black soldier larva feeding on waste produces frass fertilizer for crop production. While the current  project model is to use black soldier fly as a cheap source of protein for animals, we extend this business model to a fully nested circular and regenerative system. In this case the livestock manure and the nutrient-rich fish pond water are used to fertilize crops. Food wastes from agriculture and carcarses from livestock production and aquaculture would be recycled back to feed the insects.

icipe has trained and continue to train farmers in Kenya and Uganda on the rearing of black soldier fly larva for feed in aquaculture, pig production and poultry. Black soldier fly larva is either fed to animals directly as fresh or dry larva or is processed as source of protein for animal feed. icipe is also collaborating with feed millers and processors such as InsectiPro Limited in producing the insect-based animal feed replacing the expensive ingredients of fish meal and soyabean as source of protein. Farmers that have adopted the technology testify on the nutritive value of black soldier larva as source of protein. It takes 6 -7 months to produce a pig weighing 85kg but when fed on black soldier larva, the time period taken to produce the same 85kg pig is reduced to 5 months. Farmers in poultry have also realized increase in egg production at a lower cost than usual. We provide farmers’ testimonies on YouTube: https://youtu.be/H7MDyizeViw

This project will introduce environmental friendly solutions to improve natural ecosystem services and reduce waste; provide food and nutrition security for better health and equitably reduce poverty.

The success of the project builds on the following assumptions:

• If a successful advocacy campaign is conducted, this will create an enabling environment for our Circular Entomology-Agriculture-Livestock+Fish (CEAL) initiative food production to thrive.
• If waste is collected and recycled, then environmental management and public health practices will be enhanced, leading to reduced risks from exposure to contaminants and pollutants.
• If vulnerable groups get involved in various nodes of the value chain, there will be more employment generated that can fast track adoption of the novel system and trigger propagation to millions of beneficiaries.

Participatory monitoring and evaluation and learning (PM&EL) will be developed and integrated during technology deployment and specific project milestones, outputs and outcomes generated. A yearly rolling monitoring system will be established with a set of performance indicators against project Milestones, Outputs, and Outcomes on the donor's approval to guide the implementation. A globally common set of appropriate baseline indicators will be collected at selected study sites so that monitoring and ex-post impact assessment can be carried out. These global indicators targets will be supplemented by country, regional and sub-regional indicators where deemed appropriate. Care will be given to ensuring that indicators capture cross-scale impacts and gender disaggregation. PM&EL will include youth and women during project planning and implementation in collaboration with the technology deployment team. Smart learning loops among staff, partners and stakeholders will be the framework for self-evaluation and iterative improvement of the project. The project will regularly undertake reflection and review through periodic face-to-face or teleconferences/meetings to provide critical guidance on the direction of the program; use of the project log frame to guide and measure the project performance; annual progress reporting, to reflect on learning and progress.

Currently we have 200 farmers using Black solder fly technology. We intent to increase this to 10,000 a year .In five years this should increase to one million

An estimated one million consumers of the increased quantity and quality of products will benefit directly. They will include women and youth from cities and villages and especially those most affected by malnutrition and hunger. Other beneficiaries will include more than 500,000 entrepreneurs and their dependents who will generate income from the established system. Indirect beneficiaries estimated at 5 million, are the dwellers who will enjoy improved waste management, enhanced environmental services, and reduced public health hazards. Women account for more than 60% of the poultry and fish farming industries in the targeted countries. Our circular model will enhance these industries and provide more opportunities for the vulnerable and unemployed women to earn a decent living in a sustainable manner. Our technology deployment strategy will articulate on establishing enabling environment with government involvement and local councils participating in waste transformation, organizing investment forums to attract the private sector, and creating innovation hubs. The project will contribute to increasing productivity and incomes by availing appropriate and sustainable technological options in poultry, fish farming, waste management and feed industries, and crop production, thereby empowering at least 60% women. Gender equality is a major consideration in the selection of project staff, farmers and private partners for empowerment. The project will stimulate production by the community and then sent directly to the consumer, with a very little intermediary in the food chain.

