- By utilizing the larvae of black soldier flies as a substitute for conventional feed ingredients and converting organic waste into fertilizers rich in nutrients, this farming method effectively turns waste into a valuable resource.
- The maggots introduced to the biodegradables are five to ten days old and take about 26 days to decompose the waste.
- Zaida has a vision of going commercial and improving food crop production.
Addressing food security is a paramount concern in numerous developing areas.
It is clear that a substantial boost in food production is necessary to meet the needs of a rapidly growing and prosperous global population.
Within developing countries, there is a particular imperative to strengthen food production while considering the climate and environmental factors.
This can be accomplished by empowering small-scale farmers to organize and expand their agricultural practices, implementing sustainable farming methods, and promoting resilience to climate change impacts.
Taking a holistic approach that integrates food security, climate adaptation, and environmental stewardship is essential to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future.
Zaida Agri-Solutions Ltd. is a Kenyan-based company that promotes eco-friendly agriculture in Kisii County by converting organic waste into fertilizers and animal feed for farmers to use and training on regenerative agriculture to enable farmers to adapt quickly.
The idea was implemented late last year and the organization is based at Kisii National Polytechnic.
Dealing with black soldier fly farming, which is an innovative and sustainable practice with multiple benefits for rural communities, tackles challenges such as waste management, food security, and sustainable agriculture.
Challenges solved
It addresses various challenges, including waste management, food security, and sustainable agriculture.
By utilizing the larvae of black soldier flies as a substitute for conventional feed ingredients and converting organic waste into fertilizers rich in nutrients, this farming method effectively turns waste into a valuable resource.
They mitigate waste accumulation, encourage local sourcing, and reduce reliance on imported feed ingredients, thus promoting a more sustainable and independent agricultural sector.
Additionally, this initiative tackles the impact of climate change by supporting farmers through regenerative agriculture practices, utilizing organic waste for animal feed and fertilizers, and providing training.
Its objective is to assist farmers in adapting to the consequences of climate change, such as decreased crop yields and more frequent extreme weather events.
Black soldier flies farming is an innovative and sustainable approach with multiple advantages for rural communities in Kenya, including waste reduction, improved food security, and climate change resilience.
Waste valorization
Moreover, the project aligns with local government waste management initiatives, further reinforcing its impact on waste valorization.
By harnessing and converting carbon waste into valuable products, this initiative enhances the sustainability and resilience of the food system.
Its success suggests the potential for replication in other regions facing similar challenges, aiming to establish sustainable and economically viable solutions.
“This initiative also addresses the impacts of climate change by supporting farmers through regenerative agriculture practices, utilizing organic waste for animal feed and fertilizer, and providing training.
These efforts aim to help farmers adapt to reduced crop yields and increased extreme weather events caused by climate change,” says Valary Lagat, an entomologist and parasitologist.
How it is done
Zaida Agri-Solutions works in partnership with Kisii Smart Community, which collects and delivers biodegradable waste to them.
After collection, the waste is crushed and fed to the maggots.
The maggots introduced to the biodegradables are five to ten days old and take about 26 days to decompose the waste.
Within the cycle, they are fed twice and their decomposed manure is also collected twice within the 26 days.
From there, the maggots (larva stage) are divided into two. One is meant for the pupa, which helps the colony process to continue, and the remaining larva is sold as nutrients for animal feeds.
The pupa will metamorphose into flies to lay eggs and continue the same cycle because the eggs hatch into the maggots again.
The young maggots are known as hatchlings.
By using the larvae of black soldier flies as an alternative to conventional feed ingredients and converting organic waste into nutrient-rich fertilizers, this agri-business approach transforms waste into a valuable resource.
It reduces waste accumulation, promotes local sourcing, and decreases dependence on imported feed ingredients.
Consequently, black soldier flies farming contributes to achieving a more sustainable and self-reliant agricultural sector.
Challenges
The half-year-old venture has faced several challenges along the way.
No own land: Currently accommodated by Kisii National Polytechnic, they lack land of their own to help them keep growing and producing more agribusiness products for commercials.
Lack of modern facility: With the delicacy of the insects in all stages, the setup needs to be better regulated.
Sometimes, production is affected by the temperatures inside the structure because the maggots (larvae) require either very high or very low temperatures.
The flies (pupa) are fine with an optimum temperature of 28 to 32 because they require light, which produces heat.
Competition: In waste collection, there is a lot of competition with other farmers. This lowers the amount of biodegradable waste they receive from the collectors.
Benefits
Food security is a major concern in large parts of the developing world.
Food production must clearly increase significantly to meet the future demands of an increasing and more affluent world population.
“Our solution is big and bold in its ambition to bring about the required systemic shift in agricultural practices, fostering resilience, productivity, and sustainability while addressing climate change challenges and ensuring food security,” explains Ms. Lagat.
The use of organic fertilizer is expected to result in a tangible improvement in food crop production.
Success can be evaluated by measuring and documenting the increase in crop yields, quality, or other relevant indicators directly attributed to the use of the organic fertilizer.
Production of animal feeds for poultry and pig larvae are dried and formulated feed because they are rich in protein.
Production of manure from decomposed organic waste is sold.
“From the collection of waste, we are able to clean the market and reduce the waste, and work on climate change by producing maggots for animal feed. We don’t need to grow the protein in farms; during the dry or rainy season, the protein part is already sorted,” says Ms. Lagat.
Viviane Kerubo, her colleague, says that they have created comprehensive solutions to address smallholder farmers’ challenges.
This is through partnerships with key learnings and grassroots organizations such as Kisii Smart Community, Bosinya Women Group, and leveraging regenerative agriculture practices and waste conversion technologies.
Such include climate change, food security, and sustainable waste management.
Zaida also offers training and consultancy to the farmers who are willing to start the project.
Expected long-term impact
Zaida has a vision of going commercial and improving food crop production. Further expectations and objectives include:
Improved food security and climate change adaptation: By empowering smallholder farmers with regenerative practices and training on regenerative agriculture, the project aims to profoundly address climate change challenges in agriculture.
This will ultimately improve food security, particularly in vulnerable regions.
Economic and environmental benefits: The project generates new job opportunities in waste management and valorization, fostering economic stability and environmental progress.
It also serves as a model for rural development within the circular economy, promoting sustainable agriculture and resource efficiency.
Positive social impacts: Improved livelihoods resulting from improved farmer production will have positive social impacts, including better health outcomes and gender-related benefits due to improved living conditions and increased economic opportunities.
To grow this project, Zaida wishes to get some grants or any possible assistance, which will help them get some equipment and space and increase waste collection so that they can do it by themselves.
The developments will, in turn, provide more employment opportunities.
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Would you be excited to learn more about the whole project or offer them your help, you can freely reach out to Zaida through +254726722888.