What happens when research leaves the lab and meets the farm? It gets its hands dirty.
And that is exactly what happened recently at the Ento Organic Farm Resource Centre in Kabanyolo, Gayaza, where research, technology, and practical farming came together around one important question: How can we make Black Soldier Fly farming easier for ordinary farmers to start, manage, and turn into a business?
We were pleased to host Dr. Daniella, a researcher at EAWAG, Piotr from Africa Circular, and the Team Leader of the BUGS Project for a practical visit to our BSF production facility.
The visit offered an opportunity to see how research ideas are applied in a real farming environment, and to have honest conversations about what works, what can be improved, and what farmers need to make BSF farming practical.
From research to the farm
Black Soldier Fly farming has attracted growing interest because it can address two challenges at once. First, there is the growing amount of organic waste generated by homes, markets, food businesses, and other activities. Then there is the need for affordable and locally available sources of protein for livestock and aquaculture.
BSF farming brings these two challenges together.
The larvae feed on suitable organic waste and convert it into valuable biomass. Once harvested and processed, the larvae can be used as a protein-rich ingredient for animal feed, while the remaining material can be processed into frass, an organic fertilizer that can support crop production.
But knowing that BSF farming works is one thing. Making it simple enough for a farmer to actually do it every week is another. This is where practical research becomes important.
Putting the SIMBA Approach into practice
During the visit, the team explored our BSF production process from start to finish. They looked at how we manage the different stages of the BSF cycle, from establishing colonies and managing hatchlings to feeding larvae, harvesting and processing the outputs.
They also saw how we have been putting the Simplified Black Soldier Fly Farming Approach, known as SIMBA, developed by EAWAG, into practice. The idea behind SIMBA is important because farmers need systems that fit into their lives.
Farmers need practical methods that are easy to understand, affordable to run, and possible to manage alongside their other farming activities. That is the kind of thinking we are interested in at Ento Organic Farm.
The best part of the visit was that our guests did not simply stand around taking notes. They got involved. The team participated in setting up a new BSF colony using hatchlings and worked with processed frass, which can be used as an organic fertilizer.
There was learning on both sides. They were able to see how the approach works in a real production environment, while our team had the opportunity to discuss practical experiences, challenges, and opportunities with people working closely with research and circular economy projects.
What does the farmer really need?
One of the most important conversations from the visit was around adoption. For BSF farming to grow, farmers need more than information. They need systems they can understand, access to quality starter materials, reliable markets for their products and practical training. And most importantly, they need to see that it can work.
This is why practical demonstration matters.
At Ento Organic Farm, the Resource Centre gives farmers, researchers, students, organisations and entrepreneurs an opportunity to see BSF farming beyond a presentation or training manual.
Turning waste into value
Markets generate large amounts of discarded fruits and vegetables. Food businesses produce organic leftovers. Households generate food waste every day.
If this waste is poorly managed, it can end up in landfills, create unpleasant conditions, and contribute to environmental problems. BSF offers one way to turn part of this waste stream into something useful.
The larvae consume suitable organic materials and convert them into valuable insect biomass. The larvae can become an ingredient for animal feed, while the processed frass can return nutrients to the soil.
So the journey can look something like this: Organic waste → BSF larvae → animal feed + organic fertilizer → sustainable farming systems. It is a cycle rather than a dead end.
Research is only useful when people can use it
There is a big difference between discovering that something works and finding a way for thousands of people to use it.
That gap between knowledge and practice is where organisations like Ento Organic Farm have an important role to play. We work to take knowledge from research, combine it with practical experience, and turn it into approaches that farmers and entrepreneurs can understand and use.
This does not mean that we have all the answers. Far from it.
BSF farming continues to evolve. We are constantly learning from farmers, researchers, businesses, and other practitioners working across Uganda and beyond. Every farm visit, training session, experiment, and conversation adds something to that knowledge.
Building the next generation of BSF farmers
Our goal is not simply to have more people raising Black Soldier Flies. We want to see more people using BSF farming to solve real problems.
A farmer looking for an affordable source of animal feed. A young entrepreneur looking for a green business opportunity. A poultry farmer looking for alternative protein sources. A crop farmer interested in organic soil amendments. A researcher looking for a practical environment to test an idea.
These are the connections that can help move BSF farming forward, and that is why partnerships matter.
The visit from the EAWAG, Africa Circular, and BUGS Project team created space for these different worlds to meet. Research met farming. Farming met business. Waste met opportunity.
The work continues
A farm visit may last a few hours. The work that comes from it can continue for years. For us at Ento Organic Farm, the journey is about making BSF farming more practical, more accessible, and easier for farmers to adopt.
It is about developing systems that work in the Ugandan context. It is about helping people see organic waste differently.
The question now is not simply whether Black Soldier Fly farming works. The bigger question is how we can make it work for more farmers, more businesses and more communities. That is the work ahead.
Interested in Black Soldier Fly farming?
Whether you are a farmer, researcher, student, organisation, investor or entrepreneur, we would love to connect with you.
Visit the Ento Organic Farm Resource Centre in Kabanyolo, Gayaza, learn about our work, explore BSF farming, and join the conversation about turning organic waste into value.