Though the youth comprise a potentially productive workforce, over 12% of African youth are currently unemployed or underemployed. The majority of them still live in rural areas with little prospects for employment. While agriculture and agribusiness can be considered viable potential sources of employment, most of them embark only on subsistence agriculture. This is because young people have: (1) little or no work experience; (2) lack entrepreneurial skills; (3) lack/limited access to formal financial services; and (4) limited access to technological solutions. Such a situation has led to the escalation of criminal activities, compromising national security, and illegal migration across borders. While overall employment levels are low, the situation is worse for women who are more disadvantaged by having little education or limited work experience and skills to be employed or to manage agribusiness. Weak policies further contribute to a lack of income-generating opportunities, as they are poorly formulated and are often not implemented. While corruption is rife, cultural and religious practices influence the perception of use and ownership of land. For example, women that form the majority of the on-farm workforce, own few proportions of land which translate to almost nothing in an average family’s wealth. So far, the efforts deployed by each organization lack systemic thinking for real change to occur.

This coalition is proposing the Circular Entomology-Agriculture-Livestock+Fish (CEAL) initiative that offers multiple options and innovative choices to the vulnerable and neglected group of the community to participate. The project will stimulate production by the community and then sent directly to the consumer, with very little intermediary in the food chain. The food would be fresh and will be produced according to community needs and universal acceptable standards. Such a direct food supply will meet the cultural requirements of these communities. By producing food locally and stimulating local consumption, there will be considerable cash flow to support other businesses and improve the livelihoods of target communities. We further anticipate reducing product processing by operating with reduced transportation of produce and direct marketing made by farmers to consumers. We anticipate the creation of new job opportunities mostly for women

There are thirteen (13) members of staff  working on Black Soldier Fly technology as detailed below

• Full-time staff - Scientists (1), Technicians (5)

• Part-time staff (System thinking - Circular Economy) - Scientists (2),

• Temporary staff  -  Technicians (3)

• Administrative staff - Part-time (2)

• Postgraduate research students - Several areas: Entomology, Food Science, Social Science, Animal Nutrition

Globally, icipe is the only international institute working primarily on insects and related arthropods. The Animal Rearing and Quarantine Unit of icipe has developed techniques for mass rearing of a variety of insects with a current production capacity of over 500,000 per week. icipe’s second-largest office is in Ethiopia and between 2015 and now, the MasterCard Foundation, the Ethiopian’s Jobs Creation Commission in partnership with icipe is implementing an agri-food system on beekeeping and silkworm rearing. This project is benefitting over 100,000 unemployed and out-of-school youth involved in the value chain from harvesting to processing, packaging and marketing honey and raw silk.

For the project to succeed, icipe will partner with three other World-leading research institutions, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) WorldFish and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). IITA, WorldFish and ILRI are global leaders with considerable international research for development expertise in staple crops value chain, fish food and livestock systems, respectively. These international institutions together with icipe have a track record working on long-term project implementation and have a solid partnership with national research stations. In the past two years, IITA has been the implementation agency of the African Development Bank (AfDB)-Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) [AfDB-TAAT] that is providing the needed, proven agricultural and food processing technologies to the vulnerable population across Africa. icipe, WorldFish and ILRI are implementing numerous projects including TAAT where icipe contributes on fall army worm, WorldFish on fish value chain and ILRI on livestock systems respectively. Developing commercial hatcheries and blended, floating feed pellets, and capacity building for communities have also been WorldFish’s major focus areas for increased production and consumption of quality fish and fish products. The team also has experience in implementing systems-oriented multi-stakeholders’ projects. As a complement, national and diverse project specific young Agri-preneur programs, regional and national centers of excellence and the network of women we have established in selected project countries, will play a pivotal role.

Our system model is regenerative and hence sustainable as it aims to restore organic matter, improve the ecosystem by mimicking nature’s role and integrating natural principles for regeneration using biological organisms such as insects to reclaim the natural system. The system will yield a diversified, healthy and high-quality diet produced from the use of organic waste that provides safe bio-nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus to crops. Emphasis is placed on “natural food systems” centered on people with a primary goal to provide quality food rooted in culture and diversity of communities. An emphasis is put on a permaculture approach, in which production will be sustainable and self-sufficient directly for community consumption.

The project will stimulate production by the vulnerable groups and then sent directly to the consumer, with  very little intermediary in the food chain. The food would be fresh and will be produced according to community needs and universal acceptable standards. Such a direct food supply will meet the cultural requirements of these communities. By producing food locally and stimulating local consumption, there will be considerable cash flow to support other businesses and improve the livelihoods of target communities. We further anticipate reducing product processing by operating with reduced transportation of produce and direct marketing made by farmers to consumers.