A case from the community

Black Soldier Fly farming in Kenya

In April 2023, DCA Kenya launched a Black Soldier Fly Learning Tool on the Fabo platform. The tool was developed in cooperation with Fabo Learning Lab and The Bug Picture, a regenerative agriculture company.

By Karen Wulff Sørensen

The collaboration was part of a larger Danida Market Development Partnerships project whose objective was to contribute to the goal of increasing agricultural production and access to financing for Kenyan smallholder farmers facing climate change effects. Although the learning tool takes the Kenyan context as its point of departure, the learning and knowledge related to black soldier fly farming in the material is universal.

The Black Soldier Fly Learning Tool serves the purpose of training smallholder farmers on black soldier fly farming to utilise small waste coming from their farms and kitchens. The black soldier fly larvae are amazing agents for waste management. They feed on almost any organic waste – such as fruits, vegetables, animal manure, and human excreta – and convert it into a powerful and nutritious organic fertiliser that can be used directly on the farm. Additionally, the larvae itself grow to become animal feed with a high concentration of protein, especially suitable for chicken and pigs.

The Learning Tool on the Fabo platform

The learning tool was designed to combine specialised knowledge with instructional methods, such as follow along videos and step-by-step guidance. The objective of the tool is to provide the necessary knowledge and instructions for getting started with black soldier fly larvae rearing on a household level.

The learning experience is designed to provide information and support to smallholder farmers who are interested in learning about black soldier fly larvae rearing.

“Rearing black soldier flies provide feed for my chickens and has improved my financial situation greatly.” (example)

Black soldier fly farmer in Kenya