Feeding Cities from Smart Tech

By 2050, half of the population will live in the cities of Global South. Rapid urbanization will have a direct bearing on food security, land and water scarcity, and employment opportunities. Africa produces approximately 70 million tons of waste, and recycling is a major challenge faced by municipal authorities. Our solution address challenges of poor waste management and provide access to nutritious and healthy diets, and youth unemployment. Our solution is an integrated circular agriculture consisting of waste bioconversion using insects, plastic recycling to produce reusable and affordable tools, and vertical farming using recycled tools and biofertilizers from the Black Soldier Fly (BSF).

The community will benefit from less contaminated environments and greener cities resulting from waste transformation. Hence the project will build capacity of urban and peri-urban youth dwellers to adopt integrated urban farming and BSF production systems. Regulators and lawmakers will be informed to make adequate decisions.

The proposed innovations address several challenges, including waste management in urban cities, poor nutrition and health, youth unemployment, environmental stresses, and land and water scarcity. According to the World Bank Africa Development series Report, Africa produces approximately 70 million tons of waste, and this is expected to increase with population growth. The budget granted for managing waste is estimated between 20-50 per cent of the overall city council budget, but still, the collection of wastes and disposal is a problem. Waste recycling requires enormous resources,  including labour, and requires innovative and affordable approaches and technical know-how. 

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 133 million people in East Africa were undernourished and obesity is on the rise because of unavailability and unaffordable healthy diets, limited access to a variety of foods, and shortage of land among others. Vulnerable communities, especially women and youth, are the most affected group. Youth unemployment is a challenge in Kenya and Ethiopia. Every year over 2 million youths enter the labour market without employment opportunities. The agriculture sector in rural areas has always been portrayed as less attractive for youth who increasingly out-migrate to urban centres in search of better prospects.

Our solution is an integrated innovation of three proven business models of organic and plastic waste recycling and multi-storey gardening (MSG). Black soldier flies transform organic wastes (e.g., kitchen, farmyard manure, market wastes) into biofertilizer, which will be for vegetables and fruits production. The BSF maggots generated in the process can be used as livestock feed. Our second solution is recycling plastic waste using extrusion and densification into standard affordable tools for household uses (e.g., trays, buckets, tables, and materials for MSG, and insect farming ) using molds of various shapes. From the plastic waste recycling, liner plastic material will be produced that will be used as an input to establish MSG. The MSG is a new innovation using vertical land space to produce organic vegetables and fruits. It is a space optimization and intensification strategy with high efficiency in terms of water usage, soil nutrients, and labour. These model technologies are promoted as an integrated approach to empower urban youth in and around Nairobi and Addis Ababa to create decent jobs and income through engaging them in waste collection and recycling, and vegetables and livestock feed production while protecting the environment. 

The proposed solution will primarily serve urban and peri-urban dwellers. The solution targets youth groups such as school dropouts and unemployed graduates with an emphasis on women particularly. An effort will be made to target youths with disabilities. The business models we proposed have already experienced working with youth, and limited technical and resource capacity are significant constraints to enter into new business. The project will build capacity on waste management (collection, transportation, sorting, and recycling), BSF farming, MSG using vertical farming to grow healthy and nutritious vegetables and fruits (VFs) that enable urban dwellers to reduce their expenditures. Urban and peri-urban communities will be trained in other relevant skills, including business management and planning. 

The proposed solution will enable urbanites to have affordable and accessible nutritious and healthy foods. It will also provide employment opportunities with emerging start-ups at each segment of the value chain; from waste collection to recycling as well as VFs gardening and livestock farming (e.g., chicken). The reduced city administration budgets on waste management redirected to other social amenities. The proposed solution will bring less carbon footprint hence a cleaner and healthier environment.

