Project Hermetia is a student-led initiative geared towards addressing the problems of food security, poverty, and responsible production, particularly in the fisheries sector. The goal of this project is to provide first-hand training to uprising fish farmers within Ibadan on the culture of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL), which can be used as an alternative meal or protein source for fish. Over the years, the fish food productivity shows no significant increase, especially in developing countries such as Nigeria. This problem is a result of the constant increment in commercial fish feed prices. Due to this, many fish farmers overhauled their farms, while some resulted in using unhealthy local feed ingredients that may actually pose a health risk to the consumers.
The BSFL has been proven to contain as much protein and other nutrients needed by fish for their growth. It can be cultured on organic waste that ordinarily pollutes our environment, thereby reducing the cost of producing fish and attracting young agripreneurs. This eventually facilitates high fish food productivity that contributes to food security and reduces poverty rates through an attractive return on its commercialization.