Our project ended at the end of 2021 and our final report has been accepted and appreciated by the donors. It is available here and in the project outputs’ page, together with our -so far- 49 publications in peer-review and over 30 other publications and dissemination documents and videos.

However, we are still very busy. Firstly, we still have over 20 scientific papers to publish and 5 PhD theses to defend. Secondly, we are still organizing dissemination and training events. And, finally, we still hope to develop new projects on IFWA since there is still so much to discover, improve and develop on the topic of insects as feed in West Africa. People and organizations interested in the topic can contact us at m.kenis@cabi.org

Ms Hettie Boafo, researcher at CABI in Ghana, has successfully passed her oral defense on 22 April 2022 at the University of Ghana, Legon. The title of the thesis is “Development of insects rearing systems for the black soldier fly and termites for use by smallholder poultry and fish farmers.”

Congratulations to Hettie and her supervisors.

See here two videos (link 1, link 2) presenting Noël Obognon and his company, Agro-Eco Services, a start-up that he founded with friends after he completed his Master at the University of Abomey-Calavi, in the framework of IFWA

Their main product is Maggot-Compost, a compost made of residues of fly larvae production. They also sell the fly larvae as poultry feed ingredient.

If you know a way to support the company, don’t hesitate.

Ibrahima Traoré, PhD student of the University Nazi Boni in Burkina Faso, successfully defended his thesis in Bobo-Dioulasso on 10 March 2022. The title of his thesis was:

Évaluation de la qualité nutritionnelle des larves de la mouche domestique (Musca domestica, L.) et des termites (Macrotermes sp.) utilisés dans l’alimentation des poulets (Gallus domesticus, L.) et des pintades (Numida meleagris, L.) locaux au Burkina Faso

Evaluation of the nutritional quality of housefly larvae (Musca domestica, L.) and termites (Macrotermes sp.) used in the diet of local chickens (Gallus domesticus, L.) and guinea fowls (Numida meleagris, L.) in Burkina Faso

Congratulations to Ibrahima and his supervisors.

The R4D Science Fair in West Africa was successfully organised by IFWA partners in Bopa, Benin, on 28-30 September 2022. It brought together researchers from the R4D projects and elsewhere, and practitioners to exchange about research results, innovations and collaborations.

Representatives of 20 R4D projects and initiatives presented and discussed their findings in a “market place”. In addition, the r4d Science Fair West Africa offered keynotes and film screenings of the research documentaries emerging from cross-project synthesis activities

A video has been produced on the event, with plenty of interviews.

A special thank you to the INRAB team, especially Prof. Dr. Guy Apollinaire Mensah, Dr. Charles Bertrand Pomalegni and Dr. Sedjro Gilles Armel Nago for the wonderful organisation in a difficult pandemic context.

A 5-days training workshop has been organised by the IFWA partner Institut du Développement Rural, University of Nazi Boni, in Banfora, Burkina Faso on 2-6- August 2021. The aim of the workshop was to inform and train 35 technical agents from the whole country on techniques, developped in IFWA, to collect, produce and use fly larvae and termites in poultry farming.

Both theoretical courses and practical demonstrations were provided by IFWA scientists and students, as well as by farmers involved in the project. technical guidelines and factsheets were distributed. The technical agents can now themselves disseminate the techniques in their respective regions.

Details on the workshop are found here

IFWA was presented on 4 December 2020 at the online 4th International Conference on Global Food Security – Achieving local and global food security: at what costs?

A mini-symposium was organized, entitled “Participatory research for enhanced Food Systems in West Africa: Discussing the outcomes of three R4D projects presented in video”.

In this symposium, the video presenting IFWA and produced by the R4D Food Systems Caravan was shown and  followed by discussions on the project.

Two other R4D projects were presented in the same symposium through videos: YAMSYS and ORM4SOIL

More information on the Food Systems Caravan with other videos on their Facebook page.

 

Dr Aimé Kocou EDENAKPO is the fourth PhD student to obtain his thesis in Benin in the framework of IFWA. On November 27,at the University of  at the University of Abomey-Calavi, he successfully defended his thesis entitled: Influence des rations alimentaires à base d’asticots sur les performances de reproduction des poulets locaux (Gallus gallus domesticus LINNAEUS 1758) et effets socio-économiques chez les aviculteurs traditionnels au Bénin. He graduated with the “Félicitations du Jury”.

His work was partly conducted at INRAB.

Congratulations to Aimé and his professors and supervisors.

Dr Haffizou Ganda successfully defended his thesis at the University of Abomey-Calavi on 9 October 2020. The title of the thesis was: House flies (M. domestica L. 1758) larval potential production on crops and livestock substrates or by-products and their sustainable conservation methods assessment. He graduated with the “Félicitations du Jury”.

Congratulations to Haffizou and his professors.

Due to  the COVID-19 crisis some activities could not be completed in 2020 as expected. Therefore, r4d as allowed us to extend the project until the end of 2021. This will allow all PhD and MSc students to complete their thesis within the time frame of the project. Thanks to the r4d administration.