Awareness, challenges and prospects of using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) in animal feeding by smallholders in Nyeri County, Kenya

In Kenya, the cost of production and the price of protein-source animal feeds is very high and sometimes prohibitive to low-income farmers. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) used as a feed ingredient, could provide a cheaper alternative. BSFL is a sustainable protein source, whose production also contributes to waste management and yields an important organic fertiliser with numerous benefits to the soil, referred to as frass. However, because its use is fairly new in Kenya, information on its acceptability, and adoption bottlenecks is unclear. Characterization of these factors can be used to address interventions that promote its widespread adoption. The main aim of this study is to explore factors influencing awareness and acceptability of using BSFL as a feed ingredient, and also the challenges hindering its use by smallholder farmers in central Kenya. The study employed Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a dimension reduction technique to conduct a needs analysis and the Probit model to analyse factors determining awareness of BSFL as a feed source. The study results show that group membership, having an off-farm income source and education positively and significantly influenced awareness. Moreover, age had a negative significant influence on awareness of BSFL as a feed ingredient, with older people likely to be less aware compared with young people. BSFL acceptability is high, with 76% of farmers willing to produce it. The challenges associated with adoption were related to the low availability of starting materials such as larvae and production kits and the lack of capacity building in the form of training. The study recommends targeting farmers in groups to improve awareness. The provision of technical training on BSFL production should be implemented. Finally, there should be support on acquiring initial production starter kits to encourage uptake and bridge the initial capital requirements.