Our solution addresses the following issues: access to affordable quality and diverse food, health, waste disposal, and environmental problems, youth employment, and income-generating activities. Our solution taps from the urban labor and integrates waste recycling with farming space, optimizing technologies that expand a farming area up to 7.5 folds (120-150 plants instead of 16 conventionally), thereby increasing yield by 400%. Our model reduces carbon footprint and cuts costs on transportation of food from long distances and reduces pressure on land and water.

Our solution adopts an economic integration approach to produce healthy organic food and promote youth employment opportunities by converting the seemingly useless wastes (plastic and organic) into productive inputs and this integrates to organic VFs production using MSG, which is an innovative farming technique to produce and consume a variety of VFs on small pieces of land. MSG is pro-poor farming technology as it is land-, water- and labour-efficient. About 120-150 plants can be produced on 0.42-meter square depending on the vegetable types, while there are 16 plants on conventional farming. The bioconversion organic wastes are turned into protein using BSF and used as livestock feed and the BSF wastes stream will be used to produce biofertilizer for crop production. BSF protein can replace the expensive conventional feed-fish meal and soya meal in poultry and fish feed. The industrial recycling of plastic waste conversion, which produces several industrial materials and furniture, including materials that serve as an input for MSG establishment (e.g., dam liner material)  and insect farming, eradicates pollution of cities and marine ecosystems. In sum, our solution enables us to promote circular agriculture and economic-environmental-social sustainability by integrating recycled wastes into VFs and livestock production while minimizing health, environmental, and climate change challenges and promoting equity and peace as it contributes to communities' livelihoods, economic and social sustainability.

Our solution is an integration of three technologies (bioconversion using insects, plastic recycling and MSG). The Business model relies on waste bioconversion technology and drawing on agroecological principles in agriculture food production whereby the BSF converts organic waste into biofertilizers for use in the storey gardening and recycling of plastic waste through extrusion and densification to manufacture durable materials, containers for vertical gardening. 

The BSF larvae consume large volumes of a variety of organic wastes by reducing them to protein-rich biomass and nutrient-rich residues which can be processed into animal feed and biofertilizers. Integrating BSF technology with business models adds value to waste recycling and making it more attractive. Thus, making the BSF a strong foundation for designing and powering the solution (circular economy).

Wonder Multi-Storey Garden also referred to as Tower Garden or Food Tower initiative. is a vertical farming system which enables to expand a planting area up to 7.5 times and accommodates 120-150 plants (instead of 16), thereby increasing yield by 400%. One wonder multi-storey unit can produce up to 9kg of vegetables per week enough to feed 3 people in a household. Our model creates jobs for youth and women.

The innovations that form our solution have been tested in Nairobi. Currently BSF farming is being implemented by more than 30 farmers in Nairobi and the surrounding. Plastic recycling is dealing with over a 100 customers including Waste Concern, University of Nairobi Corec Ltd, Siliverline Ventures, Alara Greening Investment. Several products have been developed including Vertical polythene for terracing, Posts for construction, paving blocks, walkways slabs. The Multi-Storey Garden is currently being adopted by 500 urbanites in Nairobi. The technology is proven and easy to install. Below some links 

Black Soldier Fly farming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIRYoHuKzU4

Waste Recling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TX5-Ue0Hyo

Multi-storey Garden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcy-7YaW8SQ

“Feeding cities from Smart Tech” innovation will contribute to the emergence of economically prosperous, food and nutritionally secure and environmentally healthy Ethiopian and Kenyan cities. The innovation will address challenges of poor waste management, poor food diets, and youth unemployment that have adversely affected fast-growing cities of these countries. Our innovation will promote integrated circular agriculture consisting of (1) waste bioconversion using insects (BSF), (2) plastic recycling to produce reusable and affordable tools, and (3) use of recycled tools and biofertilizers from bioconversion to produce healthy and nutritious vegetables and fruits (VFS).

