Proteen’s Supercharged Fertilizer, is a patent-pending process that transforms organic mono-streams, like red coffee cherries or avocado oil waste, into a nutrient-dense fertilizer using black soldier fly larvae. We are the first in the world to invent this process.
To feed the projected population of 9.7 billion, food production must increase by 70% by 2050. Currently, farmers use silverfish or imported soya to feed their livestock, but overfishing has caused fishmeal to become an unaffordable and low quality protein feed for farmers. Not to mention, it unnecessarily harms our water streams and our planet.
Our insect animal feed is an affordable and high quality product available to farmers year round. Access to feed improves farmers’ profit margins, increases local livestock production and reduces reliance on imported livestock, which represents 80% of the African market today. Moreover, insect feed allows poultry to return to their natural food chain.
Waste production will increase threefold in developing countries by 2050. Currently, 69% of organic waste in Sub-Saharan Africa is dumped in landfills or burned, accounting for nearly half of all carbon emissions. Uncollected waste remains in the cities, where it clogs sewages and releases toxic chemicals impacting local communities.
Because they are exothermic, Black Soldier Flies are a natural waste converter. During harvest, they transform leftover nutrients (organic waste) into biomass for livestock feed, creating a zero-waste cycle that adds value to cities. By producing our larvae, ProTeen provides a safe and toxic-free way to compost organic waste at scale.
Proteen is committed to inclusive growth along the entire value chain - empowering all stakeholders to revolutionize the local agriculture sector.
Like many other African countries, youth unemployment in Uganda is very high and is estimated to be between 62% to 84%. This is beginning, and will continue, to put immense strain on Uganda’s economy if youth cannot find employment opportunities. Considering that 85% of available jobs are in the agriculture sector, we need to find ways to make agriculture more attractive to the next generation of Uganda.
With nearly 40% of Ugandan citizens engaged in poultry farming, this is an ideal industry to employ youth. We have currently employed over 10 youth, but aspire to employ over 200 as we expand production to 15+ farms on the continent by 2021.
Our direct partnerships with waste management organizations help us reduce overhead and transportation costs and provide them with a reliable and low cost service. At our farms, we train, employ, and sell locally to feed mixers and poultry farmers for local consumption and export.
Through our outreach programs, trainings and visits open to the community we have trained over 674 farmers about our products and how to implement them into their farm. This is inline with our vision to revolutionize the agriculture sector for small holder farmers to ensure improved livelihoods.
Land degradation and soil erosion are major threats to agricultural productivity. At Proteen, we do our part to counteract soil erosion by repurposing Black Soldier Fly excrement and selling it as rich, all-natural fertilizer to farmers which can be used on food or cash crops.
In 2015 only 2.8 % of all farmed crops in Uganda used fertilizer, even though this represents higher yields and productivity for the farmer. This is mainly due to expensive yet low quality or counterfeit products on the market. Offering an affordable, sustainable and high quality organic fertilizer to farmers will play a key role in increasing productivity and livelihoods whilst preserving healthy soils.
