Turning agri-waste into proteins

A company uses larvae to turn waste into nutritious ingredients and fertilisers

Spotted: Globally, agriculture generates around 1.3 to 2.1 billion tons of waste annually. Improperly managed, runoff from this waste leads to water and soil pollution, and burning the waste causes air pollution. To help combat this, Global Cerah uses black soldier fly larvae to recycle agri-waste into valuable feeds and fertilisers.

The system starts with the collection of agricultural waste from farms and aquaculture sites. The waste then undergoes treatment to reduce acidity, and this refined waste can then be used for feeding and breeding larvae, used as animal feed meals, and turned into chemical-free fertilisers. The larvae can, in turn, be sent to pet food manufacturers as a high-protein ingredient.

Global Cerah’s system is fully automated and uses advanced machinery and software to manage every aspect of the process from waste management to the production of feed meals. This makes the entire process cost-effective and efficient, Global Cerah currently transforms over 100 tonnes of agricultural waste into high-protein feed meals, and fertilisers each month.

This year, Global Cerah was one of the winners of Shell LiveWIRE Malaysia, receiving a startup fund of RM10,000 (around £1,760), a year of business coaching, and access to the global LiveWIRE network, where companies can share their insights with entrepreneurs worldwide.

The award-winning company exports its products, such as banana feed meal, fish feed meal, and black soldier fly protein powder, to the US and Europe, and has facilities in Asia. The company has plans to enhance its agriculture production systems for farmers, and use its technology to help tackle food waste generated by households and the food and beverage industry.

Written By: Lisa Magloff