We believe that urban and peri-urban youth dwellers will access affordable nutritious and healthy foods further to accessing income because they will produce adequate and diverse VFs using cost-effective MSGs. The MSGs will be established with recycled plastic waste thus reducing waste from the environment. Further, the community will benefit from less contaminated environments and greener cities resulting from BSF transforming organic waste into biofertilizers. Subsequently, cities will retain more revenue due to the reduced cost of waste management. This innovation will access youths, particularly women and the disabled, with low-input-low-technology income-generating activities and enable them to survive in highly competitive business environments. Thus, they will become more empowered through increased access to land and income gained from participating in value chains associated with recycling, MSGs, and BSF production for waste management.     

However, for this to happen, the capacity and knowledge of urban and peri-urban youth dwellers will need to be improved to enable them to adopt integrated urban farming and BSF production systems. Regulators and lawmakers will have to adopt policies and regulations that promote waste recycling and city home gardening. This will include urban authorities embracing appropriate bylaws and integrating them in urban planning.

To achieve these pre-conditions, we will facilitate Public-Private (PPs) partnerships involving youth groups, urban authorities, environmental activists/NGOs, industry, and government. We will build the capacity of stakeholders for various aspects including the use of MSGs, production of BSFs, best practice waste management, and business management. We will also increase awareness and facilitate the organization of policy engagements.

Our solution targets urban and peri-urban dweller e.g. communities inhabiting major cities in Kenya (Lavington, Embakasi, Parklands, Westlands, Kiambu, Thika) and Ethiopia (Nifas silk-Lafto Kifle Ketema, Kolfe Keranio, Akaky Kaliti and Bole). These are peri-urban, and the likelihood of accessing decent land size for MSG is high. We are targeting consumer households, youths and women who are open-minded, ready to learn new skills with an optimistic outlook on life. The model targets therefore busy but media-literate communities who are brand and fashion-oriented, trendy and culturally informed. Green Pavers is currently delivering plastic recycling technology to more than 145 customers (serving over 500 people). By next year, this number will increase to 2000 customers (10,000 people) and 5000 customers in the next five years. The Wonder Multistorey Garden is currently serving 400 customers (2000 people). This number is expected to reach 2000 (10,000) customers by 2021 and 10000 customers (50000 people) by 2026.

The use of BSF for feed and organic fertilizer is currently being implemented by 30 producers. Considering the huge demand for feed in the poultry and aquaculture sector, this number is expected to grow. Very recently, the Kenya government has approved the use of insects as feed which opens new opportunities for business ventures.

Nairobi and Addis Ababa both total 15 Million urbanites. Our solution will contribute to the development of sustainable cities with the ability to manage waste at a cheaper cost. This will promote greener, healthier and cleaner cities with fresh air. 

Our ultimate goal is to empower urbanites and city authorities to be self-sufficient in nutritious and diverse foods and live a healthier life in greener and cleaner cities.

Our specific goals in the next five years are to:

1. Identify, mobilize and organize women, youths and city authorities in urban and peri-urban areas Nairobi and Ethiopia,

2. Engage women and youths in waste recycling and food production through waste bioconversion, extrusion and densification and vertical vegetable crop farming,

3. Conduct backstopping research and build the capacity of women and youth in business management, industrial production and marketing,

4. Assess behavioural change and impact on nutrition and health, income and environmental health,

5. Create awareness and campaign by involving policy and legislation for regulation in terms of laws and by-laws.

Waste management has always been a challenge in many African cities. In reality, African Governments have invested very little in waste management (collection, transportation and transformation) especially in informal settlements. Part of the challenge is due to the poor culture of waste recycling in Africa. There is also a serious lack of awareness on adequate technologies which are efficient, affordable and natural. Urbanites generally are busy, low income and characterised with open-mindedness. Currently, there is limited funding in the area of bioconversion and vertical urban farming in terms of policy and law enforcement. Most initiatives focused on consumption behaviour rather than production. 

Through funding from solve, the consortium will be able to mobilize communities in the urban sphere especially youths. Startup companies will be established at strategic sections of the chain e.g. from waste collection, conversion, biofertilizer and feed production, organic farming etc…  Our project will create awareness among youth and women groups and scale-out technologies such as waste conversation and storey gardens among urban populaces in Nairobi and Ethiopia. 

The project will conduct complementary research in various fields to enhance the efficiency and profitability of the model. The consortium will undertake lobbying and advocacy activities among producers, consumers and policymakers to create an enabling environment for urban farming and waste management by providing research evidence. Legislation and financial entities will be included to support microenterprises which wish to embark in the model developed. Financial support for startups through micro-lending linkages will be supported. A thorough policy analysis study on urban farming and waste management will also be conducted.

The governance of the proposed project will involve at least total of 8 full-time staff : icipe: Dr Saliou Niassy Head, Technology Transfer Unit, Dr Menale Kassie Head, Social Science Unit, Dr Michael Kidoido, Specialist in Monitoring and Evaluation and Dr Chrysantus Tanga Scientist in BSF farming;  Green Pavement: Dr Ocar Aghan CEO, Ishmael Hezekiah; Farming Wonder: Dennis Njau Muriithi and Daniel Gitau Thairu. However, the implementation of the entire project will include technical staff who will be working on a part-time basis on the following aspect: insect farming, install multi-storey gardens and research.

icipe has over 50 years of experience in applied insect science and capacity building. icipe is active in more than 40 African countries. In 2013, icipe established the Insect for Food, Feed and Other Uses (INSEFF) which promotes the use of Black Soldier Fly which turns organic waste into poultry feed and organic fertilizer. Icipe has over 7 years of experience in BSF research and waste management. Farming Wonder is an agricultural cooperative based in Nairobi suburb and employs over 10 people. The company is specialized in agricultural innovation and vertical farming. Green Pavement company currently employs over 25 people.

The consortium has a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral team to deliver the solution. The team composition includes entomologist, social scientists, engineering, and agriculturalists. In terms of organization, icipe is the only centre in the world that primarily focused on insects science and its application. The centre cumulates over 50 years of research and development expertise in bio-based products with a track record on BSF research and experimenting the biofertilizer from BSF farming on vegetables and staple crops such as maize in collaboration with public-private sectors. The centre has established BSF rearing methods on different substrates from various organic streams. Green Pavement company has demonstrated experience of plastic recycling engaging youth and Farming Wonder’s innovation on multi-storey is addressing simultaneously space, water and soil fertility challenges which enable farming in urban Kenya through providing technical training and support.

The implementation of this solution requires collaboration with city authorities in Nairobi and Addis Ababa as well as youth incubation, financing institutions, NGOs, media and policymakers in order to inculcate the business models. The various partners will reach out to urban masses including women and youth, and disseminate widely organic VFs using MSG and recycled inputs such as dam liner material from recycled plastic and biofertilizer from recycled organic waste by  BSF.  NGOs and country Ministries of Agriculture offices will also be key partners in the project to enable implementation of the project under urban and peri-urban settings. Young entrepreneurs who have already created a business around insect farming for feed like ECODUDU Ltd, Insecti Pro, Kiamumbi Fish Farming will be involved and used as model farmers for demonstration and training. Currently, icipe is implementing three projects on insect farming in Nairobi and its suburbs funded by Bioinnovate, IDRC, and Rockefeller foundation.

