• 13. January 2022
Ghanaian company Akwaaba Feeds, producer of sustainable and locally sourced animal feed, is adopting a circular economy approach. Main ingredient for their animal feed is the larvae of the black soldier fly, which are cultured on the bio-waste of leftover food. The remains are used as natural fertilizers. The company is now seeking investment via the crowdinvesting platform frankly.green.
Since 2018, Akwaaba Feeds has been producing and distributing a diversified range of animal feed for local chicken and pig farming. For this purpose, the company processes sustainably grown and 100 % locally sourced soybeans and maize, which come from local smallholder farmers in the region. These farmers neither cultivate large monocultures nor do they use chemical fertilisers; the fields are cultivated exclusively with organic fertiliser. In this respect, Akwaaba Feeds acts in a particularly resource-efficient way by keeping the supply chains local and uses raw materials that preserve natural habitats. In addition, Akwaaba Feeds offers smallholder farmers access to the market and integrates them into the economic cycle.
THE INNOVATION: INSECT BREEDING AND CIRCULAR FARMING
Now, Akwaaba Feeds is going one step further: The company plans to gradually switch its product range to insect-based feed, which means it increasingly replaces the ingredients of the feed with larvae of the black soldier fly. Insects are a natural food source for birds; thus, chickens instinctively look for insects. However, so far they are fed very rarely.
This conversion is a further, important step towards conserving natural resources. Significantly less raw materials and land are required for a similar nutritious content in the end product. The larvae are bred on the basis of biological waste, which Akwaaba Feeds obtains from restaurants, markets or similar. Moreover, the larvae farming process requires almost no water. The feed can therefore be produced even more sustainably, even more regionally and cheaper.
As a pilot project, Akwaaba Feeds has already offered smaller quantities of the insect-based feed to its customers. Products such as the “chick starter” increasingly consist of the maggot meal. Customer feedback has been consistently positive! Now, Akwaaba’s task is to scale the innovation and expand production to meet the increasing demand.
Accordingly, Akwaaba Feeds aims to raise EUR 120,000 via frankly.green and offers 7 % interest for the three-year loan. Retail investors can participate in the crowdinvesting campaign from EUR 100 onwards.
Learn more about Akwaba Feeds’ approach here.