Introduction: This review evaluates nine agroecological indicator frameworks for East Africa, focusing on their ability to monitor and support sustainable transitions in farming. These frameworks assess sustainability across economic, environmental, and social dimensions, considering resource efficiency, biodiversity, soil health, and profitability. Frameworks such as the Sustainable Intensification Assessment Framework, Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), and Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems (SAFA) are recognized for their multiscale approach and alignment with regional priorities. 

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Introduction: Insects such as the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens, BSF) are increasingly recognized for their potential to convert organic waste into high-quality protein and fertilizer inputs, contributing to circular bioeconomy models. However, the type of substrate used significantly affects BSF production performance.

Methods: This study investigated the influence of five organic waste substrates—market vegetable/fruit waste, brewery waste, fish processing waste, poultry manure, and a mixed organic waste blend—on the production performance indicators of Hermetia illucens (Black Soldier Fly, BSF). The BSF larvae were evaluated under controlled conditions for hatchability, survival, growth, nutrient composition, reproductive output, and frass quality.

Results: Substrate type significantly affected BSF performance, with the mixed organic waste yielding the highest hatchability (98.7 ± 1.1%) and survival (98.2 ± 1.3%) and the shortest hatching time (3.1 ± 0.6 days). The Survival Activity Index (SAI) peaked in mixed organic waste (88.4 ± 6.8%), indicating superior larval resilience. Larvae reared on mixed waste also recorded the highest specific growth rate (SGR: 28.0 ± 1.5%) and the most efficient feed conversion ratio (FCR: 1.1 ± 0.1). Nutritionally, the fish waste produced protein-rich larvae (53.5 ± 2.1%), while brewery waste generated the highest fat content (35.6 ± 3.1%). Mixed waste achieved a balanced profile (protein: 45.9 ± 3.3%, fat: 32.3 ± 1.4%) and elevated mineral content (Ca: 10,500 mg/kg, K: 11,500 mg/kg). Reproductively, mixed organic waste supported the highest fecundity (1408.9 ± 65.4 eggs/female), egg clutch size (679.4 ± 40.3), and oviposition preference (95.9 ± 6%). Frass quality mirrored substrate composition: vegetable waste produced the highest organic matter (75.4 ± 3.9%), while poultry and fish waste frass showed superior nitrogen and phosphorus content, with low C:N ratios (16.9–17.8) favorable for composting.

Discussion: The mixed organic waste emerged as the most effective substrate, optimizing BSF biomass production, nutritional value, reproductive output, and fertilizer potential. These findings highlight the importance of substrate blending in insect farming and its role in advancing circular bioeconomy models for sustainable aquafeed production. The results offer actionable insights for large-scale BSF rearing and waste valorization systems.

Published on Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2025

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Agroecology in East Africa is gaining momentum due to its potential benefits for food security, the environment, and climate, supported by research, policy, and economic drivers; meanwhile, Integrated Aqua-Agriculture, as one of the promising practices for agroecological transition, confronts challenges like infrastructure and expertise hurdles.

The PrAEctiCe project addresses these by unveiling three distinct “Living Labs” in East Africa. In Kisumu (Kenya), the lab focuses on the synergy between aquaculture and intercropping, utilizing aquaculture wastewater for irrigation and converting aquaculture sludge into fertilizer. The Kajjansi (Uganda) lab delves into aquaponics, experimenting with varying combinations of fish and vegetables to optimize water, energy, and nutrient dynamics. In contrast, the Morogoro (Tanzania) lab integrates fish and poultry systems, utilizing fishpond wastewater for vegetable irrigation and combining aquaculture sludge with poultry manure to enrich the soil. Living Labs are designed following general agroecological principles adopted for aquaculture. By providing tangible demonstrations and fostering knowledge sharing, they contribute crucial data for the ongoing development of agroecology-tailored indicator framework for aquaculture and the decision support tool for smallholder farmers, with the goal of charting a promising agroecological path of African agriculture.

Published in Journal of Central European Agriculture, 2024

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FOODLAND and PrAEctiCe are European funded Horizon projects focusing on food production and farming in Africa. FOODLAND aims to enhance the diversity of food production and consumption in six African countries displaying different stages of the nutrition transition. PrAEctiCe will provide a novel agroecology indicator set for East Africa, aimed at helping smallholder farmers in their agroecological transition.

Each project highlights the different directions into which aquaculture is developing in the different East African countries, emphasizing the technologies, techniques, and systems that are of the highest interest and benefits to the different regions.

Conference Data:
Aquaculture Europe 2023
21 September 2023
Vienna, Austria

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Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology has attracted great attention over the past three decades and has experienced rapid growth in an increasing number of practical small‐ and large‐scale applications worldwide. However, its application in Sub-Saharan Africa has been limited.

The installation and operation of solar-powered pilot membrane bioreactors (MBR) in Kisumu (Kenya) and Kampala (Uganda) takes an integrated approach by providing an integrated, sustainable, cost‐effective, and robust solution for water treatment and reuse that also meets the demand for clean water for a variety of applications as a promising example of the water-energy nexus approach.

Conference Data:
TECHNOSCAPE 2023 – 5th International Conference on Sustainable Technologies for Water and Wastewater Treatment
14 December 2023
VIT, Vellore

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Agroecology in East Africa is gaining momentum due to its potential benefits for food security, the environment, and climate, supported by research, policy, and economic drivers; meanwhile, Integrated Aqua-Agriculture, as one of the promising practices for agroecological transition, confronts challenges like infrastructure and expertise hurdles.

The PrAEctiCe project addresses these by unveiling three distinct Living Labs in East Africa. In Kisumu (Kenya), the lab focuses on the synergy between aquaculture and intercropping, utilizing aquaculture wastewater for irrigation and converting aquaculture sludge into fertilizer. The Kajjansi (Uganda) lab delves into aquaponics, experimenting with varying combinations of fish and vegetables to optimize water, energy, and nutrient dynamics. In contrast, the Morogoro (Tanzania) lab integrates fish and poultry systems, utilizing fishpond wastewater for vegetable irrigation and combining aquaculture sludge with poultry manure to enrich the soil. Living Labs are designed following general agroecological principles adopted for aquaculture. By providing tangible demonstrations and fostering knowledge sharing, they contribute crucial data for the ongoing development of agroecology-tailored indicator framework for aquaculture and the decision support tool for smallholder farmers, with the goal of charting a promising agroecological path of African agriculture.

Conference Data:
59th Croatian and 19th International Symposium on Agriculture
14 February 2024
Dubrovnik, Croatia

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