The $50 Billion Fishmeal Killer: How One Maker is Ending Africa's Feed Crisis
AI generated
Maker
Diana Orembe
Known For
Founding NovFeed and winning the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech.
Tools & Equipment
Microbial Fermentation, Organic Chemistry, Circular Economy Design.
Geography
Coming Soon on YouTube
What if the secret to food security was hidden in a trash can? Meet the microbiologist turning organic waste into high-grade fish feed.
The soaring price of imported feed is choking Africa’s fish farmers. Diana Orembe decided to stop importing and start 'growing' the solution. Her startup, NovFeed, utilises proprietary biotechnology to convert food waste into nutrient-rich insect protein, reducing costs by 30% and demonstrating that the future of the $50 billion aquaculture industry is local, circular, and sustainable.
In Tanzania, small-scale fish farmers are often crushed by the cost of imported fishmeal. Diana Orembe, a microbiologist, saw a double-sided problem: massive organic waste in cities and a lack of affordable protein for farmers. Her startup, NovFeed, uses a proprietary biotechnological process to convert food waste into a high-protein, nutrient-rich ingredient that performs better than traditional soy or fishmeal. By 2026, NovFeed has scaled to supply thousands of tons across East Africa, proving that deep science can be a "Maker" tool just as much as a 3D printer.
Lessons for Budding Makers:
1. Look for Waste: Where there is waste, there is a free raw material. 2. Science as a Craft: You don't need a massive corporate lab to start; you need a hypothesis and a garage-sized fermentation tank.More Stories
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