Disadvantaged groups such as youth and women have limited business skills, capital, access to finance, and markets to start and run a viable business that enables them to generate decent jobs and income. The goal of the project is to empower youth and women economically in urban and peri-urban cities through providing technical, business, financial, and market skills training, as well as start-ups to establish primarily organic vegetable production business using MSG and inputs from recycled wastes. The beneficiaries will also be linked to financial services and markets. The partnership will be established with private-public sectors to deliver these services and our innovations. Youth and women will also be organized to form enterprise groups to offer services and technologies at lower transaction costs. The combination of the right services and our innovation will enable beneficiaries to establish feasible and meaningful business and employment that generates a sustainable income stream, while they are contributing to environmental sustainability. We will also use various channels to deliver the innovations: (1) organization of forums, and distribution of dissemination materials and policy briefs to create awareness; (2) leverage on already existing communication frameworks from partners; and (3) employment of visibility channels such as reality shows. Partnerships will be established with municipalities. Partners will provide training and support the production and distribution materials and knowledge. Private partners such as Green Pavement and Farming Wonder will oversee quality control with icipe. Further project costs include staff (coordinator, experts, and technicians), research and dissemination costs and space. 

The proposed solution is one of its kind which addresses the challenge paused by Solve on Sustainable Food Systems. The funding that we are seeking will enable the consortium to implement the solution described above and contribute to the sustainable development of two major cities namely Nairobi and Addis Ababa. The funding will permit us to scale up vertical farming at household level, create jobs through various streams and reduce pollution in Nairobi and Addis Ababa. Specifically, the funding will enable the implementing team to train women and youths along with the various segments (waste collection, establish waste conversion facilities, establish startups). The funding will also enable us to engage with regulators and lawmakers to adopt policies and regulations that promote waste recycling and city home gardening. The funding will also enable the team to develop strategic partnerships involving youth groups, loan and microfinance entities. We will build the capacity of stakeholders for various aspects including the use of MSGs, production of BSFs, best practice waste management, and business management. We will also increase awareness and facilitate the organization of policy engagements.

In addition to training in waste management, BSF farming and vegetable production, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) the implementation of our solution will require additional skills. The conceptual framework of our project identifies several segments each necessitating a specific Business model. Furthermore, it is expected that vegetable production by women and youth and market access require solution technologies such as mobile application for buying and selling. This imply that the project might require skills such as marketing, media and exposure.

It is expected that policy intervention will be needed to support urban farming. Therefore project administrators will involve governments, city council authorities, consumer unions etc. to partake in the implementation of the project. The same authorities will be consulted for legal and regulatory matters.

The proposed solution will be implemented by a consortium composed of: The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) (www.icipe.org) is a 50 years old pan-African, non-governmental and nonprofit Centre of Excellence for research, development and capacity building headquartered in Nairobi, and presently engaged in entire Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond with thriving partnerships with many universities and research organizations in Africa, Europe and North America. Founded in 1970 by a renowned Kenyan entomologist, Prof. Thomas R. Odhiambo, the Centre’s mandate is to research and develop alternative and environmentally friendly pest and vector management strategies that are effective, selective, non-polluting, non-resistance inducing, and are affordable to resource-limited rural and urban communities. The organization works in several thematic areas including the use of insects as food and feed. Icipe has developed a state-of-the-art science for the mass production and use of BSF for animal feed and has proven that BSF can valuably replace fish and soybean meal as proteins in poultry and fish feeds in Kenya and Uganda. 

Farming Wonder- Farming Wonder is a private company promoting new ways of farming in town. Farming Wonder provides creative solutions to farming problems and ways to cope and adapt with space and water scarcity especially in city suburbs to rural areas.

Our innovation will promote integrated circular agriculture. We believe that urban and peri-urban youth dwellers will access affordable nutritious and healthy foods because they will produce adequate and diverse VFs using affordable MSGs. The MSGs will be established with recycled plastic waste thus reducing waste from the environment.

Our solution will permit urban and peri-urban communities to benefit from less contaminated environments and greener cities resulting from BSF transforming organic waste into biofertilizers. Subsequently, cities will retain more revenue due to the reduced cost of waste management. This innovation will access youths, particularly women and the disabled, with low-input-low-technology income-generating activities and enable them to survive in highly competitive business environments. Thus, they will become more empowered through increased access to land and income gained from participating in value chains associated with recycling, MSGs, and BSF production for waste management.