ITFL - Insects & Trees For Life

Changemaker: Kevin Makere

Country of Implementation: Kenya

The Food Waste Index Report 2021 by UNEP and Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)

indicates that every Kenyan throws away an average of 99 kilograms of food every year, with the country

wasting a total of 5.2 tonnes of food every 12 months. Most of this food waste is dumped in the many

landfills in and around Nairobi. This poses a major threat to the country's food security and is

contributing greatly to the current global climate change crisis. Kevin with support from his friend

George both young devoted farmers living and farming in Nairobi, Kenya are on a mission to make their

community more food secure by making their food system more circular, utilizing food waste as

a resource to make more food. Upcycling food waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfills

into high-value agricultural inputs i.e., Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae for livestock feed and organic manure

(Frass) for growing trees and crops with the help of black soldier flies. And now they seek to empower

other farmers to do the same through training and action. Targeting a total of 100 young farmers and

youth in their community directly, Kevin seeks to share his knowledge and experience in BSF farming

and a circular food production system.