Insectipro and Sanergy are both based in and around the city of Nairobi, Kenya. Both companies harness, using slightly different approaches, the remarkable metabolic power of insects to transform organic waste into revenue-earning products:
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Insectipro feeds agricultural by-products and organic waste to crickets to produce nutrient-rich flour used to fortify children’s porridge.
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Sanergy collects human waste with organic waste and feeds it to black soldier fly larvae to create nutritious insect feed for fish and livestock.
Both companies produce soil-enhancing compost as a by-product. This is sold to farmers close to the city to support healthy growing practices.
Why is it circular
Both Sanergy and Insectipro address a number of complex urban challenges in a holistic way:
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Organic waste management, including human waste, is a costly issue in African cities, both in financial terms and as a public health issue. With the rapid growth in urban population, the challenge is projected to double in the next 30 years.
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Childhood malnutrition is rife all over the African continent. Poor diets in the first 5 years of a child’s life can suppress mental and physical development, affecting the rest of their life.
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Farms in rural and peri-urban areas rely more and more on costly chemical fertilisers as nutrients are removed and not returned.
As the video below shows, insect processing can provide a way of addressing these issues, simultaneously generating benefits for business and supporting the health of citizens and the environment.
