Fuelling the future with insects

Nasekomo is turning food waste back into food. We have designed an efficient system that uses insects to convert food waste into protein to feed fish and livestock. Organic waste is fed to the black soldier fly larvae, which within a matter of weeks, having grown up to 7,000 times their size, become a sustainable source of protein for feed.

Our project simultaneously tackles two issues that threaten our future; the growing demand for protein and the ever-increasing amount of food waste. As the global population grows, so does our need for food sources. Even now, to meet the need for protein we use a third of available farming land and we fish in amounts so extensive that, at this rate, we’ll run out of fish in our oceans by 2050. We also throw away nearly 40% of the fruit and vegetables we produce, and as this food rots, it contributes to the greenhouse effect.

Nasekomo aims to provide our planet with a better future by harnessing the power of insects.

Funding would allow us to…

Automate our processes using advanced technology and artificial intelligence, meaning less human monitoring and resource are needed. Through automation, our whole production would become more efficient and offer a low-cost alternative to our customers who currently spend 45-75% of their total expenses on fish feed alone.

We plan to create farms that can be replicated worldwide to help decrease the amount of organic waste, air pollution and loss of natural resources while at the same time meeting the demand for animal protein globally. By delivering protein for feed locally, we can also help ease the carbon footprint of the animal protein industry.

My professor at university gave me a motto to live by…

As an undergraduate student, I was tutored and advised by one of my political science professors. While there is a lot that I’ve retained and remember on an almost daily basis from our exchanges, there is one thought that has practically become my motto in life- ‘don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution’. This simple idea is what has helped me focus through the more difficult moments in my career.