The Association of Insect Farming and Its Products (AIFIP) hosted the second edition of its Knowledge Café series on 7th May 2026, bringing together BSF farmers, researchers, feed millers, entrepreneurs, and industry enthusiasts for a rich and practical conversation on the demand side of the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) value chain.

The session explored the theme: “Who is Buying and Why? Understanding Buyer Behaviour and Demand Drivers for Frass and BSFL.”

Moderated by Laura Martinussen, independent BSF consultant and Project Coordinator for the INFEAST under the Netherlands Food Partnership, the session featured two expert speakers who offered complementary perspectives;  one from the research and soil health space, and the other from the commercial animal feed industry.

Frass: A Powerful Soil Input with an Untapped Market

Dr. Dennis Beesigamukama, Postdoctoral Fellow at ICIPE (International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology), opened the session with a deep dive into the frass market – its benefits, buyer landscape, and the gap between production potential and commercial reality.

Dr. Dennis highlighted that frass is far more than a by-product of insect farming. As a soil health input, it addresses the widespread soil degradation challenges affecting food security across Africa, where an estimated 40% of soils are nutrient deficient. Unlike synthetic fertilisers, frass supplies all 18 nutrients required by plants, boosts crop yields by at least 20%, and thanks to chitin from insect exoskeletons – can suppress soil-dwelling pests and diseases by up to 96–100%, functioning as a reliable substitute for harmful synthetic chemicals.

The global market value for frass is projected to grow from nearly $4 billion today to over $17 billion in the next decade, with Kenya’s current projected annual market value estimated at $85 million. Yet Kenya’s current production capacity stands at only 122 metric tons per year  enough to meet just 7% of the country’s organic fertilizer demand. The key buyers today include flower farmers, urban kitchen garden farmers, and vegetable farmers targeting the organic food market.

So what is holding the market back? Dr. Dennis pointed to the need for improved branding, awareness, adherence to quality standards, and competitive pricing as critical steps for producers looking to break into the mainstream market. He also outlined post-harvest treatment protocols — including composting, fermentation, or heat treatment — that are essential before frass can be safely applied to crops.

BSFL: High Demand, Insufficient Supply

Paul Kamau, CEO of the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA), brought the feed industry’s perspective to the conversation — and the message was clear: the demand for BSFL as an animal feed ingredient is significant and growing, but current production levels in Kenya are far from meeting it.

Paul explained that Kenya’s animal feed industry is heavily dependent on imported inputs, with 80% of commercial feed raw materials sourced from outside the country. BSF larvae, with a crude protein content of 35–55% and fat content of 15–35%, present a compelling local alternative that could reduce feed costs by up to 30%. Feed inclusion rates of up to 15% for poultry and swine, and even higher for aquafeed, make BSFL a viable and attractive ingredient.

However, the feed industry’s adoption of BSFL hinges on two non-negotiables: consistent supply volume and standardised quality. Variability in protein and fat content across batches makes it difficult for feed millers to rely on BSFL in their formulations. Paul proposed the development of commercial aggregation hubs at a national level, strategic mapping of willing feed millers, and coordinated supply chains as key pathways to unlocking the full market potential.

One important reframe Paul offered: BSF must be positioned as a commercial substitute to imported soybean meal — currently priced at approximately KES 98–103 per kilo — not merely as a social enterprise or income diversification project. With the right volumes, BSFL can transform the economics of Kenya’s livestock feed sector.

Key Takeaways from the Discussion

The open discussion that followed the presentations surfaced several themes that resonate widely across the BSF community:

1. The supply-demand paradox is real. Farmers struggle to sell existing production while feed millers report demand far exceeding what can be supplied. Bridging this gap requires coordinated aggregation, not individual producer efforts.
2. Quality and consistency are market-entry requirements. Whether for frass or BSFL, buyers — from vegetable farmers to commercial feed millers — need products that meet predictable specifications. Investing in post-harvest treatment, quality control, and industry-led standards (in collaboration with KEBS) is essential.
3. Pricing must be market-informed, not production-driven. For BSFL, the benchmark is imported soybean meal. For frass, early competitive pricing is key to building a consumer base before premium positioning.
4. Collaboration is the way forward. From ICIPE’s hub-and-spoke aggregation model to AKEFEMA’s call for joint learning between BSF producers and feed millers, the session reinforced that no single actor can scale this industry alone. Strategic partnerships are not optional — they are foundational.
5. The premium value of BSF goes beyond the nutritional profile. Vertically integrated feed millers and farmers who have used BSFL report improvements in gut health, animal survival rates, and feed palatability — a premium that the sector is only beginning to communicate and commercialise.

What Comes Next

The session closed with a call to action for the AIFIP community:

• Presentation slides, market value papers, and supplementary materials from both speakers will be circulated to attendees.
• Unanswered questions from the session chat will be compiled and shared with the speakers for follow-up responses.
• A collaboration initiative will be launched to connect willing BSF producers with feed millers for joint learning and product development.

Watch the full session recording here: Watch the recording here: RECORDING 2.0 

Join Us for Edition 3 — July 2026!

The AIFIP Knowledge Café is back in July 2026. Stay tuned for the theme, speaker announcements, and registration details via our website and social media channels.

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Get in touch: admin@aifip.africa

The AIFIP Knowledge Café is a series of online learning and networking sessions hosted by the Association of Insect Farming and Its Products, bringing together the East African insect farming community to exchange knowledge, spark dialogue, and build a stronger sector together.