Looking to insects to support farmers in Kenya and Uganda

Insects are proving to be a source of affordable protein for farmers in Kenya and Uganda who are dealing with the skyrocketing prices of traditional poultry and livestock feeds. The Cultivate Africa’s Future Fund (CultiAF) — a $35-million partnership between Canada’s International Development Research Centre and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research — has supported research that has clearly demonstrated the profitability of large-scale insect farming to provide feed.

Doreen Mbaya Ariwi is a poultry farm owner in Kenya who was facing bankruptcy because of rising feed costs. But with the help of CUltiAF, she co-founded Bug’s Life, a business that provides insect feed for her 3,000 chickens. She also sells 1 tonne of insect feed per month to a local pet food producer.

“Insects gave me the opportunity to revive my business,” she says. “[The chickens] fatten up faster and I get a better price for them than I used to.”