KENYA – GreenTec Capital Patners, a German premium investor, has invested in Ecodudu, a Kenya-based waste-to-value company producing high-quality insect-based protein for animal feed and organic fertilizers from recycled organic matter.

Ecodudu has developed an innovative process that harnesses nature’s recycling agents, insects, to address global problems of unmet protein demand, organic waste management, and environmental conservation.

Leveraging the team’s more than 18 years’ experience in animal feed production, Ecodudu uses fly larvae to produce sustainable and highly nutritious proteins for animal feeds and organic fertilizers.

The fly larvae convert the organic waste into high-protein biomass and leaving behind a rich residue.

At the full-grown larvae stage, the flies are dried and provided in bulk to feed manufacturers for commercial use as the company’s signature Dudu Meal.

The residues are subsequently processed into organic fertilizer called Shamba Mix.

The result is a cost-effective, safe, and sustainable waste-to-value process that produces feed with a higher protein density than soya beans.

GreenTec Capital said it sees great potential in alternative protein production solutions and is very impressed with Ecodudu’s team. With Maxime Bayen as lead company builder, GreenTec will work to support Ecodudu to scale their business to the next stage.

According to a report by marketandmarkets, the global organic feed market size was estimately valued at US$ 6.8 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2019 to reach a value of US$ 10.1 billion by 2025.

The increasing instances of animal product contamination due to pesticides and insecticides, rising demand for organic food products, growing organic livestock farming, and adaption of organic farming practices by farmers due to the increasing health concerns among consumers are some of the key factors that are projected to drive the growth of the global organic feed market.

Developing countries in Asia Pacific and South American regions are projected to create lucrative growth opportunities for organic feed manufacturers in the coming years.

Key players in the global organic feed market include Cargill, BernAqua, Country Heritage Feeds, ForFarmers, SunOpta, Ranch-Way Feeds, Aller Aqua, Purina Animal Nutrition LLC, Scratch and Peck Feeds, Cargill, K-Much Feed Industry Co., Ltd, The Organic Feed Company, B&W Feeds, Feedex Companies, Country Junction feed, Green Mountian Feeds, Unique Organic, Kreamer Feed, Yorktown Organics, LLC, and Hi Peak Feeds.