How insect superstars are helping futureproof protein

Talash Huijbers traded fish for flies to build a business pioneering new ways to bring a more circular approach to protein production in Africa. At AgriVision 2023, she told the story of how she is working to make fish feed and other nutritious protein more accessible to Kenyans through her startup, InsectiPro, and what futureproofing protein means to her.

From fish to flies

Huijbers graduated five years ago with a degree in agriculture and went to Kenya intending to farm fish. However, she found that, while Kenya has the perfect climate and water, along with cheap land and labour, the high cost of feed puts fish production out of reach for most of the population. So, she decided to do something about it.

“Futureproofing proteins means to me that protein farmers need to use better – and less – inputs to achieve higher outputs,” said Huijbers. “It needs to be a circular approach. Inputs need to be high in nutrition, and accessible and affordable to everybody.”

According to Huijbers, feed in East Africa makes up 60 to 80% of the cost of production – and the most expensive component is protein. “Currently we use traditional sources such as soy and fishmeal, which pose three challenges in East Africa: accessibility, affordability and quality. Soy prices are very volatile and it’s hard to keep up. Feed prices have gone up more than 50% in the last ten years.” This is what led Huijbers to start thinking about alternatives.

She first looked at moringa because it is drought resistant, but the protein metrics and edibility for animals didn’t make sense. Spirulina was also difficult to grow so far from the ocean. Crickets were expensive to produce. Then Huijbers stumbled on black soldier flies. She found herself Googling them at 5am and wondering “why is nobody else doing this?”

First, Huijbers needed to find out if there was a market for the flies, so she went to the offices of UNGA, a local Nutreco partner company producing human and animal nutrition and animal health products, to present her idea. Before she knew it, they were asking her when she could deliver 500 tons. “That is a very big number for a 23-year-old who's never grown anything before in her life!” Then she realised they meant per month – and that it was only 10% of what they need. “I was like, okay, wow, that is a very big number, but give me five years.”

The birth of InsectiPro

Soon afterwards, she founded InsectiPro in Kenya. Today they have small pilots running in Ghana and Uganda, with around 150 people and one billion insects. Huijbers calls black soldier flies one of their insect superstars. “What do we look for in a superstar? They have to be nutritious, circular, sustainable and profitable. We believe if you implement insects and insect products into food systems, you can grow more food, with higher nutrients, on less land, and sourced locally.”

Insect superstars: black soldier flies

Huijbers says black soldier flies can not only provide a low-cost, sustainable source of protein for feed but have other uses in a circular agriculture system. First, they are a great source of protein for humans and animals, comprising upwards of 40% protein and containing the essential amino acids. “What we are most excited about is the potential to produce this at an industrial level, and I think Africa can be a leader in this because we have the right climate and a low cost of production. And what excites the world most is the adult fly doesn't have a mouth, so it can't sting or bite and it doesn't transfer diseases. And they only lay their eggs in places that smell bad, so there's no risk of contaminating fresh products.”

Black soldier flies are also incredibly good at waste management and composting. Huijbers said they can convert organic waste into protein and frass fertiliser, which is highly nutritious and organic. Kenyans use little fertiliser, partly because of the expense. “But when you teach farmers how to use it, you see very big jumps in production and also nutrition. We're seeing more protein and iron in crops grown with fertiliser. And we've reduced aphids and bacteria and cut bacterial disease by 30% in certain crops.”

“Green regenerative agriculture is also a very important part of our story,” said Huijbers. “Why are we looking at linear value chains when there's so many opportunities to restore, repair and regenerate agricultural supply chains?”

Insect superstars: crickets

InsectiPro has also started growing crickets for human food through a vertical farm in Kenya. “Insects are already eaten by around two billion people. And they’re approved for human consumption in Africa and Europe. Crickets are less resource intensive than more traditional animals; they require less water, feed and space,” said Huijbers. InsectiPro turns them into a powder high in protein, zinc and iron, that be hidden in other products, to provide much-needed human nutrition, especially to the 46% of Africans who are anaemic.

“Africa is expected to have 1.7 billion people by 2030, which means one in five people will live on my home continent, and by 2050 that will be one in four. We have one of the youngest populations and one of the fastest growing middle classes. Around 43% of Africans will be in the middle class by 2030; demand for food is growing, and we see a huge market opportunity here.”

Next steps for a company of the future

For Huijbers, the future is about finding ways to grow. They’re looking at competitive pricing – which she says they are already doing better than their European counterparts – market development, knowledge transfer, creating a good regulatory environment, and getting a hold of great technology that they can “Africanise,” as she calls it, to make sure it works for them. “We’re also busy testing better inclusion rates with partners such as Nutreco. And creating a consistent raw material supply.”

“I think we can overcome all of these challenges with creativity, with innovation, science and technology,” says Huijbers. “And that is why I believe that InsectiPro is where sustainability and profitability meet, making us a company of the future.”