Ghana, Danish Insectum to build Africa’s first waste-to-feed facility in US$2.7M project

GHANA – Ghana’s JSO Waste, in partnership with Danish companies Insectum ApS and Michael Bundgaard Holding ApS, is investing €2.5 million (about US$2.7 million) to establish Africa’s first waste‑to‑protein facility, aiming to convert 8,000 tonnes of organic waste annually into high‑quality animal feed and organic fertiliser.

The plant, to be built in Accra, marks the first Insectum franchise in Africa. 

The project is part of a broader push to upcycle organic waste into sustainable agricultural inputs, addressing both the growing demand for animal feed and the need to manage urban waste streams.

“By upcycling nutrients from organic waste into high-quality protein ingredients for fish and poultry farmers, as well as organic fertiliser that improves soil health and yields for crop farmers, this project will unlock exciting potential in Ghana’s food system,” said William Stanley-Owusu, CEO of JSO Group of Companies.

David Munk-Bogballe, Managing Director at Insectum ApS, added: “We are very excited about forming our first franchise partnership in Africa, and we are particularly proud of doing so with JSO and Michael Bundgaard Holding, companies with whom collaboration has come naturally from the start.”

The initiative follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Embassy of Denmark, Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat on Agricultural and Agribusiness Cooperation. 

Financial support will come from Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund and commercial lenders, reflecting strong public-private backing for circular economy projects.

Organic waste to feed

Experts say the partnership is timely. Africa faces increasing pressure on the animal feed supply, with conventional ingredients such as fishmeal and soybean meal becoming more costly and less sustainable. 

Insects, particularly black soldier fly (BSF) larvae, are gaining attention as alternative protein sources produced from organic waste.

Several African start-ups are already exploring insect-based feed.

Kenya’s Bug’s Life Farm and Tanzania’s NovFeed produce BSF larvae from kitchen and agricultural waste, providing protein-rich feed for fish and poultry. 

South African firms such as Insecta Proteins and Bugology also convert organic waste into feed and fertiliser, demonstrating the growing regional interest in insect protein.

“This initiative shows JSO’s commitment to circular economy principles and demonstrates how vision, technology, and innovation can transform an environmental challenge into national opportunities supporting the important goal of strengthening Ghana’s agricultural sector,” Stanley-Owusu said.

Globally, insect protein production is expanding rapidly. 

French company InnovaFeed, for instance, has partnered with U.S. agribusiness giant Archer-Daniels-Midland to produce tens of thousands of tonnes of insect protein and fertiliser annually, highlighting the commercial viability of waste-to-protein solutions.

For Africa, these projects offer a dual solution that addresses both urban waste management challenges and rising feed costs.

With the Feed facility, Ghana positions itself as a continental leader in industrial-scale insect protein production. The project underscores emerging trends in sustainable agriculture, circular-economy approaches, and innovation-driven solutions to meet Africa’s rising demand for animal feed.

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