Insect farming for feed production and organic waste management in Benin

Depleted soil fertility, increasing demand for livestock products and the generation of waste require research into sustainable alternatives to food and feed production and waste management in West Africa.

Extensive research shows that Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming can convert organic waste into high-quality, low-cost livestock feed or organic fertilizers for agricultural production.

There are many benefits of local feed and fertilizer production, especially in low-income countries dependent on local agriculture.

In Benin, BSF farming could alleviate socio-economic and environmental issues by reducing the adverse impacts of inadequate waste management, providing local feed and improving agricultural productivity.This project will evaluate and characterize the products, benefits and risks involved with BSF farming in Benin.

Socio-economic impacts of BSF farming and products will also be assessed to ensure viability for farmer´s households.

To achieve these goals we will upscale a BSF pilot farm into a full-scale facility in Benin by enabling technology and knowledge exchange with a facility in Sweden.

This is a multidisciplinary project addressing challenges related to economic and environmental sustainability lead by a cross-disciplinary team of socio-economists, product innovation specialists and ecologists.

This project holds great potential to support sustainable agricultural production and develop a circular economic business opportunity in the waste management sector.