RESOURCE RECOVERY & REUSE SERIES 16 ISSN 2478-0529 Global Experiences on Waste Processing with Black 16 Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens): From Technology to Business Gabrielle Joly and Josiane Nikiema About the Resource Recovery & Reuse Series Resource Recovery and Reuse (RRR) is a subprogram of the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) dedicated to applied research on the safe recovery of water, nutrients and energy from domestic and agro-industrial waste streams. This subprogram aims to create impact through different lines of action research, including (i) developing and testing scalable RRR business models, (ii) assessing and mitigating risks from RRR for public health and the environment, (iii) supporting public and private entities with innovative approaches for the safe reuse of wastewater and organic waste, and (iv) improving rural-urban linkages and resource allocations while minimizing the negative urban footprint on the peri-urban environment. This subprogram works closely with the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations University (UNU), and many national and international partners across the globe. The RRR series of documents present summaries and reviews of the subprogram’s research and resulting application guidelines, targeting development experts and others in the research for development continuum. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: RESOURCE RECOVERY & REUSE SERIES 16 Global Experiences on Waste Processing with Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens): From Technology to Business Gabrielle Joly and Josiane Nikiema The authors Joly, G.; Nikiema, J. 2019. Global experiences on waste processing with black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens): from Ms. Gabrielle Joly is an environmental engineer. She has an technology to business. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International MSc in Environmental Engineering from KTH Royal Institute Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research of Technology, Sweden, and an MSc in General Engineering Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). from the Ecole Centrale de Lyon, France. Her fields of 62p. (Resource Recovery and Reuse Series 16). doi: expertise include organic solid waste valorization, process 10.5337/2019.214 engineering for waste management, and sustainable social and economic development. / resource recovery / resource management / reuse / waste management / waste treatment / waste reduction Dr. Josiane Nikiema is a Senior Researcher – Environmental / technology / black soldier fly / Hermetia illucens / life Science at the International Water Management Institute cycle / bioconversion / insect farming / breeding / larvae / (IWMI) and is based in Accra, Ghana. She has a PhD in pupae / yields / harvesting / lipid content / animal feeding / Chemical Engineering from the Université de Sherbrooke, feedstocks / biomass / biofuels / biodiesel / chitin / residues Canada. Her fields of expertise include wastewater treatment / organic wastes / fertilizers / nutrients / energy conservation and reuse, recovery of nutrients and organic matter from / infrastructure / monitoring / economic impact / economic fecal sludge and organic solid waste, and testing business value / costs / environmental effects / legal aspects / social models for safe resource recovery and reuse. benefits / public health / business models / markets / case studies / Indonesia / South Africa / Ghana / Canada / ISSN 2478-0510 (Print) ISSN 2478-0529 (Online) ISBN 978-92-9090-893-7 Copyright © 2019, CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems, International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Fair use: Unless otherwise noted, you are free to copy, duplicate or reproduce, and distribute, display, or transmit any part of this paper or portions thereof without permission, and to make translations, adaptations or other derivative works under the following conditions: ATTRIBUTION. The work must be referenced according to international citation standards, while attribution should in no way suggest endorsement by WLE, IWMI or the author(s). NONCOMMERCIAL. This work may not be used for commercial purposes. SHARE ALIKE. If this work is altered, transformed or built upon, the resulting work must be distributed only under the same or similar license to this one. Front cover photograph: Informal fecal sludge management in Guntur, India (photo: C.S. Sharada Prasad). Series editor (science): Pay Drechsel, IWMI English editor: Robin Leslie Designer: W. D. A. S. Manike Disclaimer The opinions expressed in this paper and any possible errors are the responsibility of the authors. They do not reflect the position of the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems or of the institutions and individuals who were involved in the preparation of the report. ii Acknowledgments Donors The authors would like to thank Prof. Ofusu-Budu (University This research was carried out as of Ghana), Emmanuel K. Boadu (Animal Research Institute, part of the CGIAR Research Accra) and Cecilia Lalander (Swedish University of Program on Water, Land and Agricultural Sciences) for kindly letting them visit their black Ecosystems (WLE) and soldier fly (BSF) waste valorization systems and for sharing supported by Funders useful information on the BSF technology. Bram Dortmans contributing to the CGIAR Trust (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Fund (https://www.cgiar.org/ [Eawag]) and Pierre-Olivier Maquart (PhD student, University funders/). of Stirling, Scotland) are thanked for the information provided on case studies from the following projects: From Organic This report is based on research funded in part by: Waste to Recycling for Development (FORWARD) and Ento- • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Prise. Logistical support provided by Mr. Randy Adjei (intern, • CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and International Water Management Institute [IWMI], Ghana) Ecosystems (WLE) and Mr. Eric Nartey (Research Officer, Recycling and Reuse, IWMI, Ghana) is gratefully acknowledged. The authors are also grateful for the administrative support provided by KTH Royal Institute of Technology which enabled Gabrielle Joly to conduct her master’s degree project at IWMI, Ghana. Project This report was prepared in the context of the project named “Scaling out the Recovery of Nutrients and Organic Matter from Faecal Sludge for Food Production in Ghana: From Waste to Food (WaFo)”. Collaborators Jekora Ventures Ltd. (JVL) Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) Training Research and Networking for Development (TREND) iii iv CONTENTS List of Figures ..............................................................................................................................................vii List of Tables ..............................................................................................................................................vii Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................viii SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................... ix 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1 2 THE BLACK SOLDIER FLY (BSF) ................................................................................................................... 2 3 WASTE PROCESSING BY THE BSF............................................................................................................... 2 3.1 Feedstock Selection .................................................................................................................................. 2 3.1.1 Sourcing ............................................................................................................................................. 2 3.1.2 Waste Preprocessing .......................................................................................................................... 6 3.2 Breeding Conditions .................................................................................................................................. 7 3.2.1 Mating and Oviposition ....................................................................................................................... 9 3.2.2 Egg Harvesting and Hatching ........................................................................................................... 10 3.2.3 Larvae Breeding ................................................................................................................................ 11 3.2.4 Collection of Migrating Prepupae ...................................................................................................... 11 3.2.5 Pupation ........................................................................................................................................... 12 3.2.6 Monitoring of Breeding Performance ................................................................................................. 12 3.3 Waste Treatment ...................................................................................................................................... 13 3.3.1 Operating Conditions ........................................................................................................................ 13 3.3.2 Operational Designs .........................................................................